<p>This year it’s electric toothbrushes, socks, chapstick, and whatever I find this week.</p>
<p>I did buy three flashdrives for the three stockings. Thanks everyone! The funniest thing I found today was at Dollars Tree - milk chocolate praying hands in a religious card. Everyone is getting a pair of chocolate praying hands.</p>
<p>Hacky-sack balls are also good.</p>
<p>I spend a lot on stockings. Since there have been at least 8 stockings, it gets pricey even though I throw in a bunch of nuts, a tangerine and candy. Always a chocolate Santa, gingerbread cookies and little chocolates in Christmas foil. We like Lindt chocolates. And of course a candy cane. Also a little thing of cocoa that I make. But the other stuff like chapstick, etc really adds up even when I buy at the dollar shops. This year I have 10 stocking to do since my brother and his wife will be joining us. I am so glad I didn’t get bigger stockings. as I nearly did when we had just one child.</p>
<p>oh archie mcphee good idea- I wonder if they will be open tommorow
speaking of flash drives I was at a coffee shop up the street from Archie McPhees & a woman asked me if she could use my computer to email a file- since her wireless card was kaplooey. After telling her, she should tell her company to buy Macs ;), she plugged in her flash drive and attached the file to an email- she didn’t even have to open it. it shows up on your desktop as another drive- you just drag it to trash to eject.</p>
<p>My daughter is receiving 6 pairs of earbuds in her stocking because she manages to lose them ALL the time.
headphones I got- but maybe 6 pairs of reading glasses?</p>
<p>Reading glasses for mom and dad definitely! Some other ideas I thought of tonight: Nail clippers, nail files, nail polish remover, makeup cotton pads, hand warmers, $1 plastic ponchos, glow sticks, pez candy heads, and food gift cards (Chick-fil-A, Starbucks McDonalds, etc). One of our family traditions is to include the worst tabloid newspaper I can find, “Woman Gives Birth to Alien Baby” type. Our kids loved reading those, so we kept up the tradition. This is fun!</p>
<p>I like to find funny buttons-some of the novelty stores have these. This year I found one for my son with a picture of Kermit the Frog’s face, and the simple sentence,
“No.” on it. It fits my DS perfectly, but you have to know him to get the joke.
Our chocolate coins, also a tradition for us, will be poker chips (found at World Market) in colored foil this year. I think both kids ( in their 20s) will find that amusing.</p>
<p>I love the tabloid paper idea…funny !! I still buy Mad Libs. I don’t buy buttons, but I love funny refridgerator magnets. I get them for everyone.</p>
<p>I always get each of my boys a “_____a day calendar” depending on their current interests. This year 2 are getting brain teasers, one is getting sports quotes.</p>
<p>For my budding engineer, today I’m headed to Radio Shack to buy him a screwdriver kit with all the weird tips. DH has one, DS wants one. Something he wants AND will use? Done!</p>
<p>I also got them all leatherman micra’s and lcd mini-flashlights.</p>
<p>I have to share this with you. Went to pick up MIL for holidays. Stopped at her brother and SIL’s house. They are in their 70’s. Aunt M had a small pen light that was lcd (I believe that was the term) They can read using that instead of their reading glasses or magnifying glasses. I tried it myself as I am beginning to experience degeneration of close reading and can attest that it is a big improvement. MIL is at a very strong level for reading glasses AND needs a magnifying glass as well. By using that light, she can read as well. Don’t know the cost, but am going to Home Depot to see if they have those.</p>
<p>The seniors in our family like reading with magnifying glasses or the reading glasses one buys at the dollar store. Many have various light sensitivities due to mild macular degeneration, and/or past problems with their retinas.</p>
<p>Oh, as for an eyeglass tip, my mother refuses to buy her eyeglass frames at the marked up prices at eyeglass stores. She waits for sales and she has purchased frames that would run upward of $250 in an optician’s store and paid $25 in a regular dept. store. She has the glass removed and her Rx made with an optician. She always buys 2 frames that are the same shape and size in case one should break. She says she saves a lot of money having her glasses made up this way.</p>