Hi all,

I had some good luck at Trader Joe’s this year for candy/beauty stocking stuffers. They have a variety of candy available in small sizes. There is an Italian nougat bar that I have not seen in years past as well as a small tin of peppermint baton cookies. There are also some cute beauty products that would fit in a stocking. My TJs had the “mini totes” in stock today. It’s a re-usable shopping bag that folds up into a small rectangle shaped like a mini TJs tote bag.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know why, but OXO mini tongs went over well with our 20-26 crowd.

I will add, all boys.

I will add:

You really need to work on being more inclusive.

My guess is that the PP was referring to her crowd of gift recipients. As in they were all boys. But, I'm sure she can go back in time and tell her uterus to produce some girls as well.

I mean ... that is going to be up to the sperm of the baby daddy...not the uterus...

By the time they first become a teen at age 13, most kids have a iPhone.

But if not, a iPhone makes a great stocking stuffer.

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- also I'm looking for food/treat ideas that can fit in the stocking.

Our family tradition going back three generations+ has always been to put an apple and an orange in the toe of the stocking so I'm not going to stop that. But I admit it isn't really exciting! It was exciting for me when I was a kid, because fresh fruit in December was a novelty for us, and Santa always brought the "good" fruit but, times are different for my kids.

But they don't eat chocolate Santas any more and barely eat chocolate but I haven't found any other goodies that would be interesting.

My kid loved a can of pringles

Hot pockets
Body Wipes
Fidget pencils
Teeth whitener strips
Gum

Bumping for 2024!!!

My teens love spicy food so I always get them hot sauce. And last year they loved Mike's Hot Honey (not really spicy but delicious).

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- also I'm looking for food/treat ideas that can fit in the stocking.

Our family tradition going back three generations+ has always been to put an apple and an orange in the toe of the stocking so I'm not going to stop that. But I admit it isn't really exciting! It was exciting for me when I was a kid, because fresh fruit in December was a novelty for us, and Santa always brought the "good" fruit but, times are different for my kids.

But they don't eat chocolate Santas any more and barely eat chocolate but I haven't found any other goodies that would be interesting.

One of my teens really likes different flavors of nuts.

Definitely candy! I always give my kids chapstick/lip balm, toothbrushes (now a joke!), bath bombs, small beauty stuff for my daughter, extra nerf bullets for my sons.

Cheetos, takis and sour patch kids. Not exciting but stuff I never buy and they like. They don’t eat them regularly either. I usually throw in toiletries too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 12 year old was thrilled to get a portable power bank to charge her phone on the go.

Hah! I'm 34 and got one too...I'd wager equally, if not more, excited than your 12 yo!

These are huge hits with my teen crowd as well and a decent universal charging cord.
(Still looking for one that might have such a thing built-in or a decent storage option)

We like to give a slim, credit card size one (usually with a gift card attached). Yes, they’re small and won’t do a tablet or laptop but definitely enough juice for a phone. The Walmart checkout line has several good options for <$10.

Other foodie stocking ideas: Swedish Fish, Jerky, Altoids, Ice Cube gum, Tic Tacs, “nice” hot chocolate packets or stirring spoons, Smarties, water flavor packets
Non-foodie ideas (that ours have liked/used): mini/post it notes, fun/fuzzy socks, deck of cards, favorite pens/pencils, air fresheners (for their car or closet)

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- also I'm looking for food/treat ideas that can fit in the stocking.

Our family tradition going back three generations+ has always been to put an apple and an orange in the toe of the stocking so I'm not going to stop that. But I admit it isn't really exciting! It was exciting for me when I was a kid, because fresh fruit in December was a novelty for us, and Santa always brought the "good" fruit but, times are different for my kids.

But they don't eat chocolate Santas any more and barely eat chocolate but I haven't found any other goodies that would be interesting.

Go to Trader Joe's or a Fresh Market if they have one near you.

Trader Joe's usually has stuff like chocolates of the world type packages and Fresh Market always has expensive, yummy goodies. They also have a bulk section of tons of candies, nuts, trail mix so you can customize.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- also I'm looking for food/treat ideas that can fit in the stocking.

Our family tradition going back three generations+ has always been to put an apple and an orange in the toe of the stocking so I'm not going to stop that. But I admit it isn't really exciting! It was exciting for me when I was a kid, because fresh fruit in December was a novelty for us, and Santa always brought the "good" fruit but, times are different for my kids.

But they don't eat chocolate Santas any more and barely eat chocolate but I haven't found any other goodies that would be interesting.

Same here, OP! For several years I put those chocolate oranges in my kids’ stockings, out of nostalgia for the orange I used to get in mine (which were such a treat), but more “exciting” for my kids for whom an orange is an everyday, all year thing. Now those chocolate oranges are commonplace, but I still insert one because they aren’t something my kids buy for themselves.

I gave my husband one of those. He left it lying around and the dog got into it and ended up in the vet ER as a blizzard was descending. She had to stay there three days until they cleared the roads of snow and we could collect her. I never bought another one!

Our dog also ate one. I learned from our vet after that trip that squirting hydrogen peroxide into her throat makes her vomit and that has saved us multiple er visits.
Also, I think our dog has a death wish and is a chocolaholic. Yesterday she got into the remaining chocolates of the kids’ advent calendars.

How about a mini screw driver set for using on tech items?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- also I'm looking for food/treat ideas that can fit in the stocking.

Our family tradition going back three generations+ has always been to put an apple and an orange in the toe of the stocking so I'm not going to stop that. But I admit it isn't really exciting! It was exciting for me when I was a kid, because fresh fruit in December was a novelty for us, and Santa always brought the "good" fruit but, times are different for my kids.

But they don't eat chocolate Santas any more and barely eat chocolate but I haven't found any other goodies that would be interesting.

Same here, OP! For several years I put those chocolate oranges in my kids’ stockings, out of nostalgia for the orange I used to get in mine (which were such a treat), but more “exciting” for my kids for whom an orange is an everyday, all year thing. Now those chocolate oranges are commonplace, but I still insert one because they aren’t something my kids buy for themselves.

I gave my husband one of those. He left it lying around and the dog got into it and ended up in the vet ER as a blizzard was descending. She had to stay there three days until they cleared the roads of snow and we could collect her. I never bought another one!