Kim over at
The Mommy Machine posted about her traditions regarding Christmas Stockings. So I'm going to share mine, and invite you to comment about your own. Or better yet, make your own post and link to mine so we can share!
One year I also made stockings for all of us.
Mine aren't as personalized as hers, but they have a white pocket on the front with the child's monogram on it (in a family of 10 this can be useful since they were all from the same fabric). I haven't done the twins' yet, because my sewing machine broke and it's not high on my priority list. I actually like
Kim's mom applique' idea. It would be so cool to add items slowly as their interests change.
I know this is corny, but I use the Christmas stockings to resupply the kids with toiletries - toothbrush, deodorant, dental floss, lip balm, hand lotion. I also include a movie, dvd or cd of interest, maybe a small toy for the younger ones, their favorite gum or candy, and some money tucked into the pocket. The ones who hang out at Dunkin Donuts received gift cards for there. My handyman son received a roll of duct tape. My hikers one year received patches from the longest hike they'd completed that year. Maybe something they need, like a pair of gloves or a travel umbrella. One year my little girl, who'd recently had her ears pierced, received a pair of earrings.
Oh - each year I also put in one Christmas tree ornament for everybody . It doesn't have to be expensive. Some years everybody gets an individually selected one, but other years it's a set. This year everybody got a jingle bell from Target.
Last year it was a packaged set of tiny wooden presents with a monogram sticker on each one. The year before was a set of Rudolph&Friends ornaments. My oldest, a nonconformist, got Herbie the Dentist. My tallest son got the Bumble. My tool-lovin' son got Yukon Cornelius, etc. I've used plastic stars, or miniature stockings personalized
with names & the year. The kids love opening the ornament box every year and reminiscing. When they move away and have their own trees, they can take their ornaments with them (this sounds good in theory, but will probably break my heart).
In recent years, one of the treats I've tried to include is candy from another country. One year I ordered eccentric candy bars from Australia that aren't distributed in the states. My kids are STILL talking about that year. There are whole bunch of candies with really weird names that sound totally quaint to Americans. Get a load of these:
Curly-Wurly
Killer Pythons
Cherry Ripe
Wine Gums
Violet Crumble
Tim-Tams
Milk Bottles
Freddo Frogs
Magical Elves
Dairy Milk Bars
Violet Crumble is amazing. So is
Nestle's Peppermint Crisp - unlike anything I ever tasted. I ordered fifty bucks of candy this year (I couldn't stop myself), to stuff stockings and also to set out for company. It's a great conversation piece as well. I get them from
Simply Australian but there are surely others. I just stick with what I know. The lady there, Jan, was so terrific to work with that first year, and I'm loyal - I believe in rewarding good customer service.
Now onto Christmas gifts. When we had fewer than 4 children, they used to get a boatload of presents, large & small, and the distribution had to be kind of equal. But the present pileup got to be overwhelming in our small house (not to mention the mounting cost), and you all know that the kids don't even remember what they got after a few weeks.
A dear friend suggested that the kids should only get 3 presents because that's what Jesus received, so we did that for a while, but after another kid or two, the accumulation and cost were still substantial. Even when we tried to make one of the gifts spiritual in nature, it still felt like the focus was on the presents more than anything else.
So a couple years ago, we took the plunge and cut it down to one present per child. GASP! Talk about pressure! When they only get one present, it has to be a good one. Of course, they still get presents from others outside the house, but on Christmas morning they get one present from us in addition to their stockings.
NEXT YEAR, though the kids don't know it yet, we're thinking that we won't get them any gifts at all. I know, I know, we probably all say this every year, but this time I'm sincere. We're going to put money away all year, and at the beginning of Advent next year we're going to give each of them $100. They will have to think of something good to do with the money for somebody in need. We're big supporters of
Food for the Poor and they have an amazing
gift catalog, but it doesn't have to be anything overseas. Maybe they can provide 5 Christmas dinners to people in our town. Maybe they can buy warm coats and mittens for kids. Maybe they'll participate in Toys for Tots. We're going to try to offer ways for them to help other people in our town or abroad, and my prayer is that after the howls of protest die down, they'll come up with ways on their own that we didn't even think of.
But I'll still try to stuff their stockings with something amazing. Otherwise I might die of guilt.
