Ever since we moved into our house I’ve wanted to put stockings above the fireplace. I tried doing this the very first year we moved in, but one of our lovely cats, (I’m still not sure which one), jumped up and ripped the stocking right off the mantel. Honestly, he’s lucky the metal stocking holder didn’t come crashing down on his little kitty head. Needless to say, after that incident I decided to forgo stockings and we haven’t used them since.
But this year the stockings will make a reappearance. I miss filling the stockings with goodies and opening them first thing in the morning. When I was a kid, opening my Christmas stocking was even more exciting than opening my presents. I loved all of the tiny little things my mom and dad would find to fill them. My stocking was red and white with lace around the edges and just thinking about the way it hung from our fireplace makes me smile.
Of course now that I’m bringing back the stockings I need to think of some small and thoughtful stocking stuffers for my husband. I have a few ideas, but not too many. If any of you have good ideas for the men in your lives please leave me a comment.
Note: This post has become so popular that I’ve created a new list of stocking stuffer ideas here. I also included the content of that post below. Click on the green links to see the products at Amazon.
- LED Lanterns. We keep a few of these in the house in case our power gets knocked out. They are great for providing enough light to play cards or board games and even light up the bathroom if you need it. We also keep one of these in each car in case we are stranded on a dark and lonely night.
- Of course LED flashlights are a must have. We keep a handful of these in various rooms in the house and one in each car too.
- Headlamps. I know, I know you’re thinking “another light!” But trust me this one serves a different purpose. Headlamps are great when you are fixing cars, household appliances or just about anything else where you may have limited light. You can place them on your head and keep your hands free to do the real work. My husband LOVES these! Ever try to hold a flashlight while changing a toddler’s diaper. With headlamps you can have both hands free! They range in price from as low as $10 to $15 to as high as a few hundred. The more expensive ones usually burn brighter and more directly.
- With all those electronics you’ll certainly need batteries, so throw in a pack or two. Make certain you double check the type you need. There is nothing worse then buying something that needs AAAs and you have nothing but AAs in the house.
- Favorite candy or cookies. Some guys like to chomp on gum, others prefer something chewy like Starburst or chocolatey like M&Ms. Throw in a bag of whatever your husband loves. Odds are they’ll be eaten before the end of Christmas day.
- Walk inside any gourmet grocery store and you can spend hours picking expensive vinegar or olive oil from the shelves. If your husband is a foodie he might enjoy using a more expensive version of one of these staples. You can also look for unique bottles of honey or jam.
- Spices are another great gift for someone who loves to cook. Have you ever looked at the price of saffron? If your guy likes to cook try buying him a more expensive version of a spice he typically cooks with or buy him an ingredient he’s never tried before. Find a new recipe that includes the ingredient and tell him part of the gift is finding a night to cook together.
- If your guy doesn’t like to cook, but loves to eat, how about some unique hot sauces to spice up his meals? Tacos and enchiladas are a staple in our home, but dinner always feels a little extra special when you can add something unexpected to the meal.
- Does your guy love pancakes or waffles? Why not buy him a box and promise to make him breakfast in bed. Don’t forget to throw in a small bottle of maple syrup.
- My husband LOVES to eat movie theater popcorn. You could add a few bags to your husband’s stocking along with a new Blu-ray movie. Tell him you want to plan a date night where you light a fire in the fireplace and stay snug indoors. There are also all sorts of popcorn seasonings that might be fun to try. Consider buying vintage sodas too.
- For the man who savors a cold beer after a long day’s work you can search for a unique brand he’s never tried or buy him a special beer mug. Bottle openers are good ideas for stocking stuffers too. If your husband is like mine he likes to keep one near the fridge, one in the garage and one in the cooler for tailgating.
- If your spouse travels a lot for work think about buying him photo luggage tags or tags that are unique or unusual in shape. He won’t confuse his bag with the guy standing next to him ever again.
- What man doesn’t like to put his feet up at the end of the day? How about a pair of warm slippers. My husband prefers slippers with plastic soles so he can go take out the trash, pick up the newspaper or walk around the yard without ever having to put his shoes on.
- If your husband is anything like mine he could also use gloves, scarves or a warm winter hat. My husband tends to leave his gloves behind and often needs a spare pair mid way through the winter.
- If your guy loves his car consider buying him a car cleaning kit. Even better offer to help him clean it on a hot, sticky day next summer.
Flashlights, and also screwdriver magnetizers. These are magnets that you can stick your driver into to magnetize, and they cost about $2.50 at your local hardware store. They’re super-nifty, and a lot of people don’t even know they exist!
Stockings have always been my favorite part of the gift-opening extravaganza–they’re so much fun!
This year, I am filling DH’s stocking with small things from his wishlist: a dvd, keyboard charger, comics calendar, etc. He also loves getting organic chocolate, hand sanitizer(he is a clean freak), etc.
I honestly don’t understand how “Santa” manages to fit everything into the stocking! We always empty it out bit by bit to see what we got. But afterward, we can’t seem to fit it all back in! Christmas magic, I guess!
DH “pretends” not to enjoy his stocking that much…but I notice it doesn’t stop him from avidly pawing through everything. My girlies, ages 20 and 22, LOVE stockings.
In our house, a can of black olives is always in the stocking. (You eat them while reading your Christmas book later in the day!) What are your husband’s favorite foods? I’d get him small cans/jars/bottles of those, as well as his favorite candy; any favorite gum/mints; gift certificates or cards to favorite restaurants (Qdoba and Red Robin offer $5 for every $25 you spend right now); DVDs; socks; FLASHLIGHTS (my DH LOVES maglites and can’t get enough of them); fruit (esp. oranges and bananas, which are traditional); paperbacks; magazines; mixed nuts. You’ll fill that stocking in no time!
@canadian sadie — I’ve never heard of the screwdriver magnetizers before. They are a great idea!
@frugalchick — Isn’t it funny how the cheapest part of the gift giving experience can be the most fun?
@graduatedlearning — We experience that same magic on Christmas morning.
@cindy brick — What is the obsession with men and their maglites?
Candy, gag gifts (bacon flavored floss anyone?), razors, new toothbrush, headlamp (for hands-free work), brainteaser games.
I always stuff in a couple pairs of new socks (he can never have enough), small specialty jams or jellies, and don’t forget the orange in the toe!
Each member of our family always gets Easy Cheese–you know that kind in a can that shoots out like silly string–Everyone loves juck food at my house and I rarely buy it 🙂