My favorite Christmas traditions were always driving around to see the Christmas Lights, Grandma's cookies and my Christmas Stocking. I find that most often than not it's the women who fill Christmas stockings and often no one ever fills theirs.
A few years ago my friend Joan gave me a Christmas stocking on Christmas Eve and it was so much fun. It was the first one I had ever gotten as an adult. The next year she gave me another and both stockings had my name on them. I treasure them.
Mom always filled our stockings with "girly" stuff that I loved - barrettes, costume jewelry, nail polish... Is there a Mom, Sister or someone else who always fills everyone's stockings who would love one for herself?
Here are a few ideas for stuffing those stockings...
1. Etsy has some great homemade and personalized stockings. Plus you would be supporting a small business person when I am sure they could use it.
2. I love baggu reusable bags that fold down. They fit in a small purse and also in a Christmas Stocking.
3. Mom always put barrettes in our stockings when we were little. Yes I still pull my hair back into a pony tail. Love this art nouveau hair clip.
4. By the time we were teens my sister and my stockings usually had a tube of lipstick in it. If I was going to put a tube into a woman's stocking I would choose these Superstay Matte lipsticks from Maybelline. They are inexpensive, available in lots of colors and last all day long.
5. I also would include Essie nail polish from L'Oreal.
6. My friend Joan put my favorite pens Le Pen into both stockings. Best Stocking Stuffers ever!
7. If I was going to put a book into a stocking, this is one I would buy. It's a great little book by Thich Nhat Hanh and slides easily into a stocking. And yes it is all about walking mindfully.
8. Another sweet little book is Life by Paulo Coelho. It's full of inspiring quotations to get you through tough times.
9. My friends and I have often exchanged Alex and Ani bangles with each other. I love this tree of life. Would love to find it in my stocking.
10. Can't have too many bars of soap these days and these from Provence make washing your hands feel special. Lots of difference fragrances.
11. I also ran across these velvet face masks in Dwell Magazine from Azazie.com. Might be nice for New Years.
12. And if someone you are giving a stocking to is making more cocktails these days, here is The Mini Bar: 100 Essential Cocktail Recipes.