Best Stocking Stuffers for Little Boys when Santa is on a Budget

I have a personal connection with Santa and he tells me that over the years there have been times when he needed to adjust his giving according to the economy in different areas around the world. He has a deep respect for parents and never wants to make them feel badly by overshadowing what they are able to afford to give their children each Christmas. This year he knows that budgets are tight. During our conversation he filled me in on some budget friendly tricks he has used in the past. The Christmas stocking is an ideal place to cut back on the budget allowing more funds for the gifts children have had on their lists.

Christmas Breakfast As a mother I love this idea from Santa. He knows that some children are apt to dig right into candy if it is in their stockings. He has figured out a way to gift them with a goodie to get them to eat something a little more healthy to start Christmas day. Santa puts in individual boxes of cereal in each child's stocking. They get so excited that they have received an elf size cereal box and want to eat it instead of the candy canes on the tree. Mrs. Santa finds the cereals at the grocery store. When they are unavailabe Mrs. Santa fills a cellophane bag with a favorite cereal and ties some curly ribbon to' North Pole it up' for a child's stocking. Juice boxes go very well in the breakfast category and help fill out that stocking with their bulk. (By the way, do you know why treats such as candy canes are put on the tree branches? They are rewards for taking down the tree. This was started many, many years ago, probably by a mother who was fed up with the depressing task of taking it all down alone.)

Tiny Toys Santa likes dropping a handful of dinosaurs, cars and other figurines into the stockings of little boys. He knows they like to hold things in their hands and play with them, sometimes for an hour or more. They can be found in many stores at a low cost if the elves did not pack enough into the sleigh. Some packages can be divided between a couple of boys.

Coloring books For many years the jolly old elf has been putting a coloring book into the stocking of little boys. He finds them with Christmas themes, dinosaurs, animals and equipment. He also finds small activity books. If the elves haven't printed enough he can grab some at a dollar store. Crayons or colored pencils are a great companion gift too.

Fast food restaurant toys Santa and the Mrs. have a trick up their sleeves when it come to young elves. They go out for quick bites and order children's meals. The toys that come with them are saved in a hiding place so Santa can put them in young elve's stockings. He usually has tons left over so he can put them in little boys stockings. We all know Santa is a big eater so children's meals are great snacks for him on busy days. Mrs. Santa also saves toys from cereal boxes and finds deals with points from a powdered drink to send for free toy gifts.

Apples and Oranges Santa still likes to place a big juicy orance or beautiful shiny red apple in stockings of little boys. He knows some baby boys don't have these all the time and that they will enjoy them on Christmas especially if Mom or Daddy makes a big deal out of it that this is an honored gift from Santa.

Other Fillers Popcorn balls and cereal squares that are homemade in Mrs. Santa's kitchen make nice big fillers. Fruit snacks, rollups, individual raisin and nut packets and other boxed snacks that can be opened and divided between stockings for less that $2.50 work well too. The Santa family just picks these up along with regular groceries, adding some little treat each week which can be hidden away. That helps stretch the expense along.

Santa is awfully busy but he is always thinking of ways to stretch his dollars and find things that little boys and girls like. He wants Mommys and Daddys to enjoy the smiling faces of their little ones on Christmas morning. His heart and that of Mrs. Santa goes out to any parents that are struggling to make ends meet. Here's hoping the information he shared with me helps in some way.