Stocking Stuffers for Teens

What's the first thing you think of when hearing 'Christmas morning'? Memories flood into my mind of an early rise, waking my mom up to open our stockings so that we could see what Santa had left us. My favorite part about Christmas morning was actually opening my stocking... although, now that I think of it, those cinnamon waffles sure were tasty.

Filing a stocking can be just as fun as opening one, and as long as it fits in the stocking, it can be a stocking stuffer. In this Christmas article, I've included 40+ stocking ideas and suggestions for teens.

Both Boys & Girls:

· Mittens or Gloves

· Gift Card/Certificate (starbucks, iTunes, etc)

· Movie Tickets

· Cash - I promise you that this will go over extremely well, what teen says no to extra cash?

· Socks - they'll be thankful for them when they run out or haven't done their wash

· Small Electronics (mp3 player, digital camera, etc)

· iPod & Mp3 Accessories (arm band, iPod skins, etc)

· Batteries

· A Wallet

· A Watch

· Magazine Subscription

· Reading light

· DVDs or CDs

· Video Games

· Ear bud headphones

· School Supplies

· Books

· Shower Radio

· Slippers

· USB Flash Drive

· Chapstick - if your son/daughter is complaining about chapped lips during the winter, then this can be a great stocking stuffer.

· Funny Gag Gifts

Food:

· Chocolates & Candies

· Specialty Hot Chocolate mixes

· Cookies & Brownies

· Chocolate dipped Pretzels

· Pez Dispenser - there always fun

· Mints (Tic Tacs, Altoids, etc)

· Fast Food Gift Cards/Certificates

For Girls:

· Purse/Travel-Sized Lotions

· Makeup (lip gloss, eye shadow palettes, etc)

· Perfume/Body Spray

· Body Wash

· Jewelry

· Hair Accessories (clips, headbands, hair ties, etc)

· Nail Polish

· Undergarments

· Shampoo, conditioner and other hair products

For Boys:

· Sports Accessories (personalized golf tees, hockey tape, team hats, etc)

· Boxers

· Swiss Army Knife

· Shaving Supplies (razor, shaving cream, etc)

For Teens that Drive:

· Car-related Gift Cards/Certificates (gas, car detailing/car wash, etc)

· A Keychain

· Bumper Stickers

· Car Fresheners

· Tire Shine

· Soft, Microfiber Cloths

· Car Soap

· Leather cleaner, conditioner

· Personalized License Plate Frame

Customized Coupon Book

Although I've never received or given one, it sounded like a really fun idea to me. Customized coupon books that are tailored to your son/daughter.

Some examples of coupons that can be put into their book:

· No Chores Day - this would be a coupon they could use to get out of chores for the entire day

· Double allowance month/week - if you're teen gets an allowance, you could offer a month/week where they get double the allowance that they usually get.

· Choice of Tonight's dinner - the name is obvious, they would get to choose what they and the entire family would eat for dinner, whether it be home-cooked, order in, or take out

· Mom & Daughter or Son & Dad Day - this coupon would be a fun way to spend time with your teen and they would get to choose what you do together. You could have a Mom & Daughter Spa Day or Shopping Day, and Son & Dad Sports Event Day or Car Day.

There are so many other creative ideas that you could use to create a special coupon book for your teen depending on what types of things they enjoy doing.

Creating a Healthier Stocking

My mom and grandma wouldn't let me eat a lot of candy when I was young; it wasn't good for teeth or for a growing girl. Rather than having candy canes waiting in my stocking, I'd have a mandarin orange or two. I would've traded my candy canes in any day for a tasty, nutritious mandarin.

Ok, so now you may think I'm being a bit unfair - candy canes represent Christmas! An alternative to doing the cold-turkey method would be to cut down on the amount candy canes in stockings, or saving them for after breakfast.