Ten Great Ideas for Stocking Stuffers

Stocking stuffing is a time-honored tradition of Americans at Christmas time. From candy to small toys, sometimes discovering the contents of one's Christmas stocking can be just as exciting as unwrapping presents under the tree. Just don't be a bad boy or girl-- or you might just end up with a lump of coal at the bottom of your stocking!

Here are ten great ideas for items to stuff stockings with:

1. Candy: One of the main reasons kids eagerly dig into their stockings is because of the candy. For the holidays, that means a variety of treats. From seasonal flavors of Hershey's Kisses, to candy canes and chocolate Santas, there's a plethora of candy waiting to be stuffed into stockings.

2. Small toys: For gifts that are so small, they aren't worth wrapping, or if you want to give a few trinkets, small toys are perfect to put into stockings. For little boys, this means things like Matchbox cars, and for little girls, Bon Bons nail polishes. For gender-neutural toys, and things that can be relatively inexpensive, yo-yos and Silly Putty make excellent choices.

3. Gift cards: For the more grown up stocking recipient OR the person you just don't know what to get anything for, gift cards are available in any dollar amount, just about anywhere. Give the gift of choice by stuffing stockings with a variety of gift cards, to the recipient's taste.

4. Fruit and nuts: A little less unorthodox this day and age, but back in the old days, parents would stuff fruits and nuts into stockings. This still is a great idea this day and age, if you ask me. Some people just don't like candy, or are health nuts. Therefore, select a variety of fruits and nuts to place into that person's stocking. For really super-healthy people, make sure the fruits and nuts are organic.

5. For the coffee lover: If you have a friend or loved one who is a coffee lover, you may want to pick up several mini packages of flavored coffees, to place in their stocking. To make it sweeter, purchase individually wrapped biscottis or cookies to stuff into their stocking, too.

6. For the booze hound: A lot of people know someone who enjoys a little alcohol, and that's okay. A PERFECT way to please them by the way of stocking stuffers is to hit up the local liquor store. Most stores like this have miniature bottles of several kinds of liquors. Compile a list of your loved one's favorites, and buy enough to fill their stocking. This can be relatively cheap, too, as most of these little bottles usually cost between $1 and $3. For the more classy drinker, you can usually go to places like Wal-Mart and purchase 4-6 pack miniature bottles of different variety of wines.

7. For the gambler at heart: Some of us know people who like "the game of chance." For these loved ones, go to your local gas station. That doesn't sound very classy does it? However, for the gambler, if you pick up a variety of lottery scratcher tickets, it's a potential gold mine. Lottery scratchers range from $1 to $20 a ticket, so you can pick up as many as you want, and not have to pay a lot of money.

8. For crafter: In each family, there's probably at least one person who likes to cross-stitch. In some of my excursions to Wal-Mart, I have visited the craft department, and found that not only do they have big cross-stitch projects, but relatively small ones, as well. These little kits cost very little, and come with the material on which you stitch, the thread, and the insrtructions. You can also find these projects at craft stores such as Michael's. Stuffing several of these into a craft lover's stocking would be a nice treat for them.

9. For the lady who loves frangrances: An aroma-filled way to please a spritzer of fragrances, is to purchase several travel-sized body sprays. These come very cheap at places like Wal-Mart, but if you're looking for more upscale, try Bath and Body Works. This idea can also apply to men. If any of the men in your life like cologne spray like Bod Man, you can utilize this idea by stocking his stuffing with miniature bottles of those.

10. For the gadget lover: From LED book lights, to titanium sporks and magnetic odds and ends, there is something for ever geeky gadget lover. Websites like Think Geek are perfect places to find these things.

So whether a geek or coffee lover, or anyone in between, there is a stocking stuffer for anyone-- age or interest.