The Grocery Shrink Blog

What's in Your Stocking? And Giveaway!

Photo credit:  potterybarn.com

Can you believe it's only 15 days until Christmas?  I have most of my Christmas shopping done, which is amazing for me.  There have been times in my life that I was running around on Christmas eve looking for anything that would do.  I love to give gifts, but I'm not always good about choosing just the right thing.  Part of that is my frugal nature.  I dislike waste and clutter so when I choose a gift it has to be practical, beautiful and a good value.

I'm still in a quandry about what to put in the Christmas stockings at my house.  Here are some of the things I've done in the past:

small sewing kit

box of crayons and coloring book

hair stuff

chapstick

candy

gum

matchbox cars

mini flashlights

pocket sized notebook

gloves

novelty yarn (for my knitting daughter)

This year I'd love to put in crayon rolls for easy art transport.  I'm a little worried about finding the sewing time.  I'd also love to buy each one of my kids an invisible ink spy pen with black light decoder.  (I want one too!)  I'm having trouble finding the deal I want.  http://www.lovetolearn.net/catalog/detail/pen/5 has them for $7 each, but that's a pricey stocking stuffer if I buy one for everyone.

So, I'm calling for help!  Write a comment with your stocking stuffer ideas and I promise not to send spoiler messages to your kids.   Just to say thank you I'll draw one name and send the lucky winner a little something for her own stocking:  A beautiful Mary Kay lip gloss in any color of her choice.  Winner will be chosen December 18th.  To check out your color options visit my website:  http://www.marykay.com/angelacoffman/default.aspx 

Lips are in for a treat with this superlight formula that's saturated with moisturizers – more than 80 percent – so lips feel amazingly soft and supple. It smooths, softens and never feels sticky.
 

Little Lamb

The Lamb

Little Lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Gave thee life, & bid thee feed

By the stream & o'er the mead;

Gave thee clothing of delight;

Softest clothing, wooly, bright;

Gave thee such a tender voice,

Making all the vales rejoice?

Little Lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee:

He is called by thy name,

For he calls himself a Lamb.

He is meek, & he is mild;

He became a little child.

I a child, & thou a lamb,

We are called by his name.

Little Lamb, God bless thee!

Little Lamb, God bless thee!

   

Mug Mixes

Need a quick and easy Holiday gift?  Mug mixes are sure to please elderly persons who live alone, bachelors and college kids who live in dorms.  All you need is a microwaveable mug and a few key ingredients.  Check this link for recipes:  http://www.budget101.com/mugmixes.htm 

You can buy these mugs at http://www.uniquetreasuresoftheworld.net/CHRISTMASACCENTS.html

Inexpensive Christmas Idea: Crayon wrap, crayon apron, or crayon tote

Consider the joy a box of crayon brings! (And for only twenty cents for a 24 color box.)  Some of the cutest coloring books can be found at $1 shops too!  A ream of inexpensive white paper for completely orginal artistic expressions makes the gift complete.  Have time to sew?  Why not make an adorable crayon roll to hold them all together? Crayon boxes don't hold up very long and it can be hard to see the color you want--crayon rolls don't have that problem.  And they don't make a sound if you accidentally drop one during church!  For a great tutorial try this one from Skip to My Lou:  http://www.skiptomylou.org/2007/04/25/on-a-roll/

 

Go a step further and make a crayon apron so the little artist will always have her tools at hand!  Here's a tutorial for a simple butcher style apron:  http://djsgemstones.blogspot.com/2008/07/easy-crayon-apron-for-little-artist-in.html  There are also some adorable half apron styles available from Cberry at her Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5375558  

A crayon tote keeps all your crayons handy and gives you a place to store your coloring books and drawing paper.  I can see this on a cute hook in a child's room keeping everything ready to go and easy to grab for an outing. I have misplaced my source for this picture--so if you own it, please e-mail me so I can give you credit and a link to your store!

Handmade Christmas for 18" dolls.

You Can Make This dot Com, has a couple of great free patterns out for 18" doll skirts.  They are designed for Toys for Tots.  I love this idea.  Our Christmas budget is pretty tight , but I have tons of fabric scraps.  My 8yo and 5yo daughters and I whipped out the wrap skirt this afternoon in less than an hour.  My 8yo was able to put every stitch in herself. I plan to get her started on a pile of skirts for Toys for Tots.  I'll upload a picture when I get my digital camera back. (It's a long story)  Get your free patterns here:  http://youcanmakethis.com/info/free/FREE-Make-Twirls-for-Girls-for-Toys-for-Tots.htm