Stuffing the Stockings

I admitted yesterday-

I've hardly done any Christmas shopping

and I've hardly done any Christmas baking.

I'm a little behind schedule,

 I have a lot of company arriving prior to Christmas,

but I'm not worried. 

What gets done gets done.

What doesn't get done, we'll do together.

People are coming to see me,

not my house.

They know if they want exquisite food,

they should go to a nice restaurant.

I love having company,

I just have a have had a huge reality check

stamped on my forehead during the last six years.

There will be cookies and snacks.

There will be healthy meals.

The house will be clean at the moment of arrival,

and probably not a minute sooner,

or a minute later.

I AM praying for my company and their time in my home.

I AM praying that Christ would be shown.

I AM praying that my company would be blessed,

relaxed and recharged for the new year.

However, there is one area I am usually prepared for,

the Christmas stockings.

Sometime in the fall,

I write a name on a bag for each person.

I begin shopping.

School clearance is a great time to start for fun, practical items.

Halloween clearance is a great time to buy candy.

Small sale items are purchased and immediately dropped into the bags.

We love things like

lip balms 

bobby pins

hair items

fun toothbrushes

small lotions

small Sharpies

special pens

fingernail clippers

(this is purely selfish, I don't want them taking mine)

hand sanitizers

fingernail polish and decals

deck of cards

travel games

When the bags are full, I am done.

I know the stockings will be full.

I like to wrap the items,

but not too far ahead of time,

I forget what they are.

I already had to unwrap some gifts from the stocking bags.

For further ideas, check out this list.

Please add your best stocking stuffers below!