As I think back on my younger years, I remember how excited I was on Christmas Eve, how difficult it was to get to sleep, knowing that I better, or Santa wouldn’t stop at our house. I would wake up at 4 or 5 a.m. and scramble to the Christmas tree to see what gifts Santa had left. Of course, I couldn’t open the gifts until Mom and Dad were up, or I would be spending time in the corner on Christmas day. The one thing I could delve into without too much repercussion was my stocking. It would be hanging on the mantel next to my sisters’ stockings. I could see the candy canes sticking out of the top of the bulging stocking. Funny how you remember those “little” things as much as, or more than, the bike or erector set that was wrapped under the tree. I would take down the stocking and start to fish around inside to see what surprises Santa deposited there. I remember one year, when I was a bit older, I found my stocking stuffed with newsprint and a piece of coal in the bottom with a note attached saying: “Go back to bed, You are too early.” My devastation was removed when later on a second stocking appeared that had the goodies.
As the years have transpired, we have maintained the tradition of Christmas stockings. Even Mom and Dad get Christmas stockings along with the kids. It has been amazing as to what we find in our stockings. Us older “kids” would find a wide variety of memorable gifts, like new toothbrushes with a year’s supply of dental floss, candy (my favorite, or granola bars for better health), key chains, Sudoku and Jumble puzzle books, playing cards from a favorite casino, razor blades (for chins or legs), mini tool kits, pens or pencils, notepads and sticky notes, nail clippers, pocket novels, gift cards for Dunkin Donuts or Culvers. For those of us who are in the dog house, they even have black hard candy balls called “Coal.”
For the younger generation, I have to think back a bit further and remember what might be appropriate for grandkids. I remember one year getting a miniature “Etch-A-Sketch” that I played with the whole day. Also, a miniature version of “Connect 4” was popular with my sisters. My younger sister used to beat the pants off me.
Do you remember the Match Box cars? One year I got a mini Slinky toy, too. Another year I got in trouble for sticking Nutty Putty on the walls. I could tell if I was going to get an electronic toy that year because the batteries would be in the stocking. It was great when I found both double and triple “A” batteries because I knew that there was more than one electronic toy coming.
If you are planning to help Santa fill stockings this year, you may want to drop in to the Dollar Store or visit the bins at Walmart or Target, where they have the inexpensive stocking stuffer gifts. It isn’t the cost that matters, it’s the thought that’s priceless. Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year to all our Frugal Forum readers!
Keep those letters coming, folks. Send your ideas to: The Frugal Forum, P.O. Box 693, Huntley, IL 60142 or by email to: thefrugalforum@gmail.com.
