Stocking Stuffers...

Growing up stocking stuffers were always my favorite thing to open up...after church and dinner we would all pile into the living room and take turns opening up our stocking stuffers one by one. We usually got about 7 or 8 little packages...all silly little dollar store trinkets or super clearance items my mom picked up throughout the year...but for some reason those little stocking stuffers were everyones favorite things to open! I think my favorite stocking stuffer was a pair of black gloves with fur...I had accidentally found them when my mom bought them the year before and had to wait a whole 12 months before finding them in my stocking!

We have continued the tradition of several dollar store items all wrapped up in our stockings waiting for Christmas eve for our own Children. Jon grew up always getting a tooth brush in his stocking...so our children also find a tooth brush every year...Elsie is starting to realize she gets some of the same stuff every year in her stocking...a tooth brush, a new bath sponge and hand sanitizer.

 We are teaching out children to take turns opening gifts and to be excited for one another...one huge pet peeve of mine is everyone ripping into packages at the same time...I think that teaches greed and self-centeredness. Plus I love to watch the expression and excitement on the face of the one opening the gift...that excitement is what giving is all about!

 James slowly and diligently opened his little gifts...besides the things they get every year he found a pair of sunglasses, a colour book, a notebook, a toy cow and a few other things I can't thing of!

 Elsie found some jewelery, barbie clothes, a little barbie girl, a notebook...some pretty fun stuff! He favorite was the little barbie...

 And because I think Jon and I are never too old for stocking stuffers...we each found several packages in our stocking also! And yes, I did buy all my own stocking stuffers...there is nothing wrong with that, right!?