I know it's 3 whole weeks since Christmas and so this topic may seem SO passé, but I'm just now finishing up the last of my stocking candy (What can I say? I like to nurse it.) and it lead me to wonder...What kind of candy do YOU put in your stockings? Do you put different stuff in yours than your kids? Do you have traditional candy items you put in every year or do you mix it up depending on your mood? Do you also put in presents, fruit, or other things? Or just candy?
Do tell!
As for us, we Davis kids grew up with real socks, not those giant store-bought stockings. They were my mom's cable knit knee socks. We had no mantle to hang them on, so usually they were just laid out in front of the tree or the Franklin stove. In a way those socks were really fun. Because they were stretchy, you could see shapes and bulges in them, which lead your imagination to run riot for those few minutes until you could open them and find out what those shapes were. You could always see a big bulge right in the center where the orange was stuffed, like a an ostrich who has swallowed a baseball.
Inside we almost always had peanut M&M's, my dad's favorite. There were mini peanut butter cups in honor of my mom's favorite candy. There were always nuts of some kind, usually cashews. And the rest seemed to vary year to year. My parents weren't big on presents in our stockings. Maybe a pair of socks wrapped up or a small item like a nail polish or chap stick. Mostly they left the room for lots of candy.
As a mom, I usually try to stick in a few small gifts for my kids--things from the dollar section at Target, their own box of tic tacs or a pack of gum, that sort of thing. I put in peanut M&M's to satisfy the traditionalist in me, and a Reese's peanut butter tree (better peanut butter to chocolate ratio). I throw in some cashews for protein, and the rest is filled with each child's favorite: mint for Beck, peanut butter for Daphne, Milk Duds for big Daddy, and usually a Ritter Sport Marzipan bar for me. And then Big Daddy and I usually try to sneak a small gift or two into each other's stocking without getting caught.
So, that's my stocking story. How about yours?
9 comments:
My mom always put an orange in ours. It wasn't rare to find a hard, rotten orange in the bottom of our stockings, because no one ate them.
When I was little (millions of years ago) we used my grandpa's white socks. (Kind of like the knee highs, they bulged and stretched.) We had ribbon candy and nuts in shells and an orange. I don't recall presents. With my daughter we always included little presents. (Sometimes a little piece of jewelry or somethin small.) My husband buys me scratch off lottery tickets and I get him red licorice.
I always put in peppermint candy sticks, a bag of gold coins an orange. Some chocolate.
Something from the joke shop. Which often back fired on me when the kids got me with the very jokes and tricks I had brought them. Some little toys and a small cuddly toy.
As they got older I added stuff that they would like, like CD's, key rings, tickets for shows or concerts.
This year I said that they were now too old for them being as the youngest is now 18 and I very nearly had a riot on my hands.
They got their stockings and calm was restored.
I always put them at the end of their beds and they all like to bundle up together to find out what's in them.
I guess some things from your childhood always stay with you.
Much love
Lia
xXx
I am ll about the candy.. without the candy what do you snack on while opening presents. (almond kisses, peanut butter cups, and then some other chocolate.) I don't think Jeff's family did much of the candy thing. They had a little, but it was mostly dumb little presents (that were wrapped.. double dumb IMO) We had mostly candy, and an orange... sometimes santa would pick up a few coconuts along the way and leave us one. I stick with lots of candy, a toothbrush (tradition from my childhood.) I remember my later years at home there was earrings, nail polish, file, etc. just LITTLE things. Gum, perhaps a lifesaver book.) We did a few $$ items as well. My friend gave me the idea to get those small boxes of sugary cereal, and I've added that tradition, and love it! We don't buy that cereal, so it's extra fun for the kids.
Sorry for the ramble.
P.S. I always get jeff that can of spray cheese, and a summer sausage... he has more of a meat tooth, than a sweet tooth.
Growing up we always had an orange and peanut m&ms. And usually underwear - granny undies. Blech.
Now we always have a chocolate Santa and Butterfinger Jingles, my kids are allergic to oranges. There are usually little stuffer gifts in there too, some practical items like deodorant, new toothbrushes, shaving cream, and there is always at least one really fun surprise.
My husband always has whoppers candy in his. He grew up with those Lifesavers story books in his, but they never really caught on with the kids.
Oh! And one of those chocolate milk chugs and a teensy box of fun cereal.
Reeses Peanut Butter trees have the best chocolate to peanut butter ratio??? You are so very, very wrong. Everybody knows they don't have enough chocolate. It's like we're not even sisters.
Same.
I think it was a Nicholes "down to basics" thing we had going on.
I was always jealous of the kids who had the real (and by that, I mean fake) stockings.
Even by the time we got Christmas stockings, they were something resembling a sock that a giant would wear and not the furry red kind with the white trim. They were just like knit socks only much bigger.
I am such a mean mom - I barely put any candy in the stockings. But, I did fill G's with about 20 packs of sugarless gum. Does that make up for it?
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