Christmas is here, and I have a lot to post about!
Starting the day after Thanksgiving, Jason and I decorated for Christmas. Over the last few years, I have accumulated some really nice stuff, so I don't overdo it and I didn't buy any new decorations this year. I don't have picture right now, but if I find the time, I'll post some.
The only things we didn't have were stockings. Jason and I (and Barney) have celebrated Christmas Eve and Day at our family's homes, so my childhood stocking is still at my parents' and Jason's mom has stockings for us there. We don't have one for Elliott, and at our house, we don't have one for either of us. Barney, on the other hand, has two. Go figure. (Side note: One is actually going to reside permanently at Grandma or Nana's house). So, we went to Target. I didn't want to spend much, but I knew Target had a good selection. I was initially inspired by one of my readers, MJ, to get matching stockings for us, preferably with our initials on them. I thought that was a nice touch. Well, J and M were in supply, but forget finding E. They must have had a run on them or something. So, we ended up getting stockings that matched our personalities better. Jason and I have knitted stockings that remind us of our craftiness. Elliott's actually goes well with Barney's. They are both fleece appliques' with cuteness by the pound. Elliott's is a skiing snow man, and Barney's is a cat (of course). They look really nice hung up on our wall (in an apartment, you don't have a hearth and you don't have a staircase, so the wall it is).
Stocking traditions are interesting to me. My family fills our stockings with small things: nail polish, gift cards, toiletries, gum, a bag of our favorite candy, hair things, and a clementine in the toe. We love clementines, and it keeps things from falling into the abyss that is the toe. In Jason's family, it is pretty much all candy and a gift card or two. Jill puts other little things on gifts to sass them up. Last year, Jason and I got a Christmas ornament that was a "Y," so Jill used that almost like a gift tag.
What are your feelings on stockings? What gifts do you put in them, if any, or are they strictly decoration? What are your traditions? What do yours look like?
- J & M.
Hmmm...the stocking traditions are interesting. Never really thought of it. I got some things from $1 Tree for the boys (they are into Cars 2), so it was puzzles and art supplies. I also stuck in a tooth brush and I think I'll do that every year. It's always needed and a good way to remember when they need a new one.
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