Do it Yourself Stocking Stuffer ideas-

Ha, well my sister, brother/wife, mom/dad, and other brother are all coming over for Christmas. We'll have three babies and eight adults. So I figured we'd do a very Adult Christmas. Adult minus kinky. Charles and I talked about how we didn't need giant bags of candy for everyone since we're all grownups. So here's a little list you might find helpful for ideas during this holiday season.

1. Cookies in a jar- Since grownups have more patience than kids and appreciate cookies more than candy, I think perhaps this would work well. They're not huge, but are big enough to stuff up some stockings. Also, you don't have to eat these cookies immediately like a bunch of stocking treats will tempt you to do.

2. Bath bombs and Salts- Everybody likes to smell good. If you buy bath bombs at the store, they will cost you $3-$5 each- not a great value, since you drop them into water and they disintegrate into nothing. However, if you buy the ingredients you get literally more Bang for your buck. My kids are a little scared of them, but also fascinated by them. So there's always that. They are small and can be used at your convenience. Also, it's nice to experience a bit of luxury every once in a while.

3. Gift cards- Honestly, this one isn't as fun as some of the other stocking ideas. I mean, it is a little bit of a cop out, just like cash, but like money it's fun to get. Nobody will be getting $50 gift cards over at my house, but a couple of fun discretionary $10 cards will be warming some blood

4. Hide a book- There are a lot of books out there. Most people have shelves full of books around the house. That makes this gift a useful and fun addition to any house.

5. Ear jewelry- Who do you know that actually owns ear cuffs or elf ear coverings? According to the internet it's the new, hip thing. Since I'm clearly a cool mom, you know I'm all about that.

6. Movies- Dvds, blu rays, amazon videos, movie tickets, hulu/netflix subscriptions, redbox coupons. I love movies, so this is always a win for me. Plus, there are random $5 deals you can find. Can't beat that.

7. Music- Honestly, I listen to pandora on our Alexa app usually, but I know some people really enjoy listening to tunes on their phones. I also listen to books on tape from the library while I exercise, so this isn't something I'm super interested in. But SOME people will just love little tunes coupons and CDs.

8. Picture books- What more personal way to say I love you, than "Hey, I looked through all these pictures, organized them into a book, and now whenever you go through it, you'll think of me." You can also ask around in the family for kind things to say about that person and put those things in the book.

9. Necessities- Bandaids, Hair ties, razors, hairspray, lotion, socks, journals

10. Food and Random stuff- jewelry, perfume, stickers, books, games, pudding cups, chocolate truffles, oranges, rice krispy treats, cereal, juice boxes, nick knacks, paddy wacks

I guess my last two on the list were cop outs, since everybody already has traditional stuff they put in stockings. I was just ultra proud of my other ideas. Do you have any awesome stocking stuffer ideas to add? Mostly I'm just a total cheapo who likes to make stuff for people instead of buying it.

A few of my favorite things

In case you're in the market, I've come to appreciate certain tools we have at home. Things you use every day are important. If they don't work great, they make you hate. When they work awesome, they make your life blossom.

Mop- I've always wished I had a mop that was less disgusting to use. Something that didn't take much space; a mop that didn't get my hands dirty. This mop has made all my mopping dreams come true. You fill the bucket, use the foot pedal to squeeze the mop, and when you're done, you empty the bucket. I love mopping now and cannot think of an easier way to do it.

Vacuum- I like being able to see the dirt that my vacuum picks up. It's not a heavy vacuum, but it does pick up most of the dirt around. It's simple to take apart and you don't have to buy bags for it. Very nice. If you've ever wished you'd brought your vacuum to clean someone else's house, you might have a good vacuum.

Waffle Maker- Charles loves making waffles. Our babies love waffles. Really, is it possible to hate a soft and delicious waffle? Yesterday we had a church Christmas party. Pancakes were the dish of choice, but Charles couldn't help himself. He volunteered to make cloud waffles and thank goodness he did, because they were ultimate and popular. No waffles remained at the end. This waffle maker makes two at a time. We've had it five years and we love it.

Knives- I never realized how wonderful it was to have a decent knife, until I cut vegetables at a food shelter for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. Wow, what a difference. I certainly wished I had my own knives on that day. That wasn't the first time I've wished for my own knives and it certainly wasn't the last time.