Listen, I know. I see the calendar, the turkey has yet to come and go. But I’m also working on Christmas. I like to start slow, buy stocking stuffers so they are tucked away and purchased saving me the “Oh, hmm, gotta fill that up don’t I?” panic on December 20th, when Amazon Prime shipping is the only option, but of course what you want is available for Prime. Always.
(Amazon links affiliate, all items I love or want for my own self, nothing is sponsored)
Anyway, if you too are in charge of filling a stocking or five, and you are looking for ideas beyond the typical “chocolate orange for the toe, socks for the mid section” and need a few more nifty things, look no further.
Portable battery charger. In today’s device filled world someone is always looking for a plug, a car charger, a something, please, get my phone over 20% battery. These suckers are awesome for traveling (you can watch a movie and your iPad isn’t dead when you land) or for the car/office when you are away from an outlet. They are also really nice to have during bad weather so you know that if you lose power for awhile, you can recharge your phone and stay in touch with loved ones or on top of the weather reports.
All Clad measuring devices. They are definitely more than the average person is going to spend on something for their own kitchen, but I think that is what makes them an awesome stocking stuffer. I have a set of these and I *love* them so much- worth the investment. They are so much better than the cheap ones from Target or Bed Bath and Beyond. There are measuring spoons and measuring cups in evens and odds.
Nielsen Massey vanilla items. If you are shopping for someone who loves to bake, all of the vanilla products by NM are amazing. I’m partial to the paste, which gives pale items (like cheesecake or ice cream) pale vanilla bean flecks within.
Gear Ties. These things come in a million sizes and colors and are awesome for anyone who likes to stay organized. These heavy duty reusable twisty ties are perfect for bundling up headphone cords, charging cords, cords behind a desk, closing a bag, etc. Awesome (again) for people who travel to keep your suitcase from looking like cord/bomb central in the x-ray machines.
Infrared thermometer. If you’ve ever watched an episode of Good Eats, you know that Alton Brown is always checking on the surface temperature of his pans/grill/etc with one of these things. My husband long admired it and it was an easy way to fulfill his inner gadget geek on Christmas morning. Warning: you will have an infrared beam pointed at every surface in your house for a few days. Once the initial glee wore off we do use it pretty frequently, particularly when cooking and grilling.
Fit Bit. Ok, I know, this is a little pricier than your typically $20-and-under stocking stuffer, but man if it wouldn’t fit nicely in a stocking. Fitness trackers are taking the world by storm (I suppose time will tell if they stick around) and I want the new FitBit something fierce. If you can’t wait for the pre-order, check out the old faithful model, the FitBit Flex.
Microplane. I think I recommend one of these every year, but honestly, they are just that amazing for anyone who likes to cook. The fine ones are awesome for zest, spices and hard cheese, the larger ones are perfect for a block of cheese.
Quirky Cordies. This is something on my list- I want one for my bedside table and my desk. Perfect for anyone who loves gadgets and has a lot to charge.
Ice molds. A few years ago everyone was all about whiskey stones (still very cool, B loves his) but now the new way to drink your sipping whiskey is with a huge ice cube the size and shape of a pool cue. Last year we gave a lot of these to friends in small gift exchanges and I realized around December 20th that B didn’t have any of his own so I ordered a pair for his stocking. We’ve used them all year and find them easy to fill/work with. They also make a great boo-boo ice cube for bumps and bruises.
Tie travel case. I know, another item for traveling. Truthfully though, when B travels for business or for a wedding he was always trying to figure out how to pack his nice ties without them getting rumpled. This inexpensive solution is just what he needs to pack them in his suitcase.
Gas gauge. Two summers ago it seemed like we ran out of gas for our barbecue at the most inconvenient times; always when dinner was halfway cooked and both of us were grumpy with the two solutions: finish it inside on the stove or run to the hardware store. I bought B a little gas gauge to help us know when we were running out. It isn’t 100% accurate (mostly near the end, you never know if you have enough for one more thing or if you’ll run out in 5 minutes) but we always know when we are running low and make sure our second tank is full and ready to be swapped out. B thought it was very cool when he opened it up on Christmas morning.
Jack Rudy fixings. If you have a cocktail lover on your hand, consider one of Jack Rudy’s accessories- tonic syrup, grenadine syrup, or bourbon cocktail cherries. These are specialty small batch items for making really delicious, high quality cocktails.
