This year, more than others, I am really impatient for Christmas to arrive, and longing to throw myself wholeheartedly into the festive spirit. It’s been a long year, unusually busy and full of work and as a family we are looking forward to some down time together.
So while the actual celebrations only last a day or two, the preparations can take as long as I want, and today I have been thinking about those stockings.
I have always loved to buy for christmas stockings, to find lots of small presents that make everyone smile, to be opened in front of the fire, first thing Christmas morning before breakfast.
When the children were little they believed that Santa Claus filled their stockings during the night, and by five am on Christmas Day there was excited whispering to be heard until they could stand the suspense no longer and the whole tribe climbed on to our bed to discover what Father Christmas had brought for them …. happy days.
These days we are more civilised and find our stockings waiting by the fire where FC has kindly filled them to the brim. We open them together in our jimjams before breakfast, I still love every minute.
Just for fun I pulled together a few fantasy ideas for stockings this year. One for girls, one for boys and one for …ahem … dogs. Yeah I know, it’s not reasonable, but who said Christmas had anything to do with reason?! and yes Gibson and Ghetto do get a stocking here and I make no apologies for it!
So here we go, and just for fun, a few ideas for the girls, some pretties, some fun things, some useful …..
then for the boys …. a bit more techy … more masculine … but still fun
and finally for you know who, no explanation required!
15 comments
What beautiful ideas for the stockings ….and of course the dogs always have stockings mine always had stockings ….and its what I miss in India not having the dogs …but we have a tree in fact 2 tress one tradition and 1 india style and stockings to fill
Have a wonderful lead up to christmas and a wonderful Christmas when it arrives …but the lead up is the fun
Sharon – you’ve given me some great ideas for small gifts and stocking stuffers! Here’s our twist on filling stockings . . . when our “children” became adults we started a tradition about 15 years ago of drawing names among we adults to stuff each others stockings instead of my husband and me being responsible for all stockings. It’s really lots of fun on Christmas morning to find out who drew your name and just how clever they could be with what they put in your stocking. We set a price limit – not that anyone has to adhere to it strictly – and the fun and creativity begins. Funny, each of us loves for my son to draw our name because he comes up with the greatest and most unusual ideas for little gifts!
Of course, stockings and gifts from Santa for the pets is most acceptable here – they are family members, after all!
Have a wonderful Christmas season!
The build up to Christmas when the children were little was always magic , the hiding of presents and trying to be quiet when wrapping them was always fun, and still is. We always had a present for each of our 3 dogs, then we would decorate their collars with the pretty bow from the present. I miss them so much. But happy memories. Love all your ideas as stocking fillers. We will be sitting by the fire in our PJ’s opening our pressies as you do.
Yep, you hit the nail on the head, stocking opening is pretty much the same at our house and always has been. It is our favorite thing to do on Christmas morning. Everyone gets a stocking, the kids (who are no longer kids, but adults), the dog and my 87 year old mother. Keep enjoying the tradition and have a very Merry Christmas!
Sharon, that last photo is the cutest thing ever and I love the big stocking.
MOTH’s desperate for a new chainsaw for Christmas, wish me luck shoving that into his stocking!!
M xx
Best photograph of Gibson ever!! And thank you for the stocking suggestions. Of course Henry and Bob (our Golden Retriever and Long-Haired Dachshund) have stockings!!
Yes, dogs do count! They know all about it!
Love to hear about your traditions…which are just like ours. Except now, our kids are grown and live in their own homes.
This year we will be going to our daughter’s house and celebrate in their new house with our little grandson (who I suppose is too young to know what is going on just yet)…
Love your pictures. Thanks so much for sharing. Your blog is the first stop on my blog tour every morning!
Nancy
wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
I think I love the preparing almost as much as I love the actual holidays. Love your ideas, Sharon and the stocking illustration is so charming! This is timely as this will be the first year my husband and I are doing stockings for each other. It was always a favorite tradition all the Christmas mornings I spent at my parent’s home, but they moved into assisted living two years ago, so now it’s something I miss. Mr. H and I are building our own Christmas morning traditions and we bought stockings this year. I’m really looking forward to gathering all sorts of fun little things for him like you’ve pictured here.
Merry Christmas to you – and to Gibson and Ghetto, too! XOXO
I made stockings last year and this year wanted to make more, the fun part is stuffing them, your ideas are wonderful as for the stocking and the doggies, it looks like a perfect cover photo to a Christmas card.
Xx
Bisous
Joyeux Noël
Doré
Stocking stuffers and the discoveries are always a joy!
Sharon your suggestions are wonderful and Gibson is ready for Christmas!!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
My cats have stockings, filling with catnip mousies and treats. Which reminds me; the new Siamese needs a stocking….
Joyeux Noel, Sharon!
Sharon:
Loved this post! Of course your puppies have stockings. They would be highly offended if other family members had stockings and they didn’t. I would imagine that Ghetto could pout. Our Black Lab, Merry, loves to open presents and she always has treats and a new stuffy in her stocking. She was a Christmas present to my husband 12 years ago and so her name is Merry.
Enjoy the season!
Have always loved filling stockings for Christmas. This is a tradition I hope to pass down through the family. Even my horses get a stocking! Their stalls have Christmas swags and their stocking on them. I think it is darling, my husband thinks I am ridiculous.
Right on Sharon! When I was a kid I always believe that Santa was the one putting those gifts on the sock! But then I caught my father in the act of placing our gifts inside the sock. Anyway, I think decorating your house through the effort of the whole family with simple Christmas ornaments is what makes it special.