The

presents underneath the tree may draw most of the

attention on Christmas morning, but the stocking stuffers

are just as important.

Each year,

the questions arise: What should the large red sock be

filled with this year; how close should tradition be

followed? The answer lies within, but here are several

suggestions.

Candy: It

doesn't matter what kind or even how much. Milk chocolate

Santas or reindeer are always favorites, as are just

someone's favorite candy. For instance, if your loved one

loves Sour Patch Kids, then place a few bags of the tart

treats in the stocking. You might consider candy canes,

but chances are there are candy canes on the tree and

even if there aren't, most people are sick of the candy

canes by about Christmas.

Toiletries:

This might sound strange, but shaving creme, razors,

deodorant, new toothbrushes, soaps, colognes, perfumes

and makeup make the perfect stocking stuffer. Typically,

all of these products are very small so as not to take up

much space in the stocking. They are also good gifts

because purchasing most of these products isn't much fun.

You are not giving the gift of toiletries - you are

giving the gift of not having to buy them for awhile.

Reading

material: A paperback book or a rolled up magazine can

fit very nicely in most stockings. If there is a favorite

topic or hobby that your gift recipient likes, search for

a magazine that targets that interest. Also a good buy

are the crossword puzzle books, word searches, jumbles,

or horoscope booklets. All of these can be found close to

the checkout line at your local grocery store.

As for

paperbacks, this is an excellent opportunity to encourage

reading. Again, target an interest and appeal to it.

There are many local bookstores that sell used books at a

very reasonable price. You can find books by a favorite

author or just a classic that you really enjoyed and

would like to pass on.

Toys: There

are several aisles at Toys R' Us that have dozens of

small toys just perfect for a stocking. Kay Bee Toys has

them directly in front of the counter. These toys range

in price from 99 cents to $5 and most of them are just

smaller merchandise from a larger toy line. One example

is the glut of Toy Story 2 and Pokemon merchandise that

drowns the nation's toy stores.

Some

favorites this year, though, are finger bikes and

skateboards and milky pens. Finger bikes are little

bicycles that can be operated with your fingers. They

seem to be the rage with the elementary school crowd. The

same goes for Milky pens, which are pens that write in

white and can be seen on dark pieces of paper.

Pens and

pencils are actually great stocking stuffers because both

writing utensils have a tendency to get lost very

quickly.

Trading

cards also would be filed under toys, mainly because they

can be purchased at toy stores. Whether sports cards or

role playing game cards, they are extremely popular with

people of all ages. Pokemon might be the hottest thing

right now, but Magic is still a popular gaming series and

baseball cards will never die. They vary in price,

supplement packs are between $2 and $4 and starter decks

can be as much as $15.

Ultimately,

the fillings for stockings should be personal. You know

what these people would like and what they wouldn't; you

know their sense of humor and their tastes. Perhaps, you

could place a piece of coal in the stocking to shake them

up a bit, or purchase some outlandish underwear or socks

to throw them off.

The gifts

inside a stocking are the same as the gifts beneath the

tree. It is the thought that counts.

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