You also still have three months of rebates to fill- toothpaste and a giant shampoo, maybe for your dd's roomate basket, are at Walgreens this month.  I now am emailing a few from a daily free website for Christmas.  Ordered a dreamcatcher keychain for my ds's backpack today, and a Kashi bar for my oldest dd.  I think if I can get 5 or 6 a week I'll be in good shape.  That, a few things from the thrift store and new pajamas, Disney washclothes for the stockings, candy, and my big deal yesterday, a 50 inch 2 year old TV and I'm set for my immediate family. 

The website for free things everyday-  Absolute-Portal.com

Sending out an email to my family, love the idea of a favorite things box from Family Fun, share your favorite things that you think the receiving person or family would like- we have a $25 limit.  Dh will deal with his family, they won't draw names, and my MIL wants gifts exchanged with everyone. I figure  he can  figure that out, he's working two jobs, he knows how long it takes to make that money.

Trees are very cheap here in MN, $25 for a nice one.  

I bought ribbon candy at a good discount for the holiday table- as you know, Pat.  

For dh might make some good cocoa mix- I have a good recipe, get a little bottle of Kalhua, and a movie for the night after Christmas- on the new TV!  Any movie suggestions?  A guy movie that I would like to see too?  Movies I have bought him in the past- Blues Brothers, Caddyshack, The Fight Club- dd got him the Godfather for his birthday.  He doesn't like action, does like Star Trek the old ones, are those on DVD?

Tracy 

 We have pretty big stockings but I do full sized Suave Shampoo and matching conditioner( 69 cents each) Books, color books ( garage sales and dollar stores), A recycled stuffed animal or beanie toy,  big orange, and then just odds and ends that I get at garage sales or ???    I've repackaged cereals in sandwich baggies and tied with a ribbon before,  homemade caramels (bought from a friend), This year I stocked up with the Dollar Stores were going out of business so I got a few extras,  homemade suckers,  homemade hats or pillow cases are cute,  I got free deoderants from the high school as someone sent them a huge case and they were just giving them away, I save the new toothbrushes from the dentist, etc. 

blessings,

joan of ark 

Tracy, we're 'classic' Saturday Night Live fans as well.  For movies, have you and your dh seen 'Stripes' or 'Groundhog Day'?  'Blues Brothers 2000' is pretty good, there's just an obvious hole with John Belushi missing...Liz
 

Since my parents are Dutch, we didn't have stockings and actually I find them a pain.  In Dutch tradition you put out a shoe with carrots etc for St Nicks horse/reindeer.  In turn you get a chocolate letter (your initial), mandarin and maybe a couple other goodies. There is special cookies and candy that we wouldn't get other times of the year. I did small stockings last year and filled them of course..choc letter, orange,candy cane etc. Since I had to fill mine, I found a $3 blkjk electronic game, choc. I found two cheap used dvds on ebay of movies we wanted and put them in there too. My mil does stockings for everyone and it is the same idea,goodies, lotto scratch tickets, candy, mandarins etc plus maybe a sm. xmas present that you had on your list. Even the pets get something.

 We don't do the toothpaste, etc (personally never understood that as presents, culture difference, just like plain socks/underware as xmas gifts, fancy ones yes)  stuff just candy,fun things, candles, etc. stuff we don't get the rest of the year.  I discovered in the last two years that even with our small family, the kids get so many presents (rest of us pick names, we have a budget) and get overwelmed (plus all the birthdays being close to xmas) so I cut back on our gifts to them. I buy them stuff year round anyways. I think I read the tip here about the Victorian idea of gifts..4 gifts, one to read, one to wear, one to play with, and don't remember the last one. I think that is how it goes. Got lots of presents stored away !

latenightleader:

I bought ribbon candy at a good discount for the holiday table- as you know, Pat.  

I got curious about it the other day and checked the link again and the price is back up to over $20! I'm so glad you told us about it.

I found a can of chocolate mint truffle hot chocolate mix at the salvage store for $2. I'm not familiar with the brand (Stephen's), but the can looks expensive. Haven't decided which stocking or basket it's going in yet.  

Also those toys that come with kids meals work great,  I also save back some halloween candy and recycle for stockings as well.

Jen

Wow, I can't sneak the toys to save! That is what they love about fast food meals. I stock up on halloween candy with the sales and keep it for year round events.

Pat:

I found a can of chocolate mint truffle hot chocolate mix at the salvage store for $2. I'm not familiar with the brand (Stephen's),

its one of the better brands, tastes really good with mini bottles of rum..........mmm but prolly not babs pumpkin liqour recipe:)

We never really have had stockings to stuff. When times were hard, we bought the children one main present, and the rest, dollar toys. We bought those type of toys for many years as they looked forward to it. Today, we have, and may still buy many of the items that momto2 buys, but due to their age and the prices, we keep the pile much smaller. If we give the main gift of cash, it may be taped to a bag of candy or a box of Entenmann's chocolate frosted donuts (at the discount store), which for some reason, is considered a good thing.  

latte4me2day:

Pat:

I found a can of chocolate mint truffle hot chocolate mix at the salvage store for $2. I'm not familiar with the brand (Stephen's),

 

its one of the better brands, tastes really good with mini bottles of rum..........mmm but prolly not babs pumpkin liqour recipe:)

Thanks, Latte. I've never seen it for sale here.