Getting Ready for Christmas - Gift/Stocking Stuffer Ideas

My friend Leslie is doing a Getting Ready for Christmas series this week and I'm linking up today. 

Gifts can sometimes be difficult for me...especially since most of my family won't give me ONE tiny idea of what they might want or need. Yeah, I'm talkin' to YOU! :)

I'm thankful that with Joseph's family, we've started drawing names so it takes the anxiety (& expense) of buying the perfect gift for everyone away and I can just focus on one person.

Let's start with gifts. I'm not the best about shopping early or year-round. I'm jealous of those who do that and do it well. I think if I did that, I'd have the tendency to forget where I put gifts and the whole process would be pointless. I usually just save my Christmas shopping for the first of November up until Christmas.

A couple of my favorite stores to shop at for general gifts are Target & Bed Bath & Beyond. Target carries the BEST selection of nice, inexpensive home decor/accents & clothing, and BB&B has the neatest kitchen gadgets, a GREAT selection of K-Cups (Target does too, FYI), and beautiful stuff for the home. If you've got someone on your list who's needing things for a new home, both of these are great places to look. Target runs pretty good sales on their TVs, cameras, and other electronics. They have awesome deals around the holidays.

For more personalized items, I love specialty shops like Gifts on Wings or Peppermint Pony (in Gadsden). These shops have beautiful handmade items, Arthur Court pieces, and just lots of things you can't find in any ol' store.

I like to do online shopping when I can. Etsy is a favorite of mine. Sellers offer EVERYTHING. Seriously, all kinds of things. Clothing, home items, wreaths, jewelry, personalized anything....you name it. LOVE Etsy!

Of course, you have to love Amazon, too. I mean, they just have everything.

Birchbox has become a favorite thing of mine, and you can gift a 3, 6, or 12 month subscription. You can also just give a gift card to be used on anything in the shop.

I've also used Groupon to buy gifts. You can give some of them as gifts and have the products shipped to the recipient. I did this with Omaha Steaks one time.

Some of my favorite online clothing boutiques are Blue Door Boutique, Red Dress Boutique, Polka Dots & Pearls Boutique, and The Mint Julep Boutique. They all carry a lot of the same things, at great prices, and have the best customer service. They ship SUPER fast too! They all offer gift cards, so if you don't know what someone would like or what size they wear, those are great gifts or stocking stuffers too. I have absolutely NO problem with gift cards. Sometimes, they make the best gifts. Honestly, a plain ol' AMEX or VISA gift card is just fine. Some people could just use the money.

Things that make great stocking stuffers:

- gift cards (iTunes, restaurant, Starbucks, Sephora, AMEX/VISA, etc)

- jewelry

- pack of K-Cups (Green Mtn. Nantucket Blend, just sayin')

- books

- picture frames

- candy

- scarves

- gloves

- CDs/DVDs

- magazine/subscription

- nail polish

- lip gloss/other cosmetics

- cologne/perfume

- lotion

- chapstick

- sunglasses

- kitchen towels/apron/gadgets for the cook on your list

- batteries (to go with any electronics you got them)

- memory card for camera

- camera strap (Etsy has tons of cute ones)

- camera lens (just make sure you/they are careful!)

- slippers

- cuff links

- cell phone cover

- concert/sports tickets

- a favorite snack

- chocolates

- facial kit

- manicure kit

- new curling iron/flat iron, etc

- sauces/rubs for steaks or BBQ

Stocking stuffers for babies/toddlers:

- pacifiers

- teething rings

- books (soft for young babies)

- socks
- onesies
- PJs

- sippy cups

- bibs

- spoons/forks

- disposable table covers for restaurants

- wipes/travel case

- small toys

- DVDs

- snacks (Gerber Puffs, Melts, etc)

- bath toys

- crayons
- coloring book

-pacifier clips

- stuffed toys/lovies/blankets

- bath wash/shampoo

- toothbrush/toothpaste

- monogrammed hooded towel

- monogrammed anything (mommas love monogrammed stuff!)

Sorry this was mostly a lot of reading, and not many pictures. You know I'm a fan of pictures. 

When it comes to wrapping all these gifts, let me tell you that Target has the BEST selection of gift wrap and bags! They have every pattern/color/theme you can imagine!! Can't wait to pick out mine for this year!

As always, Pinterest is FULL of cute gift/stocking stuffer ideas, as well as adorable, creative ways to wrap it all. Check it out! Also, check out Leslie's post for more links to ideas for gifts!

Christmas is only 42 days away. How is that possible?? And now, I shall go panic! ;-)

Don't forget to head over and link up to Leslie to share your ideas!