Any ideas? I really don't want to load the step-kids up with sugar. I might get them a thing or two, but they will have already had Christmas with their mom and step-dad, so they'll probably have gotten a bunch with them.

In years past, we've done the candy and then a little toy or two. I have no clue what to do, now. Do you think SF candy is okay for kids? Do you think they'd notice it was SF? I'd really like to get moving towards something healthy because I know for me, the holidays are tied up in food and candy especially and I'd rather not pass on that legacy.

Before anyone suggests fruit...it won't be happening with these kids. LOL They'll eat fruit out of the fridge, but if it was in their stocking, they'd probably say, "What is this??" LOL

I put little bags of Jerky in my kid's stockings. That and the most inexpensive little gadgets I can think of.

Girls are so much easier. There are so many cute little things you can put in there. I have a much bigger problem with the guys. My kids aren't little kids so that makes it harder.

How old are they?

I can usually find some good stuff at dollar stores.

Christmas decoration, crayons, small tubs of play doh, small books, CD's, DVD's, and of course socks!

It kinda depends on age and gender. More info please!

There are 4 of them. Boy - 12, Boy - 10, Girl - 7, Boy - 5. I think I did okay with their gifts...it's the stockings I'm having issues with. Great ideas, so far.

kids that young are easy to fill their stockings with, some of my favorites,

flavored lip balms, matchbox cars (unwrapped) Jewelry for the girls. hit the dollar store or the party aisle at walmart/target/kmart for squirt guns, bubbles, balloons, crayons, the little girls washable makeup items, pocket puzzles, plastic army men or dinosaurs etc, BATTERIES for their other toys(I always do rechargables). SF candy would be great, fruit roll ups indivdually wrapped, nuts, I love to go walmart or someplace and get each kid a personalized christmas ornament engraved, walmart has them for like 1.98 or ones that hold photos kids LOVE having their own ornaments to add to the tree each year. My SIL usually makes them handmade ones with their names and year on it, out of simple things like popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners etc. I always took the stocking items off the big cardboard backing and just droped them in the stocking. Wrapping specially selected items.

And only adding a small amount of candy.

My mom and I were just wondering if we're the only families that did this.. we got her stocking stuffers last week. We raid the Wal-Mart travel junk aisle in the hygiene area.

As kids we got crayons, coloring books.. and she makes a stocking for my 5 year old niece.

But for all of her kids (us) and our significant others the stockings are like this..

-Toothbrush

-Toothpaste

-Shaving cream (travel size)

-Gold bond powder (travel size)

-anti-bacterial hand soap bottle

-packs of the lip smackers chapstick divided among us

-face masks (for girls)& tired leg gels(for guys), the individual packets sold in wal-marts make up area

-tin of life savers

-eclipse gum

-some really smelly (good) bath balls.. individually wrapped you put in the bath and makes it smell yummy.. but last year she put them in the stockings and all the candy tasted like this stuff.. bad idea!

-mix of mini-reese cups & rolos

For my niece, she got most of the stuff we got but the kids kind (toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.).. no gold bond or shaving cream.. added crayons, and wal-mart has a selection of little gift packs for kids in the x-mas gift section.. so they got her colored bath foam soaps, a little pretend make up kit, etc.

I try and put some smaller gifts in the stocking, this way I don’t have to wrap them. My dd is getting perfume, a brush and comb set, and lip balm. My ds will be getting some hand tools. They are both getting that 20 Q game. I don’t put food stuff in the stockings, never have. Granted, we celebrate St. Nicholas day, Dec 6, with the kids putting their boats outside the door and in the morning if it has switches in it they know that they had better get on the ball and start behaving. If it has a chocolate in it, that means that they are doing fine. My kids get both, just to keep them guessing.

Great ideas, everybody! I'll have to head over to Walmart with DH this week and load up!

Telecia - you gave me a FABULOUS idea! Last year for a group activity, we had them decorate gingerbread houses and I guess they got a little ill off of it (their dad was alone with them and apparently let themselves gorge on it...ugh). This year, I think they'd LOVE to make their own ornament! How fun. I would LOVE to do that with them and then you're right - it gets to be a part of the tree so they'll get to see it every year and feel like we are a family. I love it! Thank you so much. I am also going to do a SMALL batch of sugar Cookies for them to cut up and decorate. But I want to make sure it yields no more than like 2 cookies per person.

I love the ideas, you guys! Thank you so much. I was at a loss - I've never had kids of my own and I've only done stockings once, and that was last year. Looking back on my stockings, all I remember is candy, so that's what they got. LOL But I think my mom did do the whole coloring book and crayons thing. I don't remember what else, but I love the ideas, here. I have some shopping to do!

Stickers, rolls of pennies (then a trip to the dollar store), nightlights, small flashlight, batteries, funky socks.

I would strongly caution against sugar free candy for children (unless they have diabetes). The chemical sweeteners probably do more harm than sugar, and one of the common sweeteners called sorbitol works as the worlds best laxative if eaten in large amounts. I found this out the hard way.