Not long ago I posted about a stocking stuffer from the Southwest Indian Foundation, and here is another one that caught my eye: a hand-carved figure of a cat stretching, made of ironwood in Mexico. I love the way the simple lines capture the natural grace of a cat. The figure measures about 5 1/2 inches long, and would make a lovely stocking stuffer for the cat lover.
With allergies, I go through so many tissues that I think I should buy stock in Kleenex. My mom always puts one or two tissue packs in each of our stockings, and they're definitely welcome. If you don't want to go with the traditional brand, here is a funny version called Gesundheit tissues. If you can't read the small print in the photo here, the tissue pack helpfully notes that these tissues absorb bratwurst grease, soak up polka sweat, and fit in lederhosen. OK, I admit they're a little dorky!
I've always been suspicious of mincemeat, because (like many children, I imagine) I thought it was a way for parents to sneak meat into something they were pretending was a dessert. Not so with this Muirhead Green Tomato Mincemeat, which is made with no meat, but with lots of green tomatoes, apples, raisins, butter, and spices. I'm particularly intrigued with the note that recommends making a bi-layer pie with a "bottom layer of mincemeat covered with pumpkin pie filling (or better yet, a filling made with Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter)." Sounds like a neat alternative to the usual Thanksgiving fare!
I was so pleased with myself because I pre-scheduled posts for Wednesday through Sunday because I was flying to the east coast for a memorial service. I was to arrive back Sunday night, in plenty of time to cook up a post for Monday to start the new week. US Airways had other plans, however; they stranded me overnight, and I didn't get home until late Monday -- and I was without internet access for what seemed like an eternity.
Here's something funky and trendy for girls and teens that won't completely break the bank: a recycled "toy block" (guess they're not allowed to say Lego!) pendant with a Swarovski crystal embedded in it. When I first saw this I feared the price would be $30 or more, but it's only $14.99, which isn't too bad. The toy blocks are actually recycled, not made new, so that's another plus. It comes with an 18 inch silver-plated chain, and comes in red, pink, blue, white, and black.
I normally wouldn't spend $5 on any pencil, but isn't this one lovely? I can just see it tied into the bow on top of a Mother's Day gift, as a package topper that is a gift in itself. It's also perfect for gardeners, of course. The rose bloom is hand carved atop a bark-covered branch; the entire pencil measures 7 inches long and 1 inch in diameter (I assume that's the rose part, not the branch).
Definitely a luxury item, this! This Zuni flower pin comes from the Southwest Indian Foundation, an organization whose mission is to "lessen the poverty and unemployment among the Native Americans of the Southwest, specifically members of the Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, Laguna, Acoma, and Apache tribes." I received their catalog in the mail the other day, and they have lots of lovely merchandise. Many of the items are handmade.
Happy Earth Day! In honor of this day, here is a nice, eco-friendly stocking stuffer: Bamboo Delights, or tea light holders made of 100% organically grown bamboo. Each holder measures 3 inches long by 2 inches wide, and they come in a set of six for $19.00. You could give them all to one person, or you could give two holders to three recipients, or three holders to two recipients, or even just one apiece to six different people, which would make this a very affordable stocking stuffer. I love their sleek, modern lines.
Earth Day is almost here, so today's stocking stuffer is eco-friendly: natural modeling dough from Clementine Art. The set includes red (strawberry scented), green (lime), and yellow (lemon), each in a 4 oz recyclable container. They're made of flour, water, salt, and other natural ingredients, and colored with turmeric, carmine, and spinach. There are no chemical dyes or additives, and the dough is recommended for ages 3 and up.
Yesterday I posted about crayon banks from PartyPalooza.com, and in looking at that website further, I see tons of things that would make great stocking stuffers:
When I was a kid, I had a crayon savings bank much larger than the 5-inch high version shown here. I loved that bank, although of course now I have no idea what happened to it! In any case, a 5-inch version would make a cute stocking stuffer, wouldn't it? My only reservation is that it doesn't look like you can specify the color. At 99 cents, I guess I can't complain too much, but at the same time, you can be sure no boy is going to want a pink crayon bank.... You could go in with a friend or neighbor, though, and get a dozen of these for $8.39 total -- then you should have a large choice of colors!
Yesterday I was in Bed Bath & Beyond to pick up some more Pyrex containers, because I've been cooking up a storm lately. I came across this adorable pig spatula/turner by Jo!e, for only $2.99! I picked one up for a friend who collects pigs. Perfect size, perfect price for a stocking stuffer, I think! Jo!e has a number of other cute little kitchen tools and utensils (I posted about their tiny one-egg frying pan back in October).
Handmade by Rhonda and Elijah Wyman and available through the Uncommon Goods website, these nestling birds necklaces are the perfect Mother's Day present. The necklaces are made of oxidized sterling silver (which is why they are dark in color) and can feature one, two, three, or four baby birds. The length of the chain is 16-17 inches, and the birds' perch is 2 to 2.5 inches wide.
Isn't this little guy cute? At 2.25 by 5 inches, he's the perfect size for a stocking stuffer, and he's also useful. His frog mouth is a standard bottle opener, his legs can be used to help unscrew twist caps, and his eyes can be used to help pry off lids. I'd say he's pretty handy!
As soon as I saw this, I knew I had to post about it right around tax day.... This "Financial Crunch" tin features a banker's dozen (11 pieces!) of chocolate with a "bite" already taken out and a message that says "Bite back!" And biting back gives you that "crunch," which comes from corn flakes. The coins themselves are 2.5 inches in diameter by 0.25 inches thick, and the green and gold embossed tin is 5 inches high by 3.75 inches in diameter.
I know I just posted about Sharon Montrose's "Lightweight" note cards for dog lovers, but I saw these Cattitude note cards by Charley Harper in the Detroit Institute of Art gift shop this past weekend and I completely fell in love with them. I love the humor in them, especially in the one titled "Treed", with our friend the cat none-too-happy about the massive bulldog below. But my favorite is the card with the yellow-eyed cat looking out with the leaves all around.
Here's one for the men, if any of the men in your life happen to be handy (or like to think they are!): a magnetic wristband to keep screws, nuts, bolts, nails, and so on in one handy place while working on a project. This one, available in red or blue, runs $19.95 on the Red Envelope website where I first saw it. You might also want to check your local Home Depot, Lowe's, or regular hardware store to see if they have something comparable, hopefully at a lower cost.
If you aren't following photographer Sharon Montrose's blog, you are really missing something special. Sharon has an amazing gift for capturing the beautiful, funny side of dogs, and all kinds of animals for that matter, and her photographs appear in books, in advertising (I remember seeing several at Target in the pets section), and in these adorable note cards that would make the perfect stocking stuffer for a dog lover.
series of books, which feature tiny canines, most of them posed on a scale. Trust me, they are too cute for words!
or elsewhere
I haven't seen the new Tim Burton/Johnny Depp version, but I am kind of enchanted with the renewed interest in Alice in Wonderland -- the other day I was in Barnes and Noble and they had a huge display of all sorts of different illustrated versions of this perennial classic. So for today, I present several items around which you could build an Alice-in-Wonderland themed stocking or gift basket:
I definitely prefer unusual jewelry to the standard diamond on a gold chain, and this ruby locket from Signals certainly caught my eye. According to the description, it has a 1/4 inch faceted ruby, hand set in a sterling bezel (whatever that is!). The hinged locket itself is 1 1/8 inches and has a safety clasp, and it comes on an 18 inch sterling chain. I guess it attracts me because it looks like it could have a mysterious and interesting story attached to it..... In any case, it's definitely a luxury item, but with the ruby it would also make a really unusual Valentine's Day gift.
My husband is a planetary scientist, so we have a fair number of rocks around the house, some of which are very pretty. Years ago he went to Herkimer, New York for a day, where you're allowed to go into some "mines" and bring out any Herkimer "diamonds" (actually "double-terminated quartz crystals") that you find. My husband found me one still embedded in a large chunk of gray rock, which is one of the few things I took with me when we evacuated for Hurricanes Rita and Ike. But I digress....
If you work in one of those offices that can be called a "cube farm", surely you're already familiar with Dilbert. I remember ages ago I had a squishy version of the pointy-haired boss, meant to relieve stress with squeezing. Today's stocking stuffer is a tin of Dilbert Accomplish-Mints. The flavor is "intense peppermint" (think Altoids), and the tagline is "You and Your Co-Workers Can Breathe Easier". The funniest part, to me, is that the mints themselves come in the shape of the characters, including Dilbert, The Boss, Dogbert, and Catbert. So if you ever wanted to bite your boss's head off, here's your chance.
Now that the weather is finally getting warmer, it's making me think of nice long walks before the Houston weather turns too hot and humid. And that made me think of exercising, which made me think of these neoprene hand weights. Maybe these are slightly too big for a Christmas stocking, but I don't know -- people use some pretty large stockings these days!
or elsewhere
Please excuse my unintended hiatus for the last three days -- I have AT&T U-verse, and unfortunately my phone, internet, and television have completely gone out four times in the last week and a half. They're trying to fix the problem, but....
I've been so intent on posting Easter basket stuffers that I forgot all about April Fool's Day until yesterday. So here are some gag gifts appropriate to the day that can also serve as stocking stuffers when the time comes:
($7.48) and elsewhere.
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