Moose in the House game

I found this game at Barnes & Noble, and the only reason I didn't buy it for some nieces and nephews this year is because I'd already done their shopping. But next year I'm giving this to at least one set of relatives with kids -- especially because they're Canadian and I think they'll find it pretty darn funny, not to mention fun! The object of the game is to keep the moose out of your house and get it into your opponents' houses; cards have pictures of rooms, some of which have been invaded by the monster moose from the north! (If you have no idea how big a moose really gets, go to YouTube and search on "baby moose sprinkler", where you'll find an adorable video of twin baby moose playing in a yard sprinkler, with mama looking on.)

Back to the game, the box it comes in is pretty small as far as games go. According to Amazon, it measures 1.6 by 4.7 by 5.8 inches. So whether or not it fits in a stocking depends on how big that stocking is, of course! But it does make a lovely small gift in any case. Recommended age range is 8-12 years old, but I think it's the kind of thing parents can play with kids and still have fun, like Waterworks or Mille Bornes, two of my childhood favorites.

What: Moose in the House game
Where: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $9.99

Penguin Rubber Duckies

Oriental Trading Company sure gets creative with its rubber duckies! They have tons of holiday-themed ones, including a nativity set, a traditional Christmas toy set, a Nutcracker set.... But the ones that caught my attention were these adorable penguin rubber ducks!

At $5.99 per dozen, they're certainly affordable, as long as you have several recipients. Actually, since you almost always have to buy by the dozen from this company, I advise going in with a friend or family member so you can order a few things, save on shipping, and split up the spoils -- it becomes fairly economical that way.

What: Penguin Rubber Duckies
Where: Oriental Trading Company
How much (as of today's post): $5.99 per dozen (plus shipping)

Cupcake Pop Mold

One of the many blogs I follow is Bakerella, whose creativity and talent amazes me. If you're one of the few people out there who don't know who she is, she's the one who makes all those amazing cake pops, or little decorative (and edible) cakes on a stick. She has her first book out, Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats, and she's been on a whirlwind publicity and signing schedule lately. I have her book on my wishlist, even though I know I'm not likely to attempt her creations since I'm not even good at making cookies from already-prepared dough!


So where am I going with this? I was looking at the Cake Pops book on Amazon, and Amazon helpfully suggested to me I might also like this cunning little cupcake pop mold for $5.95. It certainly is cute! (It does occur to me that one mold might not be very helpful, if you have to make these one at a time, but on the other hand, I imagine every type of cake pop is kind of labor intensive to make!)

Anyway, if you are stuffing the stocking of someone who loves to bake creatively, the cupcake pop mold would be a great stocking stuffer, perhaps paired with the Cake Pops book under the tree. And this book has started quite a trend, because there's another beautiful book, Pop Bakery: 25 Cakes on Sticks and Other Tempting Delights by Clare O'Connell, coming out in March 2011.

What: Cupcake Pop Mold
Where: Amazon or a baking supply store
How much (as of today's post): $5.95 (plus shipping)

Clip-on Animal Flashlights

Check out these cute clip-on animal flashlights! They can be attached to keys, purses, backpacks and more, and contain a bright LED flashlight inside the animal's mouth. The choices include a T-rex, a green lizard, a blue lizard, a panda, a red frog, and a toucan. Personally I like the T-rex, with his oversize head and his stubby little legs. The flashlights measure about 3.5 inches at their longest dimension.

What: Clip-on Animal Flashlights
Where: Solutions
How much (as of today's post): $9.95 (or 3 for $8.95 each) (plus shipping)

Ambulance Bandages

These are among the cutest novelty bandages I've seen: little ambulances and emergency response vehicles with a decidedly Japanese flavor. There are 24 latex-free bandages in assorted sizes, packaged in a tin that measures 2 5/8 inches wide by 3 5/8 inches high.

This would also make the cute centerpiece of a little homemade first aid kid that you can put together for a college student's dorm room, especially if your college student is into Japanese anime or manga.


What: Ambulance Bandages
Where: Spoon Sisters websiteHow much (as of today's post): $5.95 (plus shipping)

Story Cubes

If you have a budding writer among your family, here's a fun stocking stuffer: "story cubes," which are essentially dice with pictures instead of numbers. According to the product description, the nine cubes with their 54 total images have more than 10 million possible combinations! I also think that in addition to writer-types, younger children might find these fun just in telling stories to each other or themselves. It's certainly the kind of thing that would have appealed to me as a child.

The box measures 4.1 by 2.9 inches -- perfect stocking stuffer size!

What: Story Cubes
Where: Uncommon Goods website
How much (as of today's post): $7.50 (plus shipping)

Medieval Weapons Push Pins

A stocking stuffer for boys: a set of 10 medieval weapon push pins, featuring a sabre, a single-handed sword, a broadsword, a katana, and an axe (not that I know the difference between any of these things!). This would be fun for any boy into knights or medieval history or even Lord of the Rings. The set is a little pricey since it essentially comes out to a dollar a pin, but you have to admit they are clever.

I swear, I think ThinkGeek is my favorite retail website ever. :-)

What: Medieval Weapons Push Pins
Where: ThinkGeek.com
How much (as of today's post): $9.99 (plus shipping)

Julienne Peeler

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm the type who actually likes kitchen gadgets in my Christmas stocking (a fact which my husband has picked up on!). Here's one I wouldn't mind finding in my stocking: a julienne peeler. I have it in mind for carrots*, but I do note that one of the customer reviews mentions this as a better alternative for grating hard Parmesan cheese!

(*I make a skillet lasagna that I like to sneak extra veggies into, such as carrots and spinach -- julienned carrots would work better, because as it is it takes forever to chop up the carrots into small enough pieces that they'll cook through well.)

What: Julienne Peeler
Where: Solutions website or kitchen store
How much (as of today's post): $5.95 (plus shipping)

Body Double Magnets

This is a stocking stuffer that is too large as is to put in a stocking, but which can be easily repackaged or even split among several recipients to keep down the cost. The overall pack of these "body double magnets" measures 6.5 inches wide by 10 inches high, but the individual magnets are only 2.5 inches high. Splitting them among recipients lowers your cost-per-stocking-stuffer quite a bit!

So what are these "body double magnets"? They're magnets that let you put a new body on a familiar face. Turn your husband into a body builder or your little girl into a prima ballerina. (I could turn me and my husband into the nerd with the pocket protector, but it's already pretty obvious we're nerds!) I think this would be especially fun for teens and college students, who are always plastering their rooms with photos of their friends anyway.

This is also another possibility for a DIY stocking stuffer, using adhesive-backed magnetic sheets, the kind that let you turn photos into magnets.

What: Body Double Magnets
Where: Spoon Sisters website
How much (as of today's post): $7.50 (plus shipping)

Chocolate and Peppermint Crusted Marshmallows (buy or DIY!)

Here's an elegant food stocking stuffer that's so simple even I could do it myself! These marshmallows-on-a-stick are coated in chocolate and then dipped in crushed peppermint, making them perfect to swirl in a cup of hot chocolate.

And even if you're not handy in the kitchen, the price of these isn't too outrageous when you consider that you have four individually wrapped marshmallow pops to a pack. Stick one out of the top of each Christmas stocking, and you have a pretty stocking stuffer for about $2.

But really, I suspect most of you are handy enough in the kitchen to try this! And the possibilities are endless. Don't like peppermint? Try something else, like crushed toffee or chocolate sprinkles.

What: Chocolate and Peppermint Crusted Marshmallow
Where: Crate and Barrel or do-it-yourself!
How much (as of today's post): $7.95 (plus shipping) or pennies if you DIY

Snowman Spoon Swizzles

When I was in high school and college, I was a bookworm who was almost completely antisocial. I'm still a bookworm, but now I love socializing, and especially throwing parties. My husband and I give huge New Year's Eve parties that are themed with optional costumes. Some of our themes have included a "Don't Worry Be Happy" beach party; a supervillains and superheroes party; an aliens party; and a Swingin' Sixties/Psychedelic Seventies party. This year we're having a "Phantasmagorical Literary Salon", which will be book-themed with people dressing up as any literary creator or character.

And although I love these big, sprawling themed parties, sometimes I get the urge to just have an intimate, classy dinner party -- but we don't, because we have no dining room table. Actually, we have no real furniture, not even a couch -- we just have several hand-me-down, cat-clawed armchairs. That works fine for a party of 80 people, but not so much for a elegant dinner for 8.

Anyway (yes, there is sort of a point to all this!), I love love love to see elegant partyware, and fancy little touches like these Snowman Swizzle Sticks. I can just see these adorning a pretty holiday table. And while I won't buy these for myself considering the kinds of parties we give, I can see these as a lovely little stocking stuffer for the kind of entertainer who does host the more intimate dinner party-style gatherings.

(I have to admit, I'm mentally ready for the holiday season. I'm really looking forward to it, and I've made a good dent in my holiday shopping. Let's hope my enthusiasm stays the distance!)

What: Snowman Spoon Swizzles
Where: Pier One stores (link is to view only; cannot be purchased online)
How much (as of today's post): $8.95 for set of 4

Sock Monkey Wine Cozy

Yesterday I received a Solutions catalog in the mail, and they always have lots of cute stuff for the holidays. I was struck by this sock monkey wine cozy -- it seems sock monkeys are everywhere these days!

Anyway, this little guy would be fun as a hostess gift when you're going to a Christmas party -- he'll certainly stand out from all the Christmas-themed wine bags and boxes!

What: Sock Monkey Wine Cozy
Where: Solutions website or catalog
How much (as of today's post): $9.95 (or three for $8.95 each) (plus shipping)

Jelly Belly Sugar Plums

I tend to think of November 1st as the first real day of the "season." Halloween is over (we had 130 trick-or-treaters last night!) and it's time to begin holiday preparation in earnest, especially because my husband's family is in Canada, which means shipping a lot of gifts internationally. So it's time to get serious!

Here to start off the season with a stocking stuffer: Jelly Belly's "sugar plums", which are plum-flavored jells with light sugar sanding. I adore their raspberries and blackberries, so I think these plums would be delicious, and I just love the idea of "sugar plums" in the Christmas stocking. Jelly Belly's website lists this 9 oz. bag at $5.99. You should be able to find these in any mall candy store.

How about you? Are you ready for the season?

What: Jelly Belly Sugar Plums
Where: JellyBelly website or candy stores
How much (as of today's post): $5.99

The Rocky Horror Glee Show CD

Any Glee fans out there? I caught the Glee Rocky Horror show on Tuesday night, and even though I'm not that well versed in Rocky Horror, I loved this episode. In fact, that's one thing I like about Glee; it brings music to me that I might not listen to otherwise, and often breathes new life into it. (And I loved that Barry Bostwick and Meatloaf had cameos!)

And I know technically Rocky Horror isn't about Halloween per se, but it feels Halloween-y, doesn't it? So I think this CD, priced at $6.98, is a great Halloween stocking stuffer (or small gift, since we don't exactly do stockings for Halloween). It has 7 songs on it:

• Science Fiction Double Feature
  
• Damn It, Janet
  
• Whatever Happened to Saturday Night (sung by John Stamos!)
  
• Sweet Transvestite (probably the best song of the episode, sung by Mercedes)
  
• Touch A Touch A Touch A Touche Me
  
• There's a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)
  
• Time Warp

Great fun! (Oh, and by the way -- am I the only person out there still buying CDs? My husband has an iPod, but I'm still not there yet!)

What: The Rocky Horror Glee Show CD
Where: Amazon or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $6.98 (plus shipping)

Skull Swizzle Sticks

This set of 21 skull swizzle sticks is certain apropos of the season! They are 7.25 inches tall and feature hand-painted resin skills atop clear sticks. The only drawback is that they must be hand-washed, but on the other hand it certainly wouldn't take long to wash a handful of these in one go.

I have a friend who collects skull-themed things year round, so I always think of her when I see something like this. Hmmm, maybe I'll do a post on an entire skull-themed stocking.....

What: Skull Swizzle Sticks
Where: WineEnthusiast.com
How much (as of today's post): $9.99 for set of 12 (on sale from $19.99) (plus shipping)

Football Desk Sign

So did you watch football today? Or was it on the in the background as someone else in your household watched it? I'm a casual football fan myself, but I know how fanatic a lot of fans can be! If you have a football fan in your life, here's a possible stocking stuffer: a "Warning - I'd Rather Be Playing Football" desk sign that measures 5 by 3 inches. And on the flip side: "Safe to Enter - Gone to Play Football". (Actually, I'm surprised the sign doesn't say "I'd rather be WATCHING football" as opposed to "playing football"!)

And just in case you missed all the Sunday football, there's always Monday night....

What: Football Desk Sign
Where: ChalkTalkSports.com
How much (as of today's post): $5.99 (plus shipping)

Tiny Elephant Earrings

Aren't these tiny elephant earrings just precious? I love the simplicity of the design. While I personally would prefer silver to gold-tone, that's not enough to keep me from wanting these for myself. They measure only 1/4 inch! I think little girls would love to find these in their stockings.

What: Elephant Earrings
Where: FredFlare.com
How much (as of today's post): $10 (plus shipping)

T-Rex Folding Comb

The Fred Flare website calls this the "bonehead folding cone," but I maintain that it's actually a T-Rex folding comb. And if you have trouble getting your under-ten-years-old boy (or tomboy, for that matter) to remember to comb his hair once in a while, maybe this will do the trick! The comb is plastic, of course, and measures approximately 3.75 by 4.25 inches when closed.

What: T-Rex ("Bonehead") Folding Comb
Where: FredFlare.com
How much (as of today's post): $8.00 (plus shipping)

Godiva Caramel Apple Gems

Now if this doesn't say "autumn" to you, I don't know what will! Godiva has put together a little bag of individually wrapped "caramel apple gems". There are 18 pieces in the bag, for a total of 6.5 ounces. At $10, that would be about 55 cents apiece -- but hey, it is Godiva! I'm really not a chocoholic, but I have to admit even I find this tempting.

What: Godiva Caramel Apple Gems
Where: Godiva or department stores
How much (as of today's post): $10.00 (plus shipping if bought online)

Set of 3 Lucky Cats Expandable Sponges

I've always liked the Japanese lucky cat, so I find these sponges to be a cute way to brighten up the kitchen. The sponges measure 5.5 by 3 inches, and expand when wet to 3/4 inch thick. They're biodegradable and dishwasher safe, and because they come in a three-pack, they make a reasonably priced stocking stuffer or small gift if you split them up among a couple of cat lovers. They even come from the Literacy Site online store, which means your purchase helps fund children's books for children in need. Sounds like they're lucky all around!

What: Set of 3 Lucky Cats Expandable Sponges
Where: The Literacy Site store
How much (as of today's post): $9.99 for set of three (plus shipping)