Frugal Santa...

Am I the only one who is feeling the pressure this Christmas?!  First of all how did we already get to December and how did I end up with TWO children with December birthdays?!  I feel like as soon as Thanksgiving is over the money just starts flying out of our pockets.  I have never been an early shopper like those moms who get it all done before December even rolls around.  In theory it sounds great but I just never can get my act together in time.  Plus my kids wants seem to change weekly so I wouldn't really even know what to buy.

This year I feel especially convicted to not spend a lot of money.  Between the roller coaster economy and being more aware of the less-fortunate I just can't bring myself to spend lots of money on frivolous things.  Especially since my kids break most toys they receive or fight over them until the point of me taking it away anyway!  So this year I am trying to be more of a Frugal Santa by buying things they need rather than just want.  I don't want to take any of the joy out of their birthdays and holidays so I am making sure that even where I am saving I am still keeping things festive and exciting for them.

Over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing some tips of how I am saving and what I am doing to creatively give gifts that double as necessities.  Here is my first installment:

Frugal Santa Stockings:

So like I said, I usually don't even start my shopping until December but this year I am proud to say that their stockings are stuffed and ready to go before Dec. 1st!  Stockings, to me, are the fluff of Christmas.  Kind of like the tissue paper of gift wrap.  Don't get me wrong, my stocking is my favorite thing on Christmas morning but for kids it tends to just be an array of after-thought gifts and fillers.  

I found myself in Target, about to spend money on stuff just to fill their stockings when I decided that instead I would fill them with toiletries and items I would usually buy anyway.  I can easily justify buying toothbrushes, vitamins, band aids, and tissues because these are things we use on a regular basis.  Luckily my kids are still young enough that they get excited over these things too.  I have wrapped the band aids for a little suspense and tied bows around their toothbrushes.  I also found some other great things that will fill those stockings AND get lots of use:

floss

bubble bath

chap stick

comb

socks

mittens

new sippy cup

bib

pacifiers

fruit snacks

granola bars

glue sticks

crayons

stickers

Have any of you found inexpensive fillers for your stockings?  If so share your ideas by leaving a comment under this post or on our Facebook page!