BY ASHLEY CURRIE
As Christmas draws ever closer, shopping for the perfect gift is on the minds of many people.
It’s often easier to choose a large-scale present for a loved one such as a new computer, phone or video game system, than smaller ones.
Perhaps the toughest of all are stocking stuffers.
Finding ones that are original and inexpensive can be a challenge for many shoppers, but, with a little thought and effort, watching your loved ones open their stockings can be as rewarding as watching them unwrap diamond earrings or an iPad that might be wrapped under the tree.
For the girly-girl in your life sweet-scented bath and body products are usually a hit. Stores such as Bath and Bodyworks or Lush offer reasonably priced soaps, lotions, bath bombs and shower gels. At this time of year products are offered in limited edition holiday scents such as candy cane or cinnamon.
“My mom usually fills my stocking with bath stuff. I love opening it and just being overcome by all the great scents,” said Chelsea Hansen, 21, a University of Guelph student who was shopping at the Old Quebec Street Mall in Guelph.
If your friends have a hard time getting out of bed, The Source offers lots of fun and inexpensive gadgets that would be perfect for filling up a stocking. Some examples include a flying alarm clock that doesn’t just ring but takes off and flies around the room until you catch it, or an electric heated coffee mug that can plug into a cigarette lighter in a car to keep your coffee warm on a long drive.
For your crafty and creative loved ones there are endless options when it comes to stuffing a stocking. Paints, paintbrushes and small canvases can be purchased at dollar stores, or for a more quality product you can go to an arts and crafts store such as Michaels. A roll of festive printed duct tape or a bottle of fabric dye could be just the inspiration needed to jumpstart a crafters holiday.
For a technology enthusiast some neat gadgets can be found online or in stores. These include a pair of fluffy headphone-earmuffs to keep ears warm while listening to favourite holiday classics. There are many different styles of these available made by different companies and they can be found at stores such as Aeropostale or even Shoppers Drug Mart.
“I never know what to put in stockings,” said 36-year-old Guelph resident Caleb Martin, another shopper. “I want everything to be appreciated and used, and sometimes it’s hard to think of what to put in there that isn’t a waste of money.”
If all else fails you can never go wrong with bathroom essentials such as Q-tips, deodorant or disposable razors. Or you could stick with the classics such as mittens, socks, packets of hot chocolate or tasty candy canes.
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