Stocking ideas

[Miathecat]

Mum coming for Xmas morning as I lost my dad in the summer and want to do her a stocking but need ideas for an 80 year old who likes gardening and exercise classes at the gym, so far I’ve got sweets!

Does she have a favourite hand cream? Lip balm?
My mum loves gym classes too. Could wrist weights be good for her?

Given the recent MN stocking controversy, can you please clarify “stocking filler”?

(a) lower value gifts of any size to bulk out a pile of presents
(b) small gifts of any value that would physically fit in a stocking
(c) small lower value gifts that would physically fit in a stocking

Gardening gloves, sweets, a little pocket book of something you know she’d love, a fridge magnet

Jam, marmalade or chutney
Gloves
Slipper socks
Nice teabags
Hot chocolate
Packets of seeds for the garden
Hand cream
Posh soap bar

A new top to wear to said exercise class. Like a yoga t shirt type thing. Or even some trainer socks. Folds up small, relatively inexpensive. M&S gym wear is decent for the price.

Subscription to Gardeners World Magazine
Gardeners hand wash and hand cream
Solar lights
Bird feeder

The gardening gloves are a good idea. What about a packet of seeds for something she could try growing in the spring?

Garden dibber. Packets of (flower. veggie) seeds. Plant labels? Plant pot hangers. Spring bulbs.

Secateurs (I always lose mine)
Seeds
twine (on a thing that cuts)
gloves (also losing these)
plant labels (maybe a chalk/blackboard style)

Nice artistic markers for plants and vegetables. If she grows vegetables, seeds for herbs which complement those in cooking.

Packets of seeds in general are great: my mum always gives me and my brothers sunflowers of different kinds, and then we have a photo contest through spring and summer as to whose germinates first and looks the happiest and who can grow the tallest, in the family group chat. You and your mum could do likewise.

Does she do floor-based exercise classes? A really nice yoga mat can make all the difference (though it might have to be a big stocking!)

Great ideas so far thanks, no limit to budget I just get whatever I think will be good, she’s 80 so exercise is more chair yoga as opposed to mat these days

Etsy have some great personalised yoga cushions! (Cushion cover could be separate and thus fit in the stocking 🤣)

Molton Brown minis are lovely!

I did my mother a calendar of family photos for her stocking last year. Took ages to design tbh but was really good and appreciated in the end.

@fishfingersandchipsagain Can you expand on this or provide the link 'the recent MN stocking controversy'. I clearly missed that.

OP- sometimes its tricky to buy for someone that has a specific hobby, because they undoubtably have more knowledge of the bits they need than you. I garden, but am far from an expert, but something I like:

-https://www.longacres.co.uk/gardening-products/gloves-and-footwear/gloves/gold-leaf-tough-touch-gloves-ladies/?_gl=1j7l44e_upMQ.._gs*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAjwjffHBhBuEiwAKMb8pCg7k4YvmcbIfEhHAsDjQh7YZNc6Ty0k8aV_wjSmQJUkJpd4MJv7wBoC6loQAvD_BwE&gbraid=0AAAAAD9u_hEluHp9pi8gXiyTowstMir8s
These also come in a shorter version, but the longer gauntlets are great for roses and other spiky plants.

-https://www.worldofwolf.co.uk/wolf-garten-bypass-secateurs-rr2500?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=230264775&gbraid=0AAAAAD_mCyM6YPMSDvrLaabtl-_I3iYxA&gclid=CjwKCAjwjffHBhBuEiwAKMb8pFd8ZjbAebWRhdBwURyeGdvP_V9nzEUC4ApxVpplqKcSwFZOpXoDjRoCnRUQAvD_BwE
I like Wolf brand gardening products and all the ones I've had (so far) have lasted years.

-An outdoor clock which can go on an outside wall (obviously won't fit inside a stocking)

-Soap, nail brush, hand cream

-Does she have a greenhouse? I love hooks. Simple metal hooks or ones where I can hook up the hose onto a wall/wooden plinth.

Proper 'filler' ideas - must have a clementine or tangerine in the toe (wrapped in foil), net bag of chocolate coins, packet of tissues, emery board.

It's always nice to get a good book in a stocking. E.g. cosy crime or a book of poems. Or both! For poems I like Brian Bilston and Harry Baker.

Socks - sport socks for the gym or cosy socks for gardening or cosier cashmere socks for bed.

Something to eat: My mum has a sweet tooth and loves charbonnel & walker maple brazils. MIL doesn't like sugar but is always very happy with cheese crackers and/or chutney.

Something to drink: tea/coffee/bottle of sherry

Those secateurs are amazing might need a pair for me too 😁, hooks for allotment shed also great idea, so many great ideas I’m so grateful

@JDM625 amusing but surprisingly heated thread about what defines a stocking filler 😅

”It’s not a fucking stocking filler!”

Another thing I love are black garden labels with a white pen. You can get them on ebay, amazon etc. I prefer the T shaped ones, rather than just the thin ones because you can write more.

Also clips. Aldi/lidl sell them in the Spring, but obviously no good at this time of year, so you'd need to find them online or a garden centre.

Packets of seeds, and maybe bird food.
A book, or magazine, or puzzle book.
Diary.
Phone charger.
Perfume and hand cream.
Shower gel or bath bomb.

If they're proper stocking fillers, M&S have some little boxed sets of different bubble baths, Nuxe body oils etc, I do a stocking for 45-yr old daughter and these are always well received.

Bishy Barnabee seed boxSeed box
Terracotta cane toppers
leather garden gloves

Something she wants, something she needs, something to wear and something to read.

Yoga/pilates socks
water bottle

Thank you so much for this link. What gorgeous little gifts.

I'm sorry to read about your dad @Miathecat , I'm sure your mum will be so grateful for all the effort you are putting in to make this Christmas as bearable as possible.