Thursday, December 09, 1999
Stuff for stockings
After the big-ticket items are under the tree, keep a few goodies to hang by the chimney
BY REON CARTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Stocking-stuffing goodies are usually at the bottom of the Christmas list. Harried shoppers often simply reach for what's convenient at the checkout line. And that's OK.
Sherryl Wilson of Florence, mother of seven, admits that after frantically scurrying about for other holiday gifts and trimmings, the stockings are approached as an afterthought.
In the past she's filled them with apples, bananas, Lifesavers candy, goldfish crackers, perfume samples, nail polish, Kleenex packets and toothbrushes — and “whatever I can grab at the last minute or at the everything's a dollar stores.”
While stocking fillers may be be overshadowed by the big-ticket items, they serve a purpose.
“They buy us time Christmas morning,” Ms. Wilson says. “The kids are allowed to look in the stockings first, but they can't wake us up to open the bigger gifts until 8 a.m.”
Parents shouldn't feel pressured to create spectacular stockings, says Chris Byrne, editor of Toy Report, a trade publication.
“Stockings are very personal,” he says. “How they're approached depends on the family and its traditions. Some people use them for cheap silly gifts, candy or as a place to store the batteries for the bigger toys. Parents shouldn't get sucked into thinking there's a right or wrong way to fill them. Remember, (parents) are in control. They set the expectations. When the MasterCard starts screaming, Santa gets more creative.”
For those still looking for suggestions, here's a selection of stocking-size goodies for Christmas '99. Items are available where toys are sold unless otherwise noted. All cost under $20:
• Canned Heat (Mattel, $19) — A radio-controlled car in a can. The canister's lid twists off and becomes the radio transmitter to control the micro-sized vehicles, which include Volkswagen's new Beetle, a '57 Chevy and a Dodge Ram truck. Ages 5 and up.
• Flick Trix Finger Bikes (Spin Master Toys, $7.99) — You've seen the miniature skateboards. Now make way for miniature BMX bikes. The bikes are only 21/2 inches, but feature real working parts, such as front and back brakes; interchangeable mag, spoke tires; crank, U-lock, rubber chain and sturdy die-cast frame. Spin Master toys teamed with Mongoose, Redline, Hoffman, Diamond Back, Standard, DK and Huffy to create authentic replicas of their coolest BMX models. The bikes aren't just for show. By placing one finger on the handlebars and one on the seat, the manufacturers claim you can perform the finger versions of such tricks as Merangs, Flares, Feeble Grinds, Funky Chickens and Fakies. Ages 6 and up.
• Star Wars Episode 1 Koosh Characters (Oddz On, $8.99) — Koosh ball centers with the heads and limbs of Sebula, Watto, Jar Jar Binks and Kaadu. Ages 3 and up.
• Meanies (Twisted Toys, $7) — These 6-inch plushes represent characters that have become annoyingly familiar (Furbies, Teletubbies and Pokemon). Among the Meanie parodies are No Fur-be, Teletushy and Dopeyman. Ages 3 and up.
• Door Pass (Girl Tech, $19.99) — For the little girl who wants a haven from bratty little brothers or snooping parents, there's Door Pass. It contains a motion sensor and voice recognition technology. Door Pass is programmed to recognize the owner's voice and password before it's attached to a door. If a voiceprint doesn't match, Door Pass denies entry and sounds an alarm. It also keeps track of how many times it detects would-be snoops. Ages 6 and up.
• Barking Blue Clip-On (Fisher-Price, $7) — This miniature, soft Blue clips on to backpacks and belt loops. Squeeze Blue's nose and you'll hear her two signature barks. (All ages.)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Accessories (Squeeze, $5-$12) — A new line of trend-setting necklaces, bracelets, rings and signature hairclips inspired by the popular and ultra hip WB television show about a teen-age girl who hunts and kills vampires.
• Rubik's Star Wars: Episode One Puzzle (OddzOn, $14.99) — Here's a twist on the classic Rubik's cube. The puzzle, which is shaped like the villainous Darth Maul's head, requires strategic thinking and patience to solve. Ages 8 and up.
• Friend.Link (Playmates, $19.99) — This techno-gadget, which resembles a pager, makes passing notes a thing of the past. It allows friends to send e-messages to one another up to 60 feet. It also has a fortune-teller feature. Ages 8 and up.
• Hair Prints (Windmere, $19.99) — Temporary tattoos have moved from the body to the hair. The glittery designs, which include a butterfly, heart, dragonfly, moon/star and flower, are applied to the hair with styling gel and heat. The hair tattoos, which have to be shampooed out, can be worn for several days. The kit comes with a flat iron and six tattoos. Ages 12 and up.
• Wild Republic Monkeys (Wild Republic, $6-$10) — These plush monkeys, which come in 10- and 17-inch sizes, have long, fuzzy arms and legs and Velcro hands that make it easy to hug humans or backpacks. Their names are influenced by their home regions. There's Chiku, the African chimpanzee; Ming Hoa, the Asian white-handed gibbon, and Zi, the Mandarin gibbon. Each monkey has a tag with educational facts about the species, its environment, behavior and passwords to secret sites at www.wildrepublic.com. All ages.
• Basic Fun Key Chains (Basic Fun Inc., $4.99) — Nobody does novelty key chains better than Basic Fun. New for Christmas are Pokemon key chain balls. Press a button and the ball opens to reveal Pikachu, Ivysaur, Charmeleon, Blastoise or Poliwhirl. Other hot licenses released by the company are Toy Story 2 characters Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Toy Alien and Slinky Dog. Ages 4 and up. Classic Milton Bradley game fans will love the Battleship key chain, which opens to reveal two mini battle stations with grids and tiny ships. Other tiny key chain-sized games include Scrabble and Mouse Trap. For ages 8 and up.
• Pokemon Walkie Talkies (Tiger Electronics, $19) — Unlike most Pokemon who can only say their names, Meowth can talk. He joins forces with Pikachu, the most popular Pokemon, so children can chat with their buddies on this set of walkie-talkies. Ages 5 and up. Available at the Warner Bros. stores.
• GirlStuff Glitter Gel (Natural Desires, $9.99) — Colorful, sparkly gel comes with trendy hair and body accessories (gems, coils, rings and Indian-inspired Bindis) under a clear dome on top of each bottle. The gel, which comes in 12 colors, contains moisturizing aloe vera. It can be used on the face, shoulders, neckline and hair. There's a GirlStuff birthstone color for each month. Can be ordered by calling (800) 707-8075. Product is shipped within 48 hours. Ages 9 and up.
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