Stuck On You

For my son’s first Christmas I made him a bright red, faux fur Christmas stocking that measures a metre high. Of course, several years later his sister came along and she had to have one the same size. They absolutely love them and even though she’s now 8 and he’s now 12 they still hop in them every year and we take a photo before hanging them near the tree.

I love the challenge of coming up with creative ways to fill them every year. I usually start accumulating bits and pieces around October so it doesn’t get too pricey all at once. I thought I’d share a few ideas for those of you struggling to fill enormous Christmas stockings and Santa sacks this year.

A little flower pot and a packet or two of seeds

I’m all for the gifts that take up a bit of room and won’t end up broken or in the bin before the day’s out. Planting the seeds gives you a fun project to do together once all of the Christmas madness has died down.

Multi-packs of cereal

It may seem a dull but my kids have come to expect their little packets of cereal each year. There are six in a pack and it gives you a chance to let them enjoy the sweeter cereals you might not normally buy, they take up plenty of room and kids love lining them up and deciding what they will eat each morning.

Some practical stuff

Do they needs bathers? A new beach towel? Underwear? A new lunch box? Sandals? Slippers? A sun hat? Put them in the stocking too. (Isn’t it nice that Santa is on our side?)

Magic tricks and practical jokes

These are great fun as the kids slowly bring them out throughout the day. A fly in an ice block, a whoopee cushion or a fake severed thumb bring plenty of laughs to our Christmas lunch.

Something yummy

I like to pop a few yummy treats in there and pretend to be horrified that Santa would do such a thing. The lolly Christmas stockings have treats they can bring out each day after Christmas and, again, they take up room!

A book or two

I like to give them a few little Mr Men, Golden Books or Dr Seuss to add to their collection and a big picture book they can pour over once all of the excitement has died down. Any of the books by Graeme Base keep them quiet for hours – or minutes, at least!

Of course, there are plenty of stocking filler ideas from Stuck On You too…

What’s that? Your kids don’t have a Christmas stocking yet? Well, not only do we have plenty of things to go into your Christmas stocking, Stuck On You have bright, bold monogrammed and personalised Christmas stockings too!

Our Christmas elves are super busy working away in the Stuck On You workshop to get all of your personalised Christmas gifts out in time. We are decking the halls, putting tinsel, mistletoe (and a few Christmas wall stickers) on everything that doesn’t move. We are so excited about our Christmas range and have been getting such lovely feedback from our fabulous customers that we’ve decided to release our Top Ten Favourite Christmas Gifts Ideas to make it easier for you to choose gifts for your friends and family this year!

OK! It’s actually 11 Top Ten Christmas ideas but we just couldn’t narrow it down any further! We hope this makes your Christmas shopping decisions a little easier. Remember the sooner the better with your Christmas order!

Do you have some favourite family books that you bring out every Christmas? It can be such a hectic and crazy time, I find sitting down and reading Christmas books to my kids is a great way to build some gentle excitement before the madness begins.

Here’s the three favourite Christmas books at our house, each one reminding us of some of the wonderful things about Christmas to be treasured.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss

Before the movie there was the book. Written with typical and bouncy Dr Seuss rhyme and rhythm ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas‘ tells the story of a grumpy creature living in caves above Who-ville who hates Christmas. He goes from house to house and steals all the presents, trees, decorations and food believing that this will put an end to the Who-folks celebrations.

It contains the fabulous sentiment that perhaps Christmas isn’t just about all of the material things:

“‘Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
“Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”‘

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

One of the most famous Christmas stories is A Christmas Carol and while the complete Charles Dickens version might be a little hard for kids to follow there are plenty of adaptations for kids. Our copy at home is adapted by Victor Barnes and has gorgeous, colourful illustrations from the animated film of the same name.

For those not familiar with the classic tale it is about a man named Ebenezer Scrooge who is nasty and mean-spirited and, of course, hates Christmas. One night he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come  who show him what will become of him unless he changes his unkind ways.

Not unlike the Grinch, Scrooge realises that happiness comes to you when you have made someone else happy.

 The Night Before Christmas by Clement C Moore

Written back in 1823 this delightful poem starts with one of my favourite lines:

“‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…”

I love reading it to my children on Christmas Eve as it paints such a glorious picture of Santa Claus and his reindeer going from house to house delivering presents.

“He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.”

Watch your kids’ faces glow with excitement as they picture Santa (or St Nick in this poem) on his way to their house.

 
Do you have a favourite childhood Christmas story or two that you share with your kids at Christmas time?

At Stuck On You we are loving the Christmas in a Cup with their gorgeous colours and fabulously festive designs! Choose from 8 designs and write your child’s name to create your very own personalised Christmas in a Cup.

We’ve been tossing around some ways you could use them creatively…

Stocking Fillers

Nice and chunky, they take up plenty of room in a stocking. Kids will love having their very own cup for Christmas day (and beyond) – they come with a straight stripy straw and a curly straw too!

Table Place Cards

Having a few people over to your place for Christmas lunch? Order matching Christmas in a Cups for all of your guests and use them as place cards. The Christmas colours will look fantastic as part of your table decorations.

Bon Bons

Not only marking a spot for each guest at your table fill them to make perfectly personalised bon bons. For the kids fill with a balloon, a party popper, some lollies, a packet of seeds to plant in the garden and a few tricks from the joke shop – itching powder, whoopee cushions and fake spiders make lots of laughter around the Christmas table. For the grown-ups pop in a liqueur chocolate, a nail polish, a scratch lottery ticket, a book mark or a groovy kitchen gadget.

We’re delighted that our Christmas in a Cups are proving so popular. We’d love to hear about all of the creative ways you use them this Christmas.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Are you ready to start building some Christmans cheer at your house? We are so excited about our Personalised Letters from Santa products designed to deliver Christmas spirit to your kids. Have your kids been extra good this year? Tell them so in a personalised letter from Santa.

Order one of our personalised letter from Santa packs, each comes with a personalised letter – you can choose one from our template or create your very own completely customised Santa letter.

Take a look, choose the pack that best suits you, select from 8 gorgeous designs and then personalise it yourself.

Create your very own personalised letter from Santa. With 15 lines to play with you can create a completely personalised message for your child this Christmas. It comes with an envelope and address label too and is bound to convince those on the cusp of non-believing.

These are our Letter to Santa pouches. Order them in time for Christmas for your kids to write their letter and leave it out for Santa. They might even like to pop in a treat or two!

Our cheerful and chirpy letters from Santa will fill your child with festive fever! Add their name online.

Our Letter from Santa packs includes one of our jolly, joyful and personalised letters from Santa, a gorgeous Santa pouch and a ‘letter from Santa’ label.

Create a complete Christmas experience with the Create Your Own Letter from Santa Pouch. Write your own personalised message and it will come with a pouch and ‘Letter from Santa’ sticker.

Our Santa letter packs are available in Australia only at the moment – coming to other regions soon, stay tuned!

It seems that more and more Australians are looking to do their Christmas shopping online but for some it can be a little daunting. At Stuck On You we love online shopping and encourage our customers to get their orders in sooner rather than later to make sure everything arrives in plenty of time.

There are plenty of benefits to shopping online but it is always wise to be prepared a little earlier for Christmas. Mid Novemeber is the perfect time to consider getting started so we’ve trawled the internet for tips and advice and have put together a list of 10 things to consider to ensure safe and happy shopping online this Christmas.

Know your product

Read product information carefully to make sure that it is exactly what you are after – the make, model, size and whether it is legal and will work in Australia. Check that any warranties or guarantees offered are valid in Australia. If you are unsure of anything, contact the seller.

Know the company

Before you purchase carefully read the companies’ terms and conditions, return policy, delivery details, guaranties, warranties, refund policies or any costs associated with returns and repairs. While it’s not always the case it is generally better to go with larger, well-known companies.

Does the seller have SSL security?

A reliable seller should mention that they have SSL security, which can be verified by the padlock at the base of your browser page. SSL is Secure Sockets Layer and is the standard security technology for creating an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browser remain private and integral.

What is the sellers’ complaints procedure?

Check that the company or seller has a complaints procedure or method of resolving disputes if things go wrong.

Check the total cost before you pay

Be sure to check the total cost of your order and factor in currency conversions, insurance, delivery or postage and handling costs. Sometimes, with all of these things considered, it is cheaper to buy the product locally.

Protect your privacy

Only purchase from companies with suitable privacy policies and only give information that is required for the sale.

Confirm before you click

The shopping cart should allow you to confirm your order before paying. Take the time to go over your order to make sure it is completely correct (especially if ordering Stuck On You personalised Christmas products).

Keep a record of what you buy

Be sure to keep a record of your online purchases (reference numbers, forms, emails, documents or website addresses), these will be handy if something goes wrong. Check that you have been charged correctly on your credit card statement or merchant account (Paypal for example).

Resolve any problems quickly

If problems do occur, contact the business immediately to try and resolve them. Most reputable online retail companies want to give their customers a pleasant online shopping experience and will do their best to resolve any issues.

Buyer beware

Beware of scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Most things can be found online, so if you have your doubts about the security of a site, shop around for an alternative supplier.

Following these tips should help you to shop online with confidence this Christmas. You can start by taking a look at the Christmas range at Stuck On You. We’d love to hear how you get on. Do you do your Christmas shopping online? What are your top tips?

Ok, so you like what you see… Here are some handy links so that you don’t miss out on our latest offers.

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/stuckonyouofficial

Twitter – @StuckOnYouTweet

Customer service -  sales@stuckonyou.biz

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Here we provide discussions and links to help you choose the perfect name for your little one. And whilst your at it… if you are looking for popular baby names, allow us to offer you our CONGRATULATIONS!