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By Geralin Thomas

My favorite Christmas tradition revolves around our Christmas stockings. As a girl, my favorite part of Christmas morning was reaching in my stocking to find the goodies Santa had brought. Today, my favorite part of the morning is watching my boys go through their stockings. Santa puts in a few things to make them laugh, such as odor eaters for their football cleats and a few things to wow them, such as tickets to a Carolina Hurricanes game. Our family savors the oohs and ahhs that come after one of the boys has pulled a treat from deep within the stocking.

My husband’s stocking is the special one, however, because every year Santa miraculously fills it with things for me! My husband has received exfoliating products, perfume, cooking utensils, and scented candles – and the year we redecorated our bathrooms, Santa brought him monogrammed hand towels and a soap dispenser! It’s a tradition that brings a lot of giggles to our family, and we save his stocking for last to savor my husband’s witty comments of "gratitude."

You can make your special stocking stuffer traditions, too. Here’s a hint for saving time and staying organized during the busy holiday season. Instead of shopping during the holidays, I shop throughout the year for stocking stuffers. I recycle plastic grocery bags or sturdy paper bags with strong handles and hang them on hangers in a guest room closet. I label each bag with the person’s name and add to it during the year. Santa knows me pretty well by now, and on Christmas Eve he dispatches an elf to transfer the contents of each person’s bag into their stocking. So, enjoy the tradition of Christmas stockings at your house this year!

Learn more about Geralin Thomas at www.metropolitanorganizing.com.