Creative Hometown Solutions To Stocking The Stocking

By Nancy K. Crevier

Everyone knows that Santa Claus wrestles his bag down the chimney on Christmas Eve, chows down on cookies and milk, and leaves a pile of presents under the tree. But those stocking hung by the chimney with care? All those little doodads would get lost in the bottom of his sack, so a little known secret is that Santa asks the moms and dads, husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters to help him fill them up from toe to cuff.

Children are easy. The usual booty consists of candy canes, fruit, nuts, chocolate bars and ribbon candy, a myriad of plastic toys and novelty items and mini-electronic games. Glider planes and tiny baby dolls mingle with costume jewelry and hand-knit mittens from Grandma. A cute stuffed animal peeking out of the top will bring a squeal of delight, and everyone is happy.

 The big people, though, are more of a challenge. Miniature books (riffled through and swiftly shelved), pocketknives, scented soaps, pocket-sized hand cremes (soon buried in the car’s seat cushions), earrings, necklaces, and a couple of truffles all fit snugly into a dangling sock.

Most of these items are grabbed by the “elves” browsing the mall, standing in the checkout line of a drug store, retail outlet, or even the supermarket. They create an initial response of appreciation, but quickly end up lost or tossed in a pile of remarkably similar items from stockings of yore.

It is time to take another shot at the humdrum of stocking the Christmas stocking. And there is no need to go too far out of the way. A little imagination leads to Newtown businesses rife with unique stocking stuffers guaranteed to bring a sigh of pleasure from the recipient.

Newtown Color Center on Queen Street is a source of great gifts for the designer in the family. Believe it or not, it is possible to purchase a Benjamin-Moore color wheel, putting hundreds of colors at the fingertips of your favorite painter. How about a paintbuddy from Rubbermaid? This compact painting unit stores paint in the handle, enabling easy touch-ups with no spills. A paint sprayer would be the perfect companion. The Color Center carries a nice supply of cloths and brushes for faux finishes, and any decorator would be tickled to discover them in his/her stocking Christmas morning.

When strings of lights won’t glimmer and the Christmas tree stand topples over, Newtown Hardware Store on Church Hill Road is the obvious destination to remedy those troubles. But wait — what treasure trove awaits the stuffer of stockings here? Minipliers and spring clamps, a craftsman’s pick, a four-way chuck key, jeweler’s files, splinter tweezers and jumbo tweezers are there for the picking. How about toe and hand warmers to keep your skier toasty on the slopes? Gloves in a Bottle and Gorilla Glue are must-haves for this year’s all-new holiday sock, and the telescoping magnet is a guaranteed hit with everyone. It is the kind of gadget that will come in handy some day, some time. Utility brushes and cleaning brushes, thermometers, pint-sized glass scrapers, and a wide collection of novelty key chains make it hard to choose. Who knew the hardware store was one-stop shopping?

A gift certificate always fits into a stocking, and at Newtown Car Wash they are prewrapped and ready to go. The South Main Street business is going to make it easy to pile high someone’s stocking, though in a far less mundane manner than usual. The array of vehicle air fresheners is vast: choose a Clip Fresh air freshener, a Vent Fresh scented oil freshener, scented miniclips or any of a dozen scented sprays, just the right size for slipping into the toe of the Christmas sock. The classic scented trees that dangle from the rear-view mirror fill nearly half of a wall, and manager Bob Boyhen says there are probably a hundred more varieties he could carry.

An Armor All protectant, in just the right size for the glove compartment, and handy packets of glass cleaner, leather cleaner, or bug and tar remover will make any car owner happy. How about a pop-up trash can for all of those candy wrappers and tissues that get tossed on the floor? These handy disposals fold flat for storage, or stick via Velcro to the floor of the car. The larger version is perfect for those who find truant soda cans rolling around beneath the seats to be a problem.

Still more unusual stocking gifts can be scooped up at the car wash. The Superhold Wonder Magnet is a cellular phone mounting kit, and the Sticky Pad professes to hold your phone, glasses, or loose change when adhered to the dashboard. These could be the perfect solution, now that hands-free cellular phoning is required in Connecticut.

The cold winds will blow and we will have snow — and ice. Put some lock deicer into a stocking and be the hero (or heroine) on sub-zero mornings. And don’t forget to include an ice scraper, too.

People who love their vehicles are going to love the person who shops at Fair Auto Supply on South Main Street for their stocking presents. A tire and battery brush or wheel detail brush, nameplate repair tape, and a little bottle of door lubricant fit nicely into the sock, and still leave room for bungee cords, muffler and tailpipe bandages, pliers, wrenches, strippers, cutters, sockets and screwdrivers, of which this supply shop has plenty.

Car lovers want to keep their vehicles looking sharp. How about cleaning and polishing mitts and a handy dust brusher to remove dust from the dash and control panel? Chrome and metal polish comes in just the right size at Fair Auto Supply to make the gift list, and with a little push and a shove, a petite oil can and a set of funnels will fit in the stocking no more tightly than Saint Nick in the chimney.

Top off this collection with, what else? A hand and nail brush.

What else might Newtown shoppers wedge into their Christmas stocking to make them out of the ordinary? A computer won’t fit in the stocking, but blank CDs, ink cartridges, and a nice mouse pad could edge their way in. Liberty Computers on Route 302 in the Dodgingtown section of Newtown is a convenient spot to find some goodies for the computer expert in the household. Owner Joe Masso suggests a USB flash drive, too, a key-ring sized removable storage unit for transferring files.

Guitar straps and one-of-a-kind guitar-pick earrings from Peter Obre’s Guitar Studio on Riverside Road will be a nice find for the strummer on the list; or slip in a photo of that special guitar purchased for pickup after the holidays next to the other treats. That should knock the socks off the mantel.

Look beyond the obvious gift stores when seeking trinkets for Christmas morning. Newtown is full of “Secret Santas,” making the final shopping fling a pleasurable treasure hunt. Santa Claus thanks you, and so will everyone else.