Find the perfect stocking stuffers for the men on your list

Are you Christmas shopping and asking yourself, “What should I buy for the men on my list? What do I buy a teenage boy?” I’m doing my last minute before Christmas stocking stuffer shopping in Landrum. Browsing in our many wonderful shops, I know I will come across some great ideas to fill stockings for the ‘boys’ on your list.

My first stop is The Collective on Trade Street. I enter Imagination Station and explain, “I have a teenage grandson. Do you have any ideas for stocking stuffers for this impossible age to buy for?”

I’m immediately led to a display of games called EXIT. They have names like Secret Lab, Forgotten Island, and Abandoned Cabin. The names are intriguing and the games would fill time spent with friends on a rainy afternoon. The trick is to use clues and find your way out of a difficult situation.

Another shelf presents a rack of PopSockets, a gadget to put on your phone to prevent dropping it. It helps take selfies and can work to prop the phone up. Next are some headphones that wrap around your wrist. Then I notice a game of Pick Up Sticks, very low tech, but a challenge at any age. These items will definitely be perfect stocking stuffer surprises. My basket is full, I check out, and head down the hall to Millstone Gallery.

Susan Cere Wilson greets me as I enter and has suggestions for me. Susan has a line of organic, creamy, all natural soaps, lotions, and personal care products made with essential oils, coconut oil, shea and mango butters. If the male on your list sports a beard, some beard oil or beard balm is perfect to drop in his stocking.

Looking for a special gift to enhance a desk set? John Broach has created unusual pens, inlaid with wood, using interesting mechanisms to open and close the ballpoint. He also creates carved, wood wine stoppers that any wine connoisseur would cherish.

There’s something masculine about a pepper mill. John Stephen has carved some exquisite peppermills, great for grinding pepper on steaks or burgers when cooking on the outdoor grill. Specializing in locally crafted products, Millstone Gallery offers a wide assortment to help you fill those “man who has everything” stockings.

I walk over to Rutherford to Dutch Country Foods. I know they can help me fill  stockings with tasty treats. They’re well stocked with several flavors of penny candies. A great-grandaddy on your list? How about cinnamon hard candies or maple creams. Grandpa would enjoy discovering a can of Sarsparilla or Birch Beer tucked in his stocking. A favorite uncle might be partial to Goetze Caramel Creams and dads and teenage boys would love a three-ounce container of chocolate fudge, available in assorted flavors like Rocky Road. A pack called Candy Scramble offers an assortment of penny candy.

Does the man on your list like to cook? Dutch Country Foods has a large selection of herbs and spices, including peppercorns for a grinder, fajita seasoning and taco seasoning. Yum!

Feeling like Santa with all these goodies in my sack, I continue down Rutherford. Tommy Perry at Perry Limited always has an intriguing collection of merchandise.

A line of beer soap immediately catches my attention. Orange Blossom Pilsner or Chocolate Stout soap might be fun to add to a son-in-law’s stocking.

Remember shaving brushes with shaving soap to create a creamy lather? I peruse a display of these intriguing grooming products from yesteryear that could fascinate Gramps or maybe a teenager beginning to shave. Do you know someone who loves bacon? He might welcome socks painted with pictures of bacon to accessorize his wardrobe.

A display box presents an item called Card Cling. It’s a little pocket to stick on your smart phone that holds an ID or oft used debit card, convenient for shopping. No need to dig through several cards in a wallet if your most used card is available right on your phone.

I’m curious about a line called Metal Earth. These 3D laser cut steel models are fun to assemble. The tractor model is on display but several varieties are available including a 1965 Ford Mustang, a golf cart, a fire engine, a plane, and even some super heroes. It would be fun for a teenager to collect several and display them on a bookshelf in his room.

My stockings are filling up and I have one more stop at Landrum Hardware. What man doesn’t love browsing in a hardware store? I spy a six-in-one screwdriver that would be a handy gadget for any guy on your list, one of those things that you never think of until you need it. With the temperatures dropping, a can of de-icer could come in handy. An extra lawn and garden extension cord is always good to have ready for yard chores. A hardware store offers an endless supply of stocking stuffer possibilities.

Don’t forget our several, delightful gift boutiques and antique shops filled with unexpected treasures. A gift certificate from a favorite, local eatery is always welcome. Redecorating in 2018? Stop in Williamson’s Benjamin Moore Paint Center to pick out paint color strips. Use a Christmas ribbon to tie them together with a paint brush to fill your “painter’s” stocking.

As always, Landrum has presented me with everything I need to finish my Christmas shopping. Time to unwind at Southern Delights and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. Merry Christmas everyone!