Stocking stuffers: Sock away these great ideas

As for headwear, forget the scarf and hat set. The hat doesn’t work with her ponytail, and he’s not giving up his baseball hat for the winter. The alternative is a fleece headband designed especially for both genders. Her headband has a special place to put that ponytail, and his has a spot for the rim of his baseball hat and will keep his ears warm. Both headbands are available at Duluth Trading for $8 and $9.50.

Throwaway plastic water bottles are convenient, but they are far from being environmentally friendly. Metal not only looks nicer but also doesn't leach chemicals into the food or liquid, or leave the material tasting like the substance that was just contained. Klean Kanteen makes several stainless steel varieties. Available with a flat, loop or sports plastic cap, the 18-ounce flask costs $15.95 and the 27-ounce canteen sells for $17.95. (The cap is plastic to prevent tooth injuries.) There’s also a 12-ounce sippy cup for $17.95. The bottles are sold online at Klean Kanteen, REI and Greenfeet.

A copy of "Wordplay," a documentary about New York Times crossword puzzle enthusiasts, will keep the word mavens on your list entertained. But a deck of puzzles à la New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz may help extend their short-term memory. Each deck, from Chronicle Books, contains 75 verbal challenges, mind-bogglers, word riddles or brain-twisters.

The brain-teasers are not easy. Try this one: What word becomes its own opposite when you put the letters FE in front of it? (Answer below.) A deck cost $13.95. The memories saved: priceless.

You can probably take scented candles off your stuffer list, but don't necessarily eliminate bath products before checking out EO. It’s the scents that draw me in — French lavender, juniper and lemon, and rose geranium and citrus. Others may be attracted to the healing properties of the essential oils. The family-owned business produces lots of bath and body products that make great stuffers, from organic lip treatment, $2.99, to foot balm for $7.99. The best bet is the holiday gift pack, $9.99, which contains a 12-ounce bottle of bubble bath plus a 4-ounce package of bath salts. EO products are sold at the company’s Web site as well as Whole Foods and specialty stores nationwide.

What’s a stuffer guide without some socks? You can never have too many socks especially if you launder them in machines. And “snuggle socks,” so named by Life Is Good, look and feel just as they sound, although made of a typical polyester/spandex blend. The fluffy socks come in midnight, chocolate, true, raspberry, cactus, white and striped or cricket multi. “One size fits most” reads the product description of the $10 socks. Buy them online from Life Is Good, or find a store near you using the online retail locator.

My favorite stuffer this season is OXO’s mini dustpan and brush. I like the design, the $4.99 price, and everything one can pick up with this plastic wonder, from table crumbs to dust mites. I now have one in every room of my house, and you can too. Or you can buy one for everyone on your list. The portable cleanup kit is available at OXO’s Web site and theKitchenStore.com. Right now, it comes only in white.

So, what word becomes its own opposite when you put the letters FE in front of it? "Male," as in "female."

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