We started this tradition a few years ago- My daughter was old enough and Santa no longer visits- so we got family tickets to the World Series in Denver for Christmas presents. Then around Christmas, we all take about 30 bucks and buy each other gifts for our stockings- cheap stuff, gag stuff, Candy, mechanical pencils, socks, boxers, cheesy movies, things we loved when we were kids, etc....
It kinda stuck so each year there's been a big family thing then small stocking stuff that we all shop for so there are presents on christmas morning.
This year our Christmas started in August with a trip to the Czech Republic for the 65th Commemorative memorial service of the battle over the white carpathian mountains. (plus an opera in Prague and a Terezin tour)
Then last weekend we all went and saw Bowfire- Holiday Strings (a cool concert with violins, fiddles. cello...etc and electric violins, bass, and cello..) and the kids got T-shirts there.
Then we got plane tickets to our cabin.
this week we'll go skiing, and probably horseback riding in the snow.
So this year in my stocking I got a thing of sweettarts, a makeup brush, the movie August Rush and some socks.
From my parents I got a sweater and a milk frother to make my own coffees. From the inlaws- $50. From my students, tons of coffee, chocolate and candles.