The List: Stocking stuffer
Q&A A Day five-year journal • If the idea of keeping a journal has always seemed out of reach, try this five-year diary. Each day prompts a different question so as to avoid “blank page syndrome” while simultaneously building five years' worth of memories and thoughts. $16.99 at Barnes & Noble.
Fortnite phone case • Yes, parents everywhere loathe Fortnite, the video game du jour. But kids love it, and they'll love these cool phone cases. $8.95 at Battle Royale Shop.
Neon chess pieces • Add some personality to the classic board game with these mix-and-match chess pieces, which come in eye-popping hues such as fuchsia, turquoise and indigo. $5.00 at Q Boutique, 4652 Maryland Avenue.
Mr. Rogers mug • Need a gift for your favorite neighbor? Give them all the good feelings with this “sweater-changing” mug. When you pour a hot drink, Mr. Rogers loses his blazer and slips on his signature cardigan. $12.95 at Left Bank Books, 399 North Euclid Avenue.
Smudge kit • Open the doors to 2019 with a fresher space thanks to this smudge kit. Palo Santo wood is believed to have healing powers, while sage is thought to have purifying qualities. An iridescent abalone shell serves as a bowl. Items can also be purchased separately. $18.00 at Divine Inspirations, 205 North Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood.
Holiday kitchen towels • The clean winter prints on these basket-weave cotton towels are festive for teachers, neighbors or as a hostess gifts. $5.95 at Cornucopia, 107 North Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood.
Charcoal facial soaps • These “lumps of coal” are practical but fun – perfect for a teen who wants to be pampered. The activated charcoal cleans pores while the lavender keeps skin feeling soft and fresh. $8.00 at KIND Soap, 20 Allen Avenue, Webster Groves.
Flow rings • This modern take on the Slinky toy is a great stocking stuffer for kids, tweens or teens. Play with it at your desk to relieve stress or grab the hand of a partner and let it roll and flow up and down your arms. $7.99 at Amazon.
Bacon lip balm • Let the bacon lovers in your life taste bacon on their lips any time they want with this tube of bacon-flavored lip balm. Bacon lip balm does not contain actual bacon, so it's great for vegetarians who may miss bacon. $2.95 at Archie McPhee.
Hug-grrr coffee cup • The coffee drinker on your list will love this cute bear mug from Life is Good. $12.00 at Jake's on Main, 136 South Main Street, St. Charles.
Bergamot and ginger scented candle • Invite your friend, sister, or child's teacher to relax with this lidded jar candle from Mesa Home. The bergamot and ginger scent is clean and spicy. $12.00 at Mesa Home, 2619 Cherokee Street, St. Louis.
Beer bomber jacket • This beer bomber jacket from the St. Louis Hop Shop will keep your hand warm and your 22-ounce bottle of beer cool and cozy. $10.00 at St. Louis Hop Shop, 2600 Cherokee Street, St. Louis.
Handblown glass mug • Sip a cup of tea or coffee from this 10 ounce handblown glass mug from CHEMEX, which is shaped to echo the CHEMEX coffee maker. Teatopia also offers more than 80 loose leaf teas. $20.00 at Teatopia, 2606 Cherokee Street, St. Louis.
Dinosaur creamer • Add a bit of roar to your tea time with this adorable brontosaurus creamer. The shop also sells tiny pitchers in the shape of penguins, cats, elephants and cows, as well as loose leaf teas for customers to brew at home. $6.00 at Tea Rex, 2710 Cherokee Street, St. Louis.
Button name tag • Label your gifts with a custom button you can design yourself. All types of sizes are available and prices vary depending on how many you buy and how many images you upload. The Cherokee Street location offers a special $5 price for walk-in customers. $5.00 at Buttonmakers.net, 2608 Cherokee Street, St. Louis.
Children’s storybook coasters • Whether you are a kid or just a kid at heart, these storybook coasters will take you back to your favorite childhood tales. Curl up with a beverage and a good book — maybe one that’s depicted on these locally made coasters. $4.00 at Afterwords Books, 441 East Vandalia Street, Edwardsville.
Spinster Sisters soy lotion candles • Is it a candle or a lotion? Well, it’s both. Light these soy lotion candles, and as the oil melts, you can pour it onto your skin and massage it in for added moisture. An added bonus: They smell wonderful and are available in some favorite holiday scents, including cedar saffron, pumpkin pie and apple pie. $14.00 at Revival Boutique & Gifts, 101 East Vandalia Street, Edwardsville.
Whimsical lavatory mists • There’s nothing funny about nasty bathroom smells, right? Wrong. Put untimely odors in their place with Vladimir Pootin (red tea and jasmine) or Total Eclipse of the Fart (bright lilac and amber), just two of the silly scents you can buy in these lavatory mists. $12.00 at Revival Boutique & Gifts, 101 East Vandalia Street, Edwardsville.
Morse code necklaces • Telegraph your feelings in a more subtle way with these Morse code message necklaces. A series of 14-karat-gold-plated dots and dashes replace the letters to some sweet and inspiring words, including “loved” and “happy.” $15.00 at Revival Boutique & Gifts, 101 East Vandalia Street, Edwardsville.
Animal print sunglasses • Animal print? Glitter? Slight cat-eye shape? These funky sunglasses have it all. $10.00 at Cocktailz A Beauty Bar, 6150 Delmar Boulevard, University City.
Gold wristlet • This wristlet has enough pockets and room for your phone, credit cards, cash, lipsticks and powder. $15.00 at Cocktailz A Beauty Bar, 6150 Delmar Boulevard, University City.
Metallic infinity scarf • This infinity scarf accented with metallic threads is light enough to wear as a fashion piece and thick enough to wear for actual warmth. $17.00 at Cocktailz A Beauty Bar, 6150 Delmar Boulevard, University City.
Compassion is Badass mug • Pump yourself up and show your family or office mates you don't mess around when it comes to being a decent, compassionate person. This mug supports Bravely, a St. Louis nonprofit run by women recovering from sexual exploitation and addiction. $10.00 at OSO: A Style Lab, 6321 Delmar Boulevard, University City.
Blackwing Pencil • Some claim the Blackwing pencil is the best writing utensil in the world, but we'll let you be the judge. It was first developed in 1930 and has been used by some legendary Grammy, Emmy, Pulitzer and Academy Award winners. Comes in a box of 12. $24.95 at OSO: A Style Lab, 6321 Delmar Boulevard, University City.
Enamel deer pin • This adorable, enamel deer pin, by Austin-based LuxCups, gives a nod to vintage Disney and the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer television classic. $10.00 at OSO: A Style Lab, 6321 Delmar Boulevard, University City.
Lolli and Pops Classic Ribbon Candy • A festive and favorite assortment of time-honored confections are packaged in a retro-looking box. $10.00 at Lolli & Pops, 29 West County Center, Des Peres.
Stink bombz • Indulge the lowbrow humorist in your life with a Stink Bomz, which each contain a "collectible fart friend" that make three unique fart noises and come with their own "silly smell." $9.99 at Tomy.
St. Louis flag socks • Wave your feet in the air and show your local pride with these St. Louis flag-inspired socks. They're made of 80 percent cotton, 17 percent Nylon and 3 percent Spandex, and they reach up to the middle of your calf. $12.95 at Stl-Style, 3159 Cherokee Street, St. Louis.
Ides of March pen and pencil holder • Pretend you're Brutus and stab Julius Caesar in the back with some pens and pencils. All from the comfort of your desk. $19.99 at Amazon.
Sriracha keychain • Do you know someone who likes to put Sriracha on everything? Then we have found the perfect gift with this keychain (just fill the bottle separately). $8.00 at Urban Outfitters, 1491 St. Louis Galleria Street, Richmond Heights.
Nalgene water bottle • Resistant to odors and stains, this durable, wide-mouth water bottle is perfect for outdoor sports or just for kicking the plastic habit. $11.84 at Amazon.
Pawscout pet tag • The waterproof Pawscout device attaches to a collar and allows your furry friend to be tracked with a free app that displays photos, contact info, vaccinations and medical issues. If your pet goes missing, nearby users will be alerted. Even better: There's no monthly fee. $19.99 at Airedale Antics, 7316 Manchester Road.
Larder & Cupboard Strawberry Lemon Verbena Perserves • Larder & Cupboard's Strawberry Lemon Verbena Preserves, housemade by store owner Cindy Higgerson, are delicious with toast, desserts, cocktails, cheese and more. But you don't have to take our word for it: The Good Food Foundation honored the preserves with one of its 2018 awards. $11.00 at Larder & Cupboard, 7310 Manchester Road, Maplewood.
Expedition Chocolate Co. chocolate bar • An indulgent chocolate bar (2.8 ounces) by St. Louis chocolatier Rick Jordan is made from cacao nibs aged in Rally Point Rye whiskey barrels from St. Louis-based StilL 630. A delicious local collaboration for the chocolate lover in your life. $10.00 at Larder & Cupboard, 7310 Manchester Road, Maplewood.
Roughneck Beard Batter • Help the whiskered guy on your list avoid resting itch face. The shea butter and hemp seed oil in Roughneck's natural, organic Beard Batter is formulated to replace lost moisture and prevent itching and dryness. A dime-size blob is all it takes. (2.6 ounces) $15.00 at Roughneck Beard Co., 7282 Manchester Road, Maplewood.
Maven License to Chill artisan-made cold process soap • A piece of natural sea sponge is nestled inside this bar of moisturizing soap, so in addition to being functional, it's also a work of art. Maven's handcrafted soaps are made with plant "fats" — shea butter, coconut oil, rice bran oil and olive oil — instead of animal lard, and minimal packaging means little waste. (6.5 ounces) $10.00 at Maven Bath & Candle Co., 7290 Manchester Road, Maplewood.
Maven Jax artisan-made cold process soap • No two batches of soap at Maven look alike, and an array of fun scents — such as Jax, the shop's classic fragrance for guys — means there's a soap for every body. They're handcrafted and made with plant "fats" (shea butter, coconut oil, rice bran oil and olive oil) instead of animal lard, and minimal packaging means little waste. (6.5 ounces) $9.00 at Maven Bath & Candle Co., 7290 Manchester Road, Maplewood.
Klean Kanteen Steel Straws • People all over the country are trying to cut down on plastic straw use. Join them with this four-pack of reusable steel straws, a good gift that will also let you feel good about yourself. $9.95 at Alpine Shop, 440 North Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood.
St. Louis-themed coasters • Enjoy a little local nostalgia while also protecting that tabletop from unsightly water rings. These printed coasters feature a variety of St. Louis-area locations, signs and memories. $12.50 at Intaglia Home & Garden, 7195 Manchester Road, Maplewood.
"The Golden Girls" Mad Libs • Gather your gal pals and fill the blanks in these short "Golden Girls"-themed stories with adjectives, nouns and other parts of speech. Best enjoyed with cheesecake. $4.99 at Amazon.
Jansjö USB lamp • It never hurts to have one of these bendy-armed LED lamps on hand. They're great for illuminating a hard-to-see computer keyboard or desktop, or even to light up a piece of art or home décor. $5.99 at Ikea, 1 Ikea Way.
Lörby USB charger • Now that so many of our electronics are jockeying for space at the electrical outlet, Ikea's Lörby USB charger can really come in handy. Just attach it with its magnet, self-adhesive tape or clamp, and plug in up to three devices. Its electrical cord is 6.2 feet long. Available in red, black, yellow or white. $12.99 at Ikea, 1 Ikea Way.
Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve • Winter can be so harsh on your hands. This Eucalyptus-scented lotion works absolute wonders to restore, revive and moisten hands that are painfully dried and cracked. It's not the sexiest gift, but it will be tremendously appreciated. $23.00 at Saks Fifth Avenue, 1 Frontenac Plaza Drive, Frontenac.