I usually try to do a theme for Dh's stocking, like one year I got him an authentic football jersey for his favorite team so in his stocking I put a magnetic bumper sticker, flag and keychain for that team (plus some candy and beef jerky). This year he's getting an itouch so I've gotten him a case, car charger and itunes gc, I'm not sure what else I'll go with.
My boys around that age are getting: a hot wheels car, a bakugan toy (you could do cards, that would be cheaper), a bottle of root beer from Cracker Barrel, new toothbrush, McDonald's GC (they love paying for themselves) and something personal to them such as my 10yo DS loves camping and scouts so he's getting a crank flashlight, my 8yo is getting a Flip Trix bike. In the past I've also put in tech decks, music cd's, markers, personalized bowling towels (the year they started bowling leagues) and travel games.
In my stocking you can't go wrong with chocolate, lol, I would be happy if it was filled with it. In dh's one year I put a pancake flipper, if you have someone who likes to cook you could do that for them (any utensil that they might not have or need a new one). Books are good, a deck of cards,
bath and body works items, a bath sponge thingy (pouf I think they're called, I always need a new one of those). Oh, and chapstick, that's always appreciated in the winter.
