Birthday advent ideas

Book a massage

Facial

Pedicure

Manicure

Afternoon Tea

Visit a RHS Garden (or similar)

Go to a local theatre (much cheaper than London)

Cinema

Depending where in the S E, a bracing seafront walk followed by a warming hot chocolate.

Visit a vineyard, there are several in the SE, someone gave a voucher to my daughter and husband on their silver anniversary and they really enjoyed it.

Try flash fiction? On a rainy day try writing a story in 100 words. It's a great mental discipline. Even try a 6 word one - that's really hard.

All the thing GG13.
On a sunny crisp day a walk in a NT or similar garden.
Go to a local Auction, possibly bid on something.
Visit a local Art Gallery.
Buy yourself a pair of earrings to celebrate reaching the 25th.
Buy a bouquet of flowers ( not just a bunch! )
Visit a pottery painting studio.

On I left out ‘said’ in line 1.

What about that place that you look at and have always said it looks good but too expensive? So go mad and treat yourself to a meal in that place that got a michelin star locally, or the pub that got the rave write up in the local paper. You could go at lunch time if they did lunch which is often cheaper than the evening.

Make a list of all the rather posh hotels and smart coffee shops and go round and have a coffee in each one and have a little rating list for the future. Coffee in the posh places rarely costs much more than in the cheaper ones I find and you can often find a lovely seat near a window and enjoy the view or watch the comings and goings , without feeling the slightest bit guilty about the jobs you are not doing.

If you normally do all your own washing and ironing, either take it for a service wash for once or do the washing yourself if you can hang it out but get someone in to do the ironing and hopefully sew on buttons or whatever needs doing, hems and so forth.

Get on a bus that you have never tried before, especially if you have a bus pass and let it take you somewhere new, and maybe have a pub lunch or fish and chips in a new place.

Check the local library for any interesting talks coming up, especially on a day that you normally do boring jobs and abandon them for the talk, perhaps on something you know little about.

See if you can arrange a meetup with other GN's in your area, or if that doesnt work, could you arrange a meet up of old school friends or from previous jobs , somewhere away from the normal places.

Find a skating rink and have a go

ditto for a day in the swimming pool area that also has a sauna that you can enjoy.

If you have your hair cut at the same place all the time, go mad and try a new place. Either it will be a brilliant new style or you will be glad to get back to your old place. Or have you ever fancied a new hair colour, you could go crazy in an easy way by trying a way out colour of say purple or green, you might really like it and surprise your neighbours, or think it is awful and wash it straight out!

Go to one of those nail bars and let them decorate your nails in a way never seen before.

Collect together food and magazines that you like and perhaps dont normally buy for that horrible weather day, and then give yourself permission to have a day off at home. Lazy get up whenever you feel like it. ignore all jobs apart from making coffee and a sort of picnic so that you can just do as little as you like , have a go at a few yoga poses, sing along with the radio and read and slop about all day. Bliss! Especially if you think of the rest of them madly rushing round getting christmas stuff and fighting over the parking etc.

Write two letters that you wont post. So a billet doux to the person you always fancied but never got chance to know or the film star that you never met so for me perhaps Humphrey Bogart, Then the other letter to someone who has hurt or offended you in the past telling them just what you think of them in whatever words you like to write down. If you cant think of someone you know then there are plenty of politicians that could have such a letter written to them. Read them and then rip them up, and write a real letter to someone you know would enjoy receiving an unexpected letter rather than just a card.

Look back and see if there is something you longed to do but never had the chance before, go riding or have a go on a trampoline - but somewhere safe where a knowledgeable person is there to show you the way to do things.

If you really want to push the boat out, treat yourself to a couple of days b/b somewhere you have always wanted to visit but so far not managed it. If you go now the traffic wont be as bad as at christmas or get the train so you dont have to worry about traffic. Lots of places would have vacancies at this time and you would be able to enjoy all the lights, theatres etc etc of a new place . If you ended up in York I would be happy to come and meet you for coffee and maybe you would like a trip up the dales that I am always going on about, or you might choose to go down to the southwest somewhere to hope for a bit warmer weather.

Yes you deserve it all. Enjoy it and let us know what you actually did. Perhaps this will then become your way of celebrating every year in your own special way. Good Luck to you and hope you enjoy it all

Have your colours done.
Book an appointment with a personal shopper.

Thank you for all the ideas. Some of the suggestions I do anyway and some are a bit over budget for this purpose but I may well treat myself in the new year. I'm thinking of a 'new experience a month' in 2026

Are you near the coast? Collecting shells (or leaves) to make an an abstract picture
A scavenger hunt - participate in one online or set one up for the grandchildren
Make an origami zoo - you just need some decent origami paper. Turn it into a mobile?https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/activities/origami-patterns/
Photos on your phone of interesting buildings in your town or someone else's town
Finally buy a white or cream lampshade and some Posca pens, and do 25 little drawings - one a day - to record your special Advent calendar
Dunelm do a little white lamp for £6
www.dunelm.com/product/hebe-ribbed-ceramic-table-lamp-1000208313?defaultSkuId=30806897

If you are good at walking or have transport, try walking with alpacas !

I'm sure there are parts of your area you have never visited Seabear?
I agree with madeleine45's idea of getting on a bus you've never been on before. You can simply get off when you come to an area you like the look of, maybe for a walk in a new park, some window shopping, a snack or a meal.
We're in greater London and a trip to Southall or Camden would be quite a treat I think. Or perhaps a trip to Little Venice, the converted Battersea Power station or even a river trip down to Greenwich or up to Hampton Court?
I rather fancy a trip to Hampstead where we lived before we got married, the shops are nice and the Heath is lovely.

Organise and undertake a litter picking session in your local vicinity

Look at Seven Yays. they have lots of ideas for daily gifts.

try volunteering for a morning at some where local, you may love it and lead to a passion in retirement if your not already retired.

Listen to some really good music, whichever genre you like best.

Watch a classical ballet online.

Invite a good friend or relative for morning coffee on you actual birthday on the strict understanding that this is YOUR birthday, later on in the day, you can celeberate Our Lord's nativity!

What a good idea!
Why not think of things you really want to do, not just for novelty, and take a day of your Advent to really research groups, opportunities, etc further?
For instance, where did the idea of reading poetry spring from? I belong to a poetry reading group — we read published poets, not our own effusions, out loud to each other. We choose a theme, a poet or a form in advance and bring copies to the meeting.
Living in the SE you should find a similar group.
This is just one example: find people with like interests and next year you can celebrate December 1st with them, as your ‘Advent Birthday’!

Just spend a day indulging yourself. No chores, no worries, just doing the things you enjoy the most. Just spoil yourself, don't cook , have a takeaway or a special ready meal. Above all, don't feel guilty.