Gransnet forums

Christmas

Alternative Advent Calendar.

(33 Posts)
Dorsetcupcake61 Mon 30-Nov-20 11:28:42

Last year my daughter bought me a lovely wooden advent calendar and filled the drawers with little surprises.
I wanted to use it this year but the idea of filling it with sweets bit boring as I'd be doing it myself!
Then I remembered that I have a Mason jar full of little notes about nice things have happened or things to be grateful for. The notes are folded over so contents are a surprise. If ever you need cheering up the idea is to take a note out of the jar.
I have put a note in each drawer of the calendar. It will be a lovely surprise and I think a meaningful way to lead up to the end of a difficult year.
I think I will do it every year now?

Grandmabeach Tue 01-Dec-20 13:48:00

My DH loves cooking so I bought him a 'Spice' calendar which contains 12 different recipes and the appropriate spices. I though he could try one a month for the next year.

Trip Tue 01-Dec-20 14:08:27

Dorsetcupcake61 I love your ideas and traditions: The notes to remind you of good memories, using them in December and the photo books.
Do you have a photo app that you would recommend?

Dorsetcupcake61 Tue 01-Dec-20 16:39:44

What a lovely group of people you are,thankyou for your kind comments and ideas and photos. ?.
Yes,25Avalon the Jaqueline Lawson cards are lovely! Thankyou Knspol, very kind.
Trip ,the APP I use is FreePrints. I think there are others but my daughter used this one ,I tried it and liked it so stayed with it?

bridie54 Tue 01-Dec-20 17:28:10

I made my sister a fabric advent calendar a few years ago now, and filled each pocket with a mix of chocs and little personal gifts, packets of flower seeds, little sewing scissors . Her birthday is Dec 1st, so every year I buy her some nice chocs to refill it. Just seen her today and delivered this years refill.

Longdistancegrnny Tue 01-Dec-20 21:46:19

We have one of those ones with little drawers that I bought at a Christmas Market in Germany many years ago, it just fits two chocolates in each drawer for me and DH, so we can refill it each year. We always have an Advent Candle too. I made a lovely fabric one for DGD when she was 1 and DD now gets sweets to fill it every year for her and her siblings. (I would supply the sweets each year if they were in the UK!).

Jimmytirn Fri 07-Oct-22 14:52:59

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Georgesgran Fri 07-Oct-22 16:12:25

I just buy ordinary chocolate Advent calendars for DDs, their DHs and sons. Very specific chocolate though - a couple only like Kinder and one SinL only Lindt. It’s just a family tradition. I also buy one each for my friend’s DGC because no-one is too old for chocolate!