Alternative Advent Calendar.

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!

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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!).

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.

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?

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?

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.

Dorsetcupcake61, really love your idea of notes to remind you of good things that have happened in the year and then to open one every day in Dec. Will start that very same thing myself in January, a great way to make us all thankful.

I've 'settled' for the gift of a scrumptious chocolate every day. Bliss. However, one of my regular wee practices is to reflect on the best and worst happenings of my day when my head reaches the pillow. Often the worst turns out not to be so bad and the good is clung to until sleep takes over.

My daughter has bought me a lovely Advent Christmas tree. It is about 12” inches high, made of good quality, decorated card, and comes with coloured card ‘baubles’ which can be hung on each day. So nice, as after Christmas it can be disassembled and used again.

I don't really do Christmas, but I received a sweet advent calendar from the Postcode Lottery and each door you open tells about a charity that they are supporting. Gives me a smile each day.

Oops. Trying again

Auntieflo

*Rosieroe*, your advent calendar sounds lovely.
Can you tell us if we can still buy them, for next year, and where from?

Thanks.

Auntieflo this is it. I found it on Amazon.

I am doing a reverse calendar, which means that instead of taking something for myself every day, I am putting a gift into a box to donate to a homeless charity. These gifts will be tinned or packet food, toiletries, gloves and gifts. ( not being entirely altruistic as I have a Pringles calendar too)

We do a reverse Advent Calendar too, as last year. Put something every day into a box for the local food bank, tend to deliver weekly as it can get a bit heavy. Like to add some seasonal offerings.

Rosieroe, your advent calendar sounds lovely.
Can you tell us if we can still buy them, for next year, and where from?

Thanks.

I'd rather have chocolate!!

MawB, love it?. Yes GinnyH I even remember trying to sneakily see what was in the christmas crackers?. Simpler times,and times that in many ways are having a revival . I think there will always be those that feel something has to be new and shiny. PreCovid I think many were particularly concerned about the environmental impact of our throw away society. Certainly I think one of the positive things about this year is people questioning how much they need things. Its oven overused on social media but let's hope the concept of kindness and giving rather than receiving continue.

We have a reverse calendar where, each time we go shopping, we buy something off it, and put it in a box, to be delivered later to a woman's shelter. Re the 'drawers' I saw it - and it's be a good idea to put a tiny book, a toy, a gadget, and so on, in it.

I sent my grown up dds Jacque Lawson’s animated Cotswold Advent Calendar as I am staying home. They are lovely but I really like your idea Dorsetcupcake61. Bit late this year but a brilliant idea for next and you could personalise it with the types of quote.

I remember as a child (60ish years ago) I had card Advent Calendar with a nativity scene and lots of glitter! I loved it. Every year, after Christmas, the little windows were closed and it was put away to use again the following year. I was always so thrilled and surprised each time it was reopened! Not a chocolate in sight.

Our little boys have a reverse advent calendar this year - each day they have a suggestion about doing something nice for someone else , friends, neighbours, family or an activity like a litter pick with their parents.

Its a nice reminder about giving rather than getting .

I had posted this on the GM thread before I realised there was one dedicated to Advent Calendars.
So here it is again - with some apologies.

I think there may be a trend to more creative calendars. I vividly remember my glitter festooned one and the excitement of opening each window! I remember the chocolate ones becoming popular when my daughters were younger.
Now of course there are some incredible ones,including eye wateringly expensive ones for adults.
My daughter doesnt like my grandsons having excessive sweets which I support. I remember when my first grandson was old enough to appreciate one(hes 5 in January) it was quite hard to track down a more traditional one! Now there are some really lovely ones either online or WH Smith did some gorgeous ones last year. I always try to find ones that involve an activity of some sort.
For some reason this morning I was thinking of the Blue Peter advent decorations involving tinsel and coat hangers. Is it me or did the early ones involve real candles??.
I think recording briefly positive events in whatever format is important,it can be so easy to focus on how awful things are.
I take lots of photos but along with a lot of other people they often remained on my phone or on a virtual cloud! When I inherited my fathers photographs I think as a family we all reconnected with the pleasure of looking at real photos.
I now use photo Apps to turn these photos into books etc,its a much easier process than used to be. Its lovely to look back on holidays and family time.
This year initially felt a bit of a challenge as family events had been very different! Fortunately we are quite good of sending photos to each other of the things we get up to! So, despite Covid there is a book this year with everything from lock down baking,gardening,socially distanced visits,video calls with funny filters and craft projects. It may have been a different year but life has gone on!

This has just given me an idea for next year! I'm going to make little notes on my phone daily this month, regarding the current covid situation, take screenshots and they will appear in my Timehop during December every day next year and also subsequent years. It will hopefully serve to remind me that the sacrifices we are making/have made, this year were all worth it!. You could do it with paper notes too.