Alternative advent calendars

[Floridadreams]

I’ve just bought the Nespresso one for DH - €39 (not sure how much in pounds) for 23 pods plus a special gift on 24th! It’s his birthday on 1st December so this is a perfect gift for that
nespresso/ie/en/coffee-advent-calendar

[Irishlass]

Originally Posted by WhereIBelong

We do 2 now, our traditional fabric pocket with chocolate coins/heroes in every year for December - the kids are at uni now, but we still have to do our "tradition"...

and a reverse advent that we do in November.

(Every day you pick something to put in the food bank or put a pound in the first charity tin you come across, some people collect all 24 items together and donate all at once, some are a bit more haphazard like us)

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We have our traditional fabric calendar also, along with a cardboard religious calendar.

We also do the reverse advent box. Although we do 2 boxes. We've been doing it for years now, we add an item each day and donate to them to the homeless shelter, the local care home (for staff and residents)

[WhereIBelong]

Originally Posted by Floridadreams

I’ve just bought the Nespresso one for DH - €39 (not sure how much in pounds) for 23 pods plus a special gift on 24th! It’s his birthday on 1st December so this is a perfect gift for that
nespresso/ie/en/coffee-advent-calendar

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Very handy birthday present!

[caj]

Originally Posted by WhereIBelong

We do 2 now, our traditional fabric pocket with chocolate coins/heroes in every year for December - the kids are at uni now, but we still have to do our "tradition"...

and a reverse advent that we do in November.

(Every day you pick something to put in the food bank or put a pound in the first charity tin you come across, some people collect all 24 items together and donate all at once, some are a bit more haphazard like us)

See more...

Do you live in my house? Because you've just described what we do!

I have bought the malt&whiskey wax melt one this year too though.

[Floridadreams]

Originally Posted by WhereIBelong

Very handy birthday present!

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Don’t know why I’ve not thought of it before! 😂

[quiddity]

Originally Posted by Gill H

I agree, the Jacqui Lawson ones are so lovely. We have done them several years now.

I am an old fogey and can't get my head around expensive advent calendars. That's a lot of money to spend - more than I spend on anyone's Christmas presents, including my own!

When I was a kid you had two choices - Jesus or chocolate. These days I get a Divine chocolate calendar and feel very luxurious as I get Jesus and chocolate! And it's Fairtrade chocolate as well.

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This the most I've ever spent (DW usually does do about £60 on gin or similar ones), it's usually around £25 for me (lego star wars & a normal chocolate one) but this year our saving scheme with work, morrisons, will get cancelled due to the takeover. This will mean the £500 we've put in will give us about £1200, so thoughtid do it as a one off.

Also it's still just the of us. Early 40s & not been blessed with children yet, so we feel like a good spoiling this year, especially as we've had a bit bad, both being key workers we've worked more than full time, both had covid in January & still struggling physically & mentally with it.

I am however trying to be more ethical/environmental so have got, as my chocolate advent, a Tony's calendar. I was also going to get an advent for change charity calendar (it gives 50p or £1 a day to a different charity) but I'd rather it all goto environmental charities so will probably do individual donations each day.

[Michyloulou]

My kids are getting the usual ones (already bought to try & spread the cost, £5 each from Tesco). Will have to post DS to him as he’s at Uni, but it’s also his birthday early December (which he’ll probably ask for money for), so I’ve planned to wrap the advent calendar as a little gift along with his birthday cards. I might also pop another small gift in if I can think of anything!
My eldest DD has previously hinted at a make-up advent calendar, but I can’t justify the cost, as I’d have to spend the same on all my kids to keep things fair. If I decide to buy an advent calendar myself, it’ll probably be a cheap £2 Cadbury one. The other year I bought the Naked Marshmallow one but I wasn’t overly keen on some of the flavours.

[quiddity]

Well my board game advent calendar is here!

Really looking forward to opening these as for the first time in over 30 years I don't know what I'm getting! (always have to write a list as I'm apparently awkward to buy for!)

I'm sure one is one of the mint games (mint control) which are tiny games inside a tin similar to altoides mints.
Another feels like streets as its a similar box to villagers which I already have.

There's 4 letters so god knows what's in them!

[ScoopsAhoy]

We have got dd10 a Paperchase calendar this year as she loves stationary and the Smiggle ones just aren’t that good anymore.