AIB Bah Humbug about advent calendar inflation?

[Rhubarbgarden]

Advent calendars used to be a cardboard nativity scene with pictures behind each window. As a child I found opening these little windows exciting out of all proportion. Then, gradually, advent calendars started having chocolates in the windows. I thought this was rather sad. Now, suddenly, everyone has got advent calendars that have boxes and pouches for presents. Presents! 25 presents! I don't like it. I don't like it at all. Where will this end?

Avocado-the playmobil one was made for such situations! Hope your ds really enjoys it.

Familydilemma, Hello Kitty was at the birth of Jesus. Also <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=cat+birth+of+jesus&um=1&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=705&tbm=isch&tbnid=0-_IUME8p-Z8ZM:&imgrefurl=meeyauw.blogspot.com/2008/01/lol-cat-bible-lectionary-readings-for_26.html&docid=YckXWy5pqYfwfM&imgurl=icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2008/01/funny-pictures-late-wet-wiseman-cat.jpg&w=311&h=346&ei=d9LSTpd_s9yJAtDk5Cs&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=625&vpy=315&dur=5369&hovh=237&hovw=213&tx=88&ty=90&sig=112919239939396177706&page=1&tbnh=170&tbnw=162&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this cat was.

BAHAHA @ MrsTerryPratchett

I've got a Me to You one...

This will be the first year I've got DD1 an advent calendar. It's a cardboard one. I don't want her to grow up expecting chocolates. I saw a Star Wars Lego one for £30! I was tempted for me, but wouldn't buy one for my DDs, it's excessive for an advent calendar.

I like the idea of a cloth one with stars that you can reuse every year, though. Any idea where I can get something.like that from?

Oh yes, like the cloth one idea..

I have a lovely felt advent caldender with little pockets.... still trying to thing what to put into it.....

Whoever said one for animals has been beaten to it.
Me and DD were in Petathome on Saturday. She wanted to buy the shittens a calender.
I reminded her of the one we had for the gerbils. They got three days worth of treats and just left them.

google Coppenrath Verlag advent calendars

I also hate hate hate not just the chocolate but the branding.....I always get a coppenrath Verlag, beautifully made.

www.toysgamescheap.co.uk/Toys-Games/Cheapest-Coppenrath-Verlag-7868-Christmas-Winter-Forest-Envelope-Advent-Calendar-on-sale/4613.php

www.sellmer-verlag.de/shop3/index.php

This is a good site

we have a cloth one with pockets, in each pocket is a little person with velcro on which sticks onto a big Christmas tree in the centre. In the pockets I don't put sweets or presents, but instead a little piece of paper with a Christmas related question or activity or something like that. Want my kids to grow up thinking and doing, not just consuming and wanting. But it's really hard to counteract the waves of consumerism and materialism. I couldn't find a paper one with a religious theme at all. Playmobil had loads of different advent calendars, a dinosaur one, a santa one, etc etc but no nativity scene one.

Ernestthebavarian

The link on my post does nativity ones without chocolate

thanks. :) I'm too late for this year unfortunately, but will def keep eye out for next year. could even get em now I suppose (not w. choc) so am ready.

I got my dog one from the quidder. I'm sure he understands and can even count hahaha

God you're a miserable lot

What's wrong with a tiny square of chocolate behind each door?

I am the bad consumerist mother who has never provided her DC with anything that doesn't have at least have chocolate in it Advent-wise. Because really, what's the fun in looking at a cardboard picture of a star?

This one looks interesting. Does anyone have one of these?

I am Canadian and I have never heard of an Advent calendar that doesn't have chocolate in it, I would have been so disappointed as a child.
My dd has a cloth snowman one that I put chocolate into. I have no problem with her having a very small chocolate in the morning. It only happens in Dec.

But - no way to toys in a calendar - my dd gets enough stuff at Xmas without starting the toy a day thing!

Clossaint Oh, I love the Richard Sellmer ones! Especially the 'Little Town'

I wonder if you can add little chocs to it? Then it would be perfect

Hate the chocolate ones. With three DCs, you just end up with three large empty sweet boxes littering the place up by the time you get to Christmas. Have now banned them in favour of the traditional ones with windows.

I used to have a gift one, mum filled it with perfume samples, face mask sachets etc
Best one was on Christmas eve age 17. Had passed my test, and had a cheap car. Dad said he couldn't get insurance so I was a bit
Opened my advent on Christmas eve to find a tax disc. Took a minute until I went "er you can't get tax... Oh my god it's insured!!" and pelted out to the car at 100mph

Flatbread they do some with chocolate.

You know, I think it's the tacky branding rather than the chocolate element that irritates me so much.

Every year I go on a mission to find the calander OP described. Tomorrow is my mission.

I loved my calander as much as you described OP and chocolate ones are crap.

We have milk allergies in the house so we've got two chocolate calanders that came to about £12 milk and soya free. I figured this year Id just get those since they were so expensive but when I looked closer theres absolutely no picture behind the door. Not even a half arsed black abd white one, what a rip off.

So Im getting a 'proper' one tomorrow, screw the chocolate ones.

White trash have you clicked on my link, they have some beautiful ones?

Clos, but I want the 'Little Town' or 'Moonlight Village'...don't like their choc ones so much. Would be great if there was a way to just add choc pieces through the back:)

we have a cloth one with pockets and I found a vintage wooden one in the loft in the summer (which must have been left by the previous owners). We are having a little chocolate in the cloth one and then I am writing christmas activty rhymes for the wooden one (when my head is no longer fuzzy from the flu) along the lines of 'santa's elves have come to say "write your christmas cards today" '. I also hate the shop bought chocolate ones because they are completely unchristmassy but its a nice little treat for the DCs to have a tiny chocolate in the mornings in the run up to the big day