Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Regarding £10 plus advent calendar with presents in them?

116 replies

superstarheartbreaker · 01/12/2014 21:38

Why would anyone buy these massively indulgent calendars? I think there's a Barbie and Lego one. Each window has a small gift. IMO presents are for Christmas Day and a small gift each day ruins the build up.
The chocolate ones are fine. I quite liked the old fashioned ones with pictures.

OP posts:
fuzzpig · 02/12/2014 12:41

Ooh thanks chipping, I might put a couple aside for DCs next Xmas :)

ChippingInAutumnLover · 02/12/2014 12:46

fuzzy. Why not, it's not like they'll 'go off ' Grin

forago · 02/12/2014 12:51

Ladyisabella that's what I meant, I buy one and they take it in turns (£15) rather than one each (£45) which I think is too much. although last year they were lucky to receive one each as an Xmas present.

they have a chcoclate one each.

Purplepoodle · 02/12/2014 13:07

I love them. I buy them in the sales at half price or less

5Foot5 · 02/12/2014 13:31

Another fan of the Playmobil ones here. When DD was small we got them two consecutive years but after Christmas they always got put carefully away so they could be used again the next year. They make a lovely decoration and, given we got to use each one 5 or 6 times before she was too old, in the end they are not that much more expensive than a chocolate one.

I alos made an advent chest of drawres that I used for several years - topping it up each year with little pressies or chocolate. Or as she got older one year I collected Christmas jokes or trivia for each drawer.

Songofsixpence · 02/12/2014 13:37

I made big garland advent calendars with little stockings and Santa sacks on for my kids a few years ago.

I put in little bits and pieces - maybe a bottle of nail varnish, a lip balm or something like that on some of the days (for example, I bought a pack of 3 lip balms on offer for about a quid and split it up into 3 days, or hair clips, stuff like that), a Christmas jumper for their teddy bears that I knitted, other days it's just a chocolate coin or candy cane or a mini Lindt Santa (whatever was on offer in Sainsbury's) then little treat things for other days - putting up the Christmas tree, making Christmas cookies, a packet of paper chains, watch a Christmas film at the cinema on Orange 2 for 1 Wednesday, and stuff like that.

I think I spent about £20 tops filling them up this year. It hasn't ruined the build up in the slightest, they love it

Starlightbright1 · 02/12/2014 13:37

I have bought my DS a playmobil one, then a lego one last year but as he never even bothered to build some of the lego ones so this year we returned to the chocolate.

I don't see the issue if you don't want to buy one don't

Rosa · 02/12/2014 13:40

This year they have 1 lego to share... However yesterday they spent hrs going through the other lego and finding the past years bits and decorating the scene.. I think we have a few other extras in there as well. They have also dug out the playmobil one from last year and that has joined the merry crowd. Not sure if there is enough space for the other 23 window objects time will tell !!

Quenelle · 02/12/2014 14:12

I was too late to get the Lego Star Wars one at a good price this year so ended up getting DS a Dr Who one that came free with a magazine. Huge thanks to the MNer who posted about it last week Thanks

He had a Lego City one last year which I loved but he wasn't that excited about, tbh. He is loving this year's though. He took his little plastic Dalek to school with him yesterday and kept it in his coat pocket plotting evil deeds until after school. Now he's started a little tableau in his bedroom with the Dalek and a Cyberman, and a Lego Tardis his dad made for him.

A kind aunt also sent him a Spiderman chocolate one. He opened door #1 yesterday and half the chocolates fell out. Not such a hit, that one. It would be lovely if he got excited about the old-fashioned ones with the glitter etc but it's not going to happen now.

Fallingovercliffs · 02/12/2014 14:16

Bit stunned that someone on here gives their child a £5 present on each day of Advent!

StetsonsAreCool · 02/12/2014 14:43

£5 a day? That's pretty much my entire present budget for Dd!

Wish I was that well off. Or better at saving. Smile

GraysAnalogy · 02/12/2014 15:27

I have a Yankee Candle one and I love it, my partner got it for me and it's the only gift I'll be getting this year.

darlingfascistbullyboy · 02/12/2014 15:39

omg I've just looked at the Liberty one! I'm going to save up & buy it for myself next year Grin

cindydog · 02/12/2014 15:45

a 24 pack of henieken would be a great advent calander (for me ) Grin

TheHorseHasBolted · 02/12/2014 15:53

DS1 had a Lego one that cost about £20 when he was 11 or 12. I wouldn't have bought it for him, but his friend had been given two identical ones by different family members and asked if he would like to buy one, which he decided he would, out of his own money (he already had a chocolate one from my ILs). It was quite a big chunk out of his money in those days but Lego in general was his main indulgence anyway. He enjoyed collecting the pieces that year, but never bought another one or asked us to.

Some German friends of my parents once gave us a handmade Advent calendar with a small handmade present for each day. I can't remember many of the presents but there was a wooden salt and pepper grinder, hand-painted by one of the couple's children. I thought this was a lovely idea and have often thought of trying to recreate it but just not had the time or the imagination to do a good one.

OOAOML · 02/12/2014 15:55

But would it last the whole of Advent cindy?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread