chocolate advent calenders V normal picture ones

[poppiesinaline]

What do you go for?

I prefer the normal ones. No tantrums about having chocolate before breakfast

But all their friends have chocolate ones and I feel mean so I always give in and buy chocolate ones.

And normal ones are more difficult to find in the shops

So, whats the MN verdict??

Been using the same M&S advent calendar for about 12 years! It's a carboard Christmas tree that you add decorations to each day - kids love it. I don't think mine know that chocolate ones even exist!

Divine do a fair trade chocolate one with the nativity as the picture. We're going for that this year along with candles.

Normal one. We go a bit sappy at Christmas and all have to guess what the picture will be each morning. If pushed for time, it does sometimes turn into 'fer pity's sake, get yer socks on, pack your bag and tell me what you think's in the sodding advent calendar this morning'

we have a fabric one and I use a previous years plastic back from one of those branded chocolate ones and just melt a good bar of chocolate and fill the plastic tray and then put in pockets.

Made my own.... and got dd to help....

Chocolate or no chocolate, you can buy those numbered pegs really cheap and make a display with string and pictures! great fun

Plus if your adding chocolate you can put your favourite in. can't stand the cheap chocolate in the shop brought ones! even cadbury's tastes horrid!

i say no to chocolate ones. uphold the meanness. its NOT christmas until Dec 25th (or 24th if you are posh/scandinavian/catholic)

We have Matthew Rice or similar - sometimes German, never chocolate. Never cheap though, and only one shop near me does them so you have to be early.

Had a great one last year of a big house / apartment building and every day you opened the shutters on one window to find out what Christmassy thing people were doing inside (making biscuits, singing, having people to visit, wrapping presents etc etc).

Have also had v good ones from the National Gallery shop with reproductions of Christmassy pictures behind the doors and info about the artists etc on the back of the calendar.

childhood obesity anyone?? Don't care if I sound like a party pooper but chocolate advent calendars didn't use to exist and thwy're still not yet the norm so why yet another excuse to fatten up the LOs? Pl-lease!
And btw, i'm not against giving my kids the occasional treat, just dpon't see why i sd give into pester power/the might of the confectionary industry on this.

We have a big paper one and a little paper one and then a wooden one with doors that I got years ago (3 kids you see). Pre-kids DH and I used to set a budget and then buy little presents for behind each door and then take it in turns to open them. Now I put a christmas challenge behind each one - bit like the forfeits in PTP, sing a carol, name 3 reindeer etc

I got a card one with a nativity picture on it from John Lewis - they had a big selection. Last year I got mine from Smiths. Church is also a good place to buy them.

I have no real problems with chocolate in the calendars if its only a tiny amount, but I too really can't stand the banal pictures of purple ronnie or barbie.

bfb

My MIL always buys DD, DS, DH and I a chocolate ones, it drives me MAD but she still does it every year. I haven't found a picture one yet but will keep trying....

We do have a knitted one I made last year but I didn't get around to making more things to put in the pockets so must admit to putting chocolate coins in it

Playmobil do an Advent calendar which is fantastic value. Used year after year. Each day has pieces in boxes to put together as a scene. Last year we threw out DH's advent calendar which had finally fallen apart after 30 years! (He was an only child and it didn't get much 'wear' until our 3 got hold of it).

god you miserable sods

Envious sigh at Mrs Badger's tart 'Never chocolate'.

What happens when MILs start handing them over willynilly?

(Dare I give it away?)

I can't wait for the chocolate advent calendars - it's the only month of the year when both children are ready to go to school, on time, every day (then they get their chocolate!).