What's going in the (reuseable) Advent calendars this year?

[lucysmam]

I'm just writing my lists, and scrolling threads here for ideas. Mine will be for a very nearly 12yo, and a nearly 15yo.

So far I have (in no particular order)

• lip balm
• £1 coin
• £ 2 coin
• novelty pen/s
• chewing gum
• hand sanitiser on a clip thingy
• mini shower gel nicer than I usually buy
• giant chocolate coin
• charger wires
• rechargeable batteries
• xmas pudding chocolate balls (Home Bargains, 79p a net. They have popping candy in them & were a hit last year)
• spending money for our Christmas Eve walk to the market. Probably a fiver or tenner.
• some days are just chocolate coins

Any other ideas? What will you put in your dc's Advent calendar?

Christmas earrings
Packet of Christmassy tissues

My dd1 (13 by December) is obsessed with pin badges, so will order some from shein, some favourite treats, a few mini figures from her favourite anime and on Christmas eve a cuddly toy!

Dd2 - not 100% sure yet. Shes really into dolls, so maybe dolls clothes/accessories. Or she loves fidget toys/jewellery/accessories so maybe bits like that for her.

I usually spend around £25 each on advent calendar bits. Its like an extra gift that builds up through December!

Key rings?

I also considered putting in little notes of days out or activities instead of material goods. But honestly work is so busy that time of year I dont want to let them down or it feel like a chore! So something I can grab and chuck in is easier for me but I try and so useful/decent stuff rather than rubbish!

If you needed small gift ideas, some bits we put in stocking are - lego minifigure (if you ask in lego shop they will feel for the one you want!), top trumps, card games, keyring, stickers (including vinyl ones for phone/laptop), temporary tattoos, nice pens, headphones (dd always loses hers!), phone case/accessories, glow sticks, scratch art, nail varnish and stickers, face masks (the beauty kind!), bath bomb.

Kinder eggs

I'm obviously a tight-arse! I do choc coins, hair bobbles and mini rubbers, with a little note for a short activity to do or thing to discuss. Day before Christmas eve is always tidy your room for Santa!

Not as tight as me. Mime get from the £1 shop. One chocolate calendar.

This is my first Christmas doing one of these so very excited. Ds will be 2. First things first I need to actually get the calendar. What does everyone have?

I quite like the idea of getting a felt christmas tree and putting a decoration in the advent calendar every day. I think he'll love it. Just need to find one with big enough pockets! I love the wooden ones but the drawers are TINY

Everyone does things differently, im tight in other parts of Christmas. We only do free activities, we go for walks looking at lights, have hot chocolate at the beach. We did the panto before but the money it cost wasn't worth it, we had more fun at fairs etc! I dont buy lots of extra food (dinner last year was pizza buffet at request of the kids), we don't drink. But I love choosing gifts so that's what I do!

We have a big fabric one from tiger, cost about £10.

Yoyos.

Toottoot the girls have a long, thin, one each that my dad bought from The Range. They were something like £1.99 each. One has Santa at the top and the other a snowman - there is much discussion each year about who has which one .

Mine's a massive felt Christmas tree with pockets and baubles stitched to it. It doesn't get filled any more & had some serious repairs done over lockdown last year :)

Nothing this year as mine (8 and 15) have both said they prefer a half decent £5 chocolate one now 🙄

In the past we've done:
Hot Wheels (Charity shop)
Top Trumps - split cards between 2 and keep score daily. Overall winner keeps the deck. (Charity shop)
Mini tree on day 1 and a mini decoration each day to decorate.
Mix of activities/chocolate coins/nail varnish/coins.

We have 3 felt Christmas trees, one for each DD. Most days will just be plain chocolate, Christmas themed. Then every few days I will add something extra or the elf’s will bring something extra, I usually tie it in when what ever plans we have and they have organised at school throughout Xmas. There are usually Christmas themed headbands, hair ties, lip balm, flashing necklaces, key rings, Christmas books…

I'm doing ds 8 a Harry Potter themed advent calander this year. So far I've got Harry Potter sweets, pez, card games, badges, Bath bombs, pens, gringots coins, paint your own Christmas decorations.

DD will only be 2 this advent so I'm a bit stuck on ideas...

So far I have mini chocolates and notes for a day out (Santa Visit, NT Christmas lights)

Last year we just did a wrapped up book every 4 days

It also doesn't help that her birthday is the 18th December

I just put in chocolates - usually buy a few net bags of novelty gold coins, Santas, sprouts, penguins, Lindt balls, Reeses etc, and a Lindt reindeer for the 24th.

I have a white twig tree (from Hobbycraft) that I hang little houses from.

I'd also be interested in where to buy a hanging advent calendar from with big enough pockets. I've been looking for a couple of Christmases at in local shops/garden centres with no luck. When I was a child we had a really large, quilted calendar with large enough pockets for a couple of sweets for DB and I. I'd love something similar but no idea where to look for one.

I completely take on board what pp have said about everyone’s Xmas being different and of corse it’s fine to splurge on this if that’s what you want to do.

But in our house stockings are a big deal and I also do home filled crackers, so I am glad I kept the advent calendar simple. We do have a fill yourself one, but it’s always just been sweets. I use some quality street from the Xmas tin and some fun size bags like you get in party bags. Now they’re older I also do some wrapped Lindor balls or other “nice” wrapped choc - usually taken from a box we’ll be having over Xmas anyway,

Tickets for your nearest pop up ice rink?

What about k-blings? You can buy individual ones or a pack and split them over a few days.

They have Disney Characters - 5 Pack Cable Protectors-12 to Collect [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B085PR9H2S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_WJTVC535TD9HBJR905Z5?tag=mumsnetforu03-21 Disney]], Potter K-Bling [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07X56BLBR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_G2ZJ8JK3EMQ6T80BPFMV?tag=mumsnetforu03-21 Harry Potter]], Marvel and a few other franchises I think.

Sorry, I really messed those links up! They're Potter K-Bling [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07X56BLBR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_G2ZJ8JK3EMQ6T80BPFMV?tag=mumsnetforu03-21 these]].

Third time lucky! Here.

This year towards the end of November I will be giving each household member a £5 note and 6 dates for them to fill.

Now I've worked out how to link from the Amazon app, here are the Disney ones on offer.