Advent calendars: Which ones are people in your family having this year?

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

I don't bother, and the DC are now late teens/early 20s, but up til last year they've always had an advent calendar, ranging from playmobile to tealight candles to bog standard cadburys chocolate calendar for 99p. Neither of them are very bothered by them now, but I still like to look out for something they might find interesting.

This year I've got DD2 who is still at home a herbal tea calendar as she likes a cup after college and it comes with 24 different flavours.

Ds(17) always gets a Lindt teddy bear Advent calendar, told him tesco didnt have that particular one this year so he went out and found it himself elsewhere. Said it wouldnt be Xmas without it!!!

Just a Cadbury one for Ds.

I'm making my own by buying chocolates from The Chocolate Emporium. They have all sorts of cool imported flavours of lindt balls which I absolutely love!

DD4 has a playmobil one and a reusable one with celebrations in each drawer.

Dd (11) gets a one I make with things like face masks , fidget toys, stationery , nail varnish etc in

Ds is getting the shoot one

Both also getting a kinder one

Fosterling 1 has just started to like books and stories so he has a Gruffalo one with a small book for each day.

DH gets a yawn coffee one, Ive got a thorntons one this year.

DS is 17 and I figure this may be his last December at home as he may ne at University next year. He always wanted a Lego Star Wars one when he was little but I couldn't afford - so this year I have bought him one!

Normal cadbury one. It’s his first advent calendar but his grandparents have also made him one with 24 books- that was very heavy to carry home!

Hotel chocolat double calendar for couples.

I have already eaten it

Dont tell DP!

We have a lovely fabric one that we fill with decent chocs (Lindt) and dog treats.

The advent calendar situation in my house is out of control.

I have two calendars for myself (a picture one and the sherlock holmes puzzle one). Dp will share these, even though he always starts by pretending he doesn't want an advent calendar.

The dds share a calendar with buckets that I fill up with small things. They have also ended up (by a miscommunication with dp) with both a gemstone calendar and a calendar where you get a charm for a bracelet each day.

We then also have two that get brought out every year - a cardboard tree house where you add a decoration each day and a magnetic tree that you add a bauble to each day.

Oh, and they get a daily letter from an elf.

I know this is totally over the top, but the extra calendars and letters have become a tradition.

My little one has a paw patrol chocolate one but we also have a reusable book advent calendar and her grandparents have bought her a reusable wooden one with drawers (didnt know when bought the chocolate one). I'll use that one from now on for her as better for environment. I have a body shop one (smallest one with the minis in) as I am pregnant and thought it would encourage me to self care

Teen/early 20s have hotel chocolat ones.

Husband has the Next men’s grooming one and he has bought me the Bobbi Brown one, which only has 12 days!!

17yo DS has one with mini sriracha bottles, he's a hot sauce fan!

I have a beauty one - I have been very good and not peeked at what's in it. DS1 (23) lives away from home but I've sent him a marshmallow one and DS2 (20) who lives at home has a hot chocolate one from John Lewis. He works from home and likes a hot chocolate for his elevenses!

I just love Christmas and although I'm really busy with work in the run up to Christmas I do like the build up of excitement that comes with advent calendars so it's been a tradition we've had since the boys were very little.

Divine Milk Chocolate for SIL and Bo Jangles Truffles for DD1.

One with picture behind the doors for DD2.

I've gone a bit mad on them this year. Kids have a chocolate one each (Maltesers, milkybar and dairy milk) and I have a galaxy one. Splashed out on the Bird and Blend tea one for DP, but have counted it in to his whole present budget. Then also got the Lego Marvel one for all of us!

L'occitaine for DM
Siblings each get a wine or beer one
DC (late teens/adult: beauty, beauty, beauty, cheese, candles
PIL: seeds
DH didn't want one

Advent is a big deal for us! We also try to speak or at least text every day in December.

Eldest dc 17 & 18 have two the paperchase one and make up revolution.

Younger ones have a tinc calendar

DH & DC got me the body shop one (wasn’t expecting it really surprised and v touched).

I got DH the Wera calendar (saw him looking at it online and he thought they were sold out).

I have Thornton’s continental and DD has a marshmallow one.

I have a naked marshmallow one.

I haven’t actually bought the dc one as they are not really bothered, their dad will buy them a chocolate one.

DD5 has a Playmobil royal picnic one and DS3 the Playmobil farm one. Kicking myself a bit now as I bought them early to be organised and there's been various offers on them since 🤦‍♀️

Last year got the Disney book ones, which I added a chocolate coin to each day.

Previous year I went all out and made my own one using a wooden tree from Hobbycraft. Soon realised though that that was unsustainable with having to find 24 different small items! of mostly tat

I’ve got the kids and DH a chocolate one each. My DB bought the kids Pringles and haribo, DH a pork scratching one and me a jam one. I’m going to buy DB a sriracha one.

DH and I have the Cadbury £1 ones
DS7 has the smiggle one
DS4 has the hot wheels one

Gone a bit mad here too!

For DH
Beer Hawk Craft Beer Advent
Holland & Barratt sports nutrition bars advent (excited about this as it is a new one and will be handy for when he leave the gym!)

For DS16 who has SLD and doesn't really understand the whole concept....
A Kevin The Carrot chocolate one from Aldi
Traditional Nativity window calendar

For Me
Holland & Barratt Beauty Advent
Emma Bridgewater Winter penguins Advent
and DH let slip last night that he has got me the Fortnum and Mason Chocolate Truffles one.

My 2 very beautiful border collies also have a scooby doo doggie treat calendar each too!

In our defence we have a very small family and other than buy for each other we get very few gifts at Christmas so advent is our way of spreading the joy out a bit and treating ourselves as no one else will!