If you fill a re-useable advent calendar, what's going in it this year?

[lucysmam]

I'm usually really organised & have all the fillers bought to wrap by now but this year's been a shocker & I'm nowhere near sorted!

So far I have gum (found some apple flavoured the other day somewhere), mini bodyspray, lip scrub, mini deodorant, novelty pens, lip balms and rice paper money.

Any other ideas would be brilliant & I'll fill any empties with chocolate.

My girls will be almost 17 and almost 14 by December but maybe we could just have ideas for whatever ages? Might be useful for other folks too 🎅

What about those little charity penny body melt things from Lush? They would go well in an advent calendar.

I can’t believe your girls are that old. I remember you asking about them when they were little

for DS6 we’ve got Lego mini figures from ebay
DD3 we’ve got some wooden jewellery. Thinking a quality street on some days instead to keep cost down

@Wtafis yup, tell me about it! It baffles my brain slightly & dd1 is like a carbon copy of me 🤣

@PelvicFloorClenchReminder good idea, I'm passing through town today so will try and remember while I'm there to call into Lush.

Mini nail varnish
Bathbomb
Mini shower gel
Make up sponge
Hair ties/scrunchies

I’d add

• The really sparkly Barry M nail polish.
• Body Shop Christmas scented hand cream
• Asda does mini bubble tea kits (depending how big the drawers are): https://groceries.asda.com/product/speciality-earl-grey-tea/bubbleology-passion-fruit-bubble-tea-with-popping-boba/1000383171457
• Christmas face masks: https://www.amazon.co.uk/7th-Heaven-Wonderland-Reindeer-Penguin/dp/B09KGVG2PK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=christmas+face+mask&qid=1696405850&sr=8-3
• Starbucks gift card
• Mini Lindt reindeer or santa

If they like crystals then this might be nice broken up and shared between them: https://www.asos.com/psychic-sisters/psychic-sisters-love-detox-crystal-set/prd/22027920?clr=no-colour&colourWayId=60344236&SearchQuery=crystals

The M&S beauty advent calendar could also be broken up and shared between them.

Depending on how big the drawers are then Christmas socks might be nice: https://www.next.co.uk/g854511s3/340181#340181

Maybe a small piece of jewellery for the Christmas Eve drawer: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1005165410/triple-stars-necklace-925-sterling?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=silver+necklace&ref=sc_gallery-2-4&pro=1&bes=1&sts=1&local_signal_search=1&plkey=3c9b20881591724d9bea429bc7054138ac506055%3A1005165410

It’s my first time doing reusable ones, I’ve got some cheap Pandora style charms for a lot of the days.

Crystal points and matching smooth stone, crystal bracelets and pendants.

I've just done an order from ali express for kawaii stationary and pin badges relating to the dc's interests.

I'm toying with ordering a batch of perfume samples from ebay.

I have pre-ordered a couple of books (the christmas Lottie Brooks book for my youngest and the new Heartstopper book for my eldest) which won't fit in the calendar but I'll put a note in saying where to find them.

Last year I got an Xmas charm bracelet set and distributed the charms and bracelet chains into DDs Advent calendar drawers- it was a big hit (she was 6).

Trouble is the drawers are only about an inch cubed so lots of things won't fit.

DS12 is harder - have in the past got Fidget toys selections, Xmas lego themes wirh a piece a day.

One year I did lucky dips - had a bag of little toys and a bag of Xmas theme chocolates, and put coloured counters into the drawers for each bag. They loved it.

Hot chocolate sachet, or a fruit tea bag, should fit.

If you don't have space in the advent for something you want to put in you could always hide it somewhere & write a clue for the location to put in the calendar.

our refillable one is mini sets (or broken up sets) of Christmas Lego I've bought over the years

Shamelessly following as I have bought a fabric advent calendar and loads of bits to decorate it but then realised I’ve got to come up with so much stuff to fill it! 🤦🏽‍♀️

I am planning to get them some anime pin badges, pens and key chains that I know they will love but at £4-5 a thing doing that for every day for 2 kids will cost a fortune!

My dc are older so doing more adult versions. My dd doesn't live at home anymore so I am doing a couples one for her and her bf. My ds will be here so I will probably do single similar for him. I have the bags that hang along string, so a bit bigger to be able to fit doubles of things in.

Not that I have started yet, but my ideas are along the lines of :

A pair of socks each
Sachets of hot chocolate/ cappuchino
Some christmas ornaments (as this will be the first year dd has her own tree)
Playing cards
A recipe and ingredients for something small, maybe even a small dessert mix that they can make together
Hot chocolate spoons
Bath bombs
I already have the silly Christmas glasses so maybe I will put them in for 25th
I think I will get the singles set of flavoured gins at put two in for a few days running
Face masks (the beauty kind, not the covid kind)
A few pens (as they never seem to have any when they need them)
Popcorn sachets that go in the microwave

If anyone else has any more ideas for couples ones, I would appreciate any ideas as I am only half way there😀

The cost is a factor for sure. Some days perhaps just put a couple of sweets in, and then a more pricy item every few days.

Chocolate never goes out of style in my house.
A few chocolate coins in foil in some days, other small sweets that are individually wrapped & a big chocolate coin in a tin for the last day & I'm done.

I have a 5 year old and do a mix of choc, activities (go see Santa, go to the Panto etc) and then items - socks, Maileg mice and accessories always go down well and fit well, Kids nail polish, Xmas lego set, Sylvanian families etc.

I love doing the advent calendar - I've got mine all planned already!

My dd is only 5 so much younger.

I've bought an advent book recommended on the bargains thread which has different craft things to do as you read the story. In her calendar I'm going to try to get some bits to go with those things - red wool for a pom pom, cookie cutter etc. I'll also probably put the odd chocolate lolly in and a few hair bits.

We did mainly chocolate or other sweets and then on Sundays a smaller gift.

That kept the costs down.

The first year we did a fabric one I got a Christmas Lego set - a train/snowman and put several bricks in each pocket, with the relevant bit of the instructions (you can down load them from the interweb).

It was a bit of a faff setting up and making sure the pieces/instructions were in the right order) but DC loved it..... and you slowly saw it come together.

A few chocolate coins chucked in as well.

The Christmas train is now in with the Christmas decs.

What is the advent book? Sounds amazing!

@TinkerLloyd It's called 'How Winston delivered Christmas', the pictures are beautiful so I'm really looking forward to reading it with dd.

I've done one for my husband a few times where I cut out paper snowflakes and write on them, things like favours or date ideas. It can be anything, I've done things like 'you get control of the TV remote for a whole evening', 'I'll make you a pie from scratch', home movie night with popcorn, 'takeaway of your choice' 'I'll run you a bath and then read to you while you use one of my bath bombs' or a long walk with a pub lunch. He keeps the snowflakes and cashes them in throughout the year when he wants them. I usually pop in a chocolate or sweet in each one too so he gets something for on the day. We now have a 6 month old baby so this year might be less fiddly and he'll just get some maoam or something! 😅

Aw, How Winston Delivered Christmas sounds like a lovely book. I've never heard of it before & think mine might give me a mix of the 🤔 and 🙄 faces if I bought it 😢

@Brokendaughter where do you get the giant coin in a tin?

@SwimmingSwimming going out for lunch or tea would definitely appeal to them both. There's usually an artisan market at a local shopping outlet. I could try and tie it in with a day there, if I time it right. We'd probably eat out anyway so wouldn't be spending more than I had planned to.

Someone said chocolate lollies, but I can't find it again now! I'd forgotten about those - will check Home Bargains tomorrow if I remember! I usually do put them in.

The cost is definitely something to be considered. They both enjoy seeing what they have in the pocket though, and I enjoy picking bits up as I see them through the year then 're-discovering' them one afternoon after work to wrap them.

The one time I've done this properly I bought a 500piece jigsaw puzzle with an image that could be easily divided into sections. A bit like this but cats in Christmas bobble hats. 🤣
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jigsaw-Puzzle-Happily-featuring-illustration/dp/B0CD41PP8D

Every couple of days a new set of puzzle pieces would be in the box. The other days were sweets and/or slips of paper wit Christmas activities

https://www.fortnumandmason.com/lucky-penny-tin-90g-2022

The coin is in foil inside the tin & the same size as it.