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 🎅

I was just planning a little sweet or chocolate each day

DS age 12 gets:

A joke *

A note to boost his self confidence (we were so proud watching you play rugby/we love how gentle you are with the puppy/you've done so well at xyz activity...etc) he keeps them and reads them through the year.

Chocolate/fizzy sweet that he eats after school.

• two snowmen are standing in a field. One asks the other'can you smell carrots?' type jokes!

I start writing a list of jokes and a list of nice things around now, because doing it all on the night of November 30th is not fun! And DH is responsible for half.

I don't buy things to put in it because then what's the point of a stocking? Plus cost!

I usually just put a few wrapped chocolates in. One year I also putting bits of paper with a christmas related activity written on (like decorate the tree, or watch a christmas film) or a job (for me and OH) - the whole family shares one calendar which makes it easier, only have to think of 6 things for each child.

I remember when the children were little, their days were filled with satsumas! Probably won't get away with that for teenagers though

I usually put a lindt Santa/bear and £2 coin in each pocket but following for extra ideas.

A chocolate coin each. And a chocolate santa for Christmas eve.

DC are 17 and 14 and still love their pre breakfast advent chocolates.

I LOVE the idea of a jigsaw puzzle! My teenagers will be thoroughly unimpressed but the younger ones will love it

I usually just do sweets/lollies/chocolates etc.

Day one is usually a pez refill as they got Christmas pez years ago and enjoy reusing them each year. Day 24 is usually a small Lindt Santa

I got these for party bags this year but they’d also be good in advent calendars if you do small toys etc
https://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/steam-science-tech-engineering-arts-math/steam-science/gem-dig-kit-8-pack-assortment/p/187538

We got a reusable adveht a few years ago - little houses that male a Christmas village. Some houses are only about 4 cm cubed, so we always wrap 2 cadburys half choc covered animal biscuits- the Christmas ones that have santa, reindeer, penguins etc. The boys take turns to open it, but both get a treat. Sometines would be a clue to a place where something else was, like a hot wheels car, but they are older now so would have to be a different thing like a lego mini figure (9 and 11 but still into lego!). If a bigger house then that gets 2 lindt balls, and last day is a small lindt or malteser reindeer. Was just a tad more personal than a normal choc advent calendar, and not as spendy as a lego or other type of advent. And we all like the decorative aspect of the little houses too. They do sometimes get a choc advent calendar from grandparents. I like the idea of putting a joke in each day, so might add that to them this year.

Love this idea but it obviously means having to do the puzzle yourself first 😅

These look great thank you!

@elQuintoConyo Love your idea of little notes!

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.

This is what we're doing. DH is good at drawing so I have suggested that he draw 24 (or 12, or maybe 6 and we'll reuse them on a loop) drawings of places in our house, and each day we will hide a book there. Came up with this idea after buying this set of 24 Usborne Christmas story books.

We will probably have to add a sweet as well as dc remembers sweets very clearly from last year.

Have you seen the beauty boxes at Next? I’ve just bought a couple of the cheaper ones and will be splitting the items for advent calendars and maybe stockings.

After years of notes and activities and little presents, all my two really want is chocolate for breakfast so I put a chocolate each for them in the drawers (usually the Brussel sprouts from M&S)

Ooh @Londoncatshed no, I haven't been in Next in ages. I'm meeting dd1 in town, after she finishes college, tomorrow so will try and remember to nip in, thank you!

I bought an advent set of crystals on Etsy, went for a 12 pack which I can split up. Will also do some chocolates and I'm hoping to find some tiny bath things.

Lego have these and I was thinking I might be able to break them up and put one gingerbread man in a pocket: https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/gingerbread-ornaments-40642

OP, I saw them online. Not sure they will have them in store. Just search beauty boxes on Next website, I think they are good value for money and I can probably use a couple of the bits towards gifts for other relatives .

Gosh I’m slack. I put a different flavour Lindt in for each day with a bigger present like snuggle or Lego thing, nail polish or keyring etc every 4/5 days

I have a mix of chocolate, events, treats etc.

Christmas market £20 each
Hot chocolate after school
Cinema
Carol concert
Festive movie nights
Dinner and Pantomime
Baking
Drive around the lights
Brunch then choose a new tree ornament
Christmas socks
Facemasks
Surprise nail appointment

We've got one that is little drawers (and I do mean little). Previously we've put in slips of paper with activities (my kids are 11, 9 and 7), and one year it tied in with our Home Ed Christmas topic, so it was a tradition from a different country every day.

I'm too tired for that malarkey this year (though my girls want it again) so I was going to just do Lindt chocolates too, but maybe the occasional semi-precious stone would make it more fun.

DD is 10 and we fill the hanging fabric advent calendar that MIL made for her when she was 3/4ish ❤️
Previous years, I’ve separated a pack of gel pens and done these and chocolate coins on alternative days

This ywar, I think I’m going to do crystals, mini tubs of scentos clay stuff (from a party section of tescos) and stickers from shien
For older kids, maybe primark mini nail varnish and similar, spaced out with chocolate (maybe Lindt balls!)

l’ll have a further think :)

eyelashes and eyelash glue will be an addition this year.

Usually
individually wrapped coins, sometimes 50p, sometimes £1.. totals no more than £5 throughout though

mini cans Dr Pepper, flavoured lip balm, chocolate nibbles, mini dry shampoo and I can’t remember what else we’ve done.

Most years chocolate coins (foil recyclable). Might add a few different wrapped sweets this year. One year I did one just for me with a mini Green and Blacks in each pocket.

I'm at the opposite end. I have 48 little mario figures for ds who will be almost 5, and still haven't settled on a reusable advent. I'll want something coordinatable for his little sister (who has peppa pig books this year). I'm tired and torn 🤣