Advent box instead of Xmas Eve box?

[MissAtomicBomb1]

Anyone else do this?

My DC haven't been particularly enthused about Christmas Eve boxes and it seems a bit close to the big day to be properly appreciated.
Thinking of putting together an advent box, as something similar went down really well the other year. It seemed more exciting somehow and the gifts could be appreciated in the few weeks leading to Xmas.
Ideas so far...advent calendar (obviously!) Xmas PJs, a Christmas themed story book (read the Christmas pig through Dec last time). tree decoration

Any other ideas? 🎅🏻

@SomeFinElse I think that you've got completely the wrong end of the stick. You have been quoting phrases "you do you", "making memories" "hot choccies" to make of fun if the language you think is used by people who give advent boxes to their children, and who think of as having fallen under the spell of Instagram.

@LePetitMaman, who described a very tasteful advent box then decided to post in the style which you seem to be assuming she would use.

Nobody ever accused you of using inelegant language. That's the aspersion that you've been casting on other people, including @LePetitMaman ,and if you are offended by the thought that she might think you write like that, perhaps you can understand her irritation?

I realise that my explanation is probably superfluous, what with you being so very clever and well-educated, that off course you grasped the subtleties immediately and are probably making some sort of highly sophisticated joke joke that has sailed right over my box-giving head.

We didn’t do advent boxes, elf on the shelf etc. Just advent calendars and pjs on Christmas Eve. Usually the IKEA gingerbread houses to while away an afternoon. (Now they are big teens I give them the pjs early.) I’m absolutely not saying I didn’t buy Christmas things - but as and when.

I definitely over-bought presents for Christmas Day though and do regret that.

I wouldn’t have had the head space for adding in more gifts or the elf tricks. It was enough to get through work, all the Christmas organising and the school events.

My ‘so much stuff’ comment wasn’t specific to anyone - just in general. Getting rid of anything makes me feel so guilty so I end up with crap I don’t want. I’ve got two really cute Christmas pug sheets sitting here because no one on our local Facebay wants them.

Tickets to go ice skating.

Correct.

It's a little awkward several people have had to explain, given her supreme self declared intelligence.

Amusing, but awkward.

Innit babes.

Bravo 😁😁😁

Also, with the jigsaws, we aren't the type who usually have the time to sit and leisurely do 1000pc puzzles. However, the Christmas one comes out on Dec 1st, and everyone just sort of chips in. I'll do a bit milling around, cup of tea in hand. Then eldest will pop a few bits in while he's waiting for his pizza to cook. That kind of thing.

We've always finished it, and it's quite a wholesome feel when it's a joint effort from mum, dad, and all the DC.

We do an experience advent calendar, which does involve some gifts. So each day our fill your own advent calendar has chocolates/sweets for everyone in the house, then either a joke, festive fact or activity. Mostly these are things which don't cost anything, are low maintenance and they don't involve stuff, but it's our way of extending the magic over the month. Can be something as simple as going for a drive to see Christmas lights, watch a festive film together with popcorn, write your Christmas list, the school Christmas disco etc or could be 'wear Christmas pjs', for which there are new (or new to you for the younger ones) pyjamas, or 'read a Christmas story) for which there is usually a new (again new to us) book, or go and get the tree (which in our case involves an outing including hot chocolate). Means I prep about 6 jokes and facts (mostly reuse ones from previous years now) and 10 or so things to do (again some are rehashes now as we've been doing it a while) to make up the 24 days. Goes down well here!

Yep and my idea was to read a Christmas book. Aligns with your idea by the sound of it. 🤷‍♀️

@Carnationstreet7 yes but you made a comment about "buying more stuff".
I was just saying Christmas in general is about "buying stuff" but if someone wants to include a December 1st box full of "stuff" then that's what they are choosing to spend their money on.
The OP wanted a few ideas of things she could buy.

I do an advent box as the things inside can then last all month but most of it is stuff that comes out every year so isn’t new for the occasion. Christmas pyjamas: mine and Dh’s were bought for DS’s first Christmas and I got him the baby and the toddler size which did until he was 4. Then last Christmas I found a 6-8 on Vinted so that will do for a few more years. Luckily DS has plenty of cousins to pass the small sizes on to. I also have Christmas bed sheets (bought to make December 2020 a bit less miserable since visiting family was much harder so I only spent what I didn’t spend on travel that year). I also add Christmas cookie cutters, a little wooden nativity and other bits we have got over the years but they get stored in the box when not in use. I also have a fabric advent calendar that comes out every year. Since so much is reused it can’t come from elves but that’s ok as I have mixed feelings about the elf on the shelf anyway.

Each year I might add a new book (but keep the old ones), some hot chocolate which we would buy anyway with marshmallows and maybe a couple of craft bits if I see them.

And while “#makingmemories” is a bit twee, these are the occasions that my parents remember as special from my childhood and I want to pass that on to my son.