General Chat

If anyone reading this thread wants a 'proper' advent calendar, you can get them in Christian bookshops and churches that sell goods during the week. It's been a tradition for my parents to buy my son's advent calendar and get them from Bath Abbey. Mandy :)

Oh yes Andy! My children each have a traditional (no chocs) calendar . When my eldest was 2 years old I made a huge hand sewn calendar with pockets for choccies which hangs from the picture rail in the sitting room. It measures 24'x 40' approx and will be hung up tonight at midnight!! Daisy

We've got a lovely wooden xmas tree with hooks on and boxes underneath numbered 1-24. Each box holds an ornament to hang on the tree and there is space left for 2 chocolate sweets (one for each of my kids). I've just finished loading it with choccy coins, father xmases and other sweets. They take it in turns to open a drawer, put the ornament on the tree, and both have a choccy. Much better than those bought advent calendars which are so overpriced. Makes a great centrepiece for our dining table too. Angela

Dee - do be careful - 'human' chocolate can be fatal for dogs to eat.

We all have one in this house - with chocolate, naturally. And we have an advent candle as well. Gwynne

Well I HATE the chocolate ones - they add to making Christmas focussed on getting things, IMHO! So I'm the original Scrooge - I bought a lovely REAL one with pics when my oldest was a baby (she's 12 1/2 now!), and I IRON the doors shut (with a teatowel over the top) each year so that it's fresh all over again! LOL! Sue (in NZ) :-))

I do one for my grandson ..Its a little chest of drawers.all numbered, In some I pop a little christmas chocolate, in the others are a note,,telling him to look in certain places to find something special. I dont spend much on the pressies,,,stuff like practical jokes and magic tricks, One suprise this year is 6 packs of paper chains, He loves it,,

I have a candy cane behind my 1st window :0) xx

Crikey !!!!!!! your thread has just reminded me that I have bought them and havnt got them out of my secret hidy place yet.....Still it will be a treat after school for minime.... Sponge bob square pants for minime A x

The best one I ever bought was a 'Peanuts' one, when Jeff was young. When he was very small and we didn't have much dosh, I made one from felt (copied from a very expensive one I'd seen in a Christmas toy catalogue). It hung on the wall above his bed (too high for him to reach), and it was in the form of a train with an engine and 24 little trucks strung along behind it. Each truck had in it a small toy or a lollipop or a foil-covered Christmassy chocolate. The great thing about that was that it could be refilled with goodies each year and used again. >*|*<

my four all ahve fabric ones, that we fill each year for them. We did it this way as eldest doesn't like chocolate!!!!!! But am in their bad book because i forgot to get the sweets yesterday so no calendars to open this morning OOOPPPPPPSSS

Thanks for the tips on where to get the traditional picture ones. My son has a Madagascar one which has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas. Not a sniff of Christmas! weird! and trying to get him to eat his breakfast before having his chocolate was a nightmare! So I'll be out shopping for a proper one! Carol

Hi We have a felt one - with the nativity scene on. I then fill the pockets myself. I asked hubby a couple of days ago to go up in the loft to get it down. Did he remember - no There he was up there this morning trying to find which box it was in!!! It's ready now for when they come home from school!! Penny

My mum buys my 3 kids a chocolate one every year. Last year she didn't get the eldest one a calender, thought he had grown out of them. I have never seen such sulking!! This year he has been reinstated - but there again he is only a baby, a 6 foot, 20 year old baby that is! xx

Yes - for the children!!