https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 23 May 2026 20:49:57 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-405674 Mon, 19 Nov 2012 08:24:27 +0000 pelikila 405674@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our advent calendar was never gifts. We had a wall hanging that was a Christmas tree and 25 wooden ornaments that you could hang on the tree. Ever day we could hang one ornament on the tree. For my son my mom has changed it up a little bit and he has miniature ornaments to hang on a miniature stand alone tree. He keeps the ornaments in a special advent train. Example: <a href="http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=7G35&#038;adv=12483&#038;cm_mmc=Pricegrabber" rel="nofollow">http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=7G35&#038;adv=12483&#038;cm_mmc=Pricegrabber</a>*Prod_feeds*Prod_feeds*12483 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-405660 Mon, 19 Nov 2012 08:05:14 +0000 Smurfette 405660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@photojane: my grandma always sent those to us. I should look for some and send to my nephews. They were so fun! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-405645 Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:37:14 +0000 T.H.O.U. 405645@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I saw a cute idea that instead of gifts or candy, to do a family activity (holiday craft, etc) on each day. I might try to start something like that later on. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-405641 Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:32:53 +0000 sera_87 405641@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we never did the daily chocolate one, just the religious one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-405536 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 23:18:34 +0000 photojane 405536@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my mom always just bought us the paper advents that had a piece of chocolate inside for each of the 25 days. i miss them!</p> <p><img src="http://www.candywarehouse.com/assets/item/large/image-130650.jpg" /> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-405519 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 23:04:39 +0000 MamaCate 405519@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had one with a tree and ornaments. It was for all 25 days, which of course isn't exactly right for advent but worked for us. It was just kind of cardboard but we loved it! I remember always volunteering to put the calendar away so I could put the ornaments I wanted under the flaps that would be mine the next year (my brother and i alternated evens/odds)... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-405332 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 20:10:23 +0000 travelgirl1 405332@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours were the kind with the flap with a different picture behind it each day, including Dec 25. The calendar was always a snowy glittery scene of a nativity or something christmassy. I loved them! This is the kind we'll buy for A, too, although I've never seen them in Canada so maybe we'll have to get our parents to ship them from England. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-405320 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 20:00:44 +0000 Smurfette 405320@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had a stocking made of felt. With each day a piece of candy was tied to it. Simple. I think my Mom made them cause it was all they could afford. Not sure what we will do yet, have a couple years before I need to worry about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-405054 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 15:35:03 +0000 Minnie_Girl 405054@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had a wooden wall hanging in the shape of a Christmas tree, with little ornaments you would add to it every day. No gifts, it was just a nice tradition that added to the anticipation. 24 gifts, 5 children...my mother was very wise to keep the advent calendar present-free, haha. </p> <p>Our grandmother would get us those cheapy chocolate advent boxes from the dollar store too. Oh man, was that chocolate bad! I can't say we ate them after the first year... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-405045 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 15:27:13 +0000 MediaNaranja 405045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My brothers and I each got one of the ones where you open the flap and there's a little chocolate inside. We also got a small gift (like pencils or stickers) in our stocking each morning until Christmas. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-405026 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 15:16:16 +0000 MamaMoose 405026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours was always 25 days! There would be a small candy (like one mini tootsie roll), or some sort of small toy (like a bouncy ball) every day. My brother and I took turns who got the gift each day, and then there was something for both of us on the 25th. We loved it!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-405003 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 14:44:59 +0000 Turd Ferguson 405003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep! We always had the cheap-o ones where you open the flap and get the little chocolate. It was the source of many fights between my sister and I (as far as who got to eat the chocolate...)! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-404986 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 14:32:48 +0000 SugarplumsMom 404986@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: I got DH to be more specific and he says he got a peice of candy, a little puzzle (those little knots), a Lego guy, bookmarks. But he doesn't remember how old he was when they stopped putting up the calendar. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-404913 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:33:24 +0000 JerricaBenton 404913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: At craft stores you can buy those mini trees and packages of mini ornaments. They have fun ornaments like instruments or toys or I'm sure you could find religious ones online. That's what we did most years because we did it in the morning and my mom didn't always want to give us candy first thing and it was super fun. We were always excited to see what ornament it would be that day.</p> <p>ETA: I just thought of a good idea for older kids - you could do a good deed of the day advent calendar. It could be some little things like help a friend at school or bring in the neighbor's newspaper or something big like volunteer or pick out toys for toys for tots... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-404907 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:15:13 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 404907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think ours was 25 days. We usually got a little edible treat each day... no gifts. I don't want to do chocolate, so I've got to think of a good alternative. Any ideas? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-404902 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:11:23 +0000 sslm 404902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Crumbs: I can't remember! I think it only went to the 24th. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-404901 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:07:59 +0000 singingbee 404901@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Crumbs: Yes, again it depended on the calendar we had that year. Usually it was a picture of Jesus. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-404897 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:05:13 +0000 SugarplumsMom 404897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: @Jennimac: Did you open one on the 25th as well? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-404896 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:04:58 +0000 JerricaBenton 404896@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We never did gifts. We had a wooden calendar with doors that opened for each day. Inside they had little ornaments that we could hang on a mini tree and sometimes my mom put chocolates or little candies instead. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-404894 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:03:14 +0000 singingbee 404894@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We grew up with one. It would depend on the type of calendar my mom got each year. Some years we just opened up a flap, sometimes it had a little book, some an ornament. Since there were 4 years, we each took turns or we would try to open it together. We loved it and it was a big deal when we got to put out the advent calendar. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-404893 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:03:05 +0000 sslm 404893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have one, sort of like the one you posted. We put little chocolates in each spot, not gifts! I love doing this :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-your-advent-calendar-tradition#post-404891 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:00:05 +0000 SugarplumsMom 404891@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH grew up with having an Advent Calendar and we plan on putting one up for DD when she's big enough to open her own gifts (maybe next year). According to him, it's a bunch of tiny gifts children open every day starting Dec 1st up until the 24th. They only get to open 1 each morning and on the 24th, they open the big gifts that night (when Santa comes).</p> <p>Since this is all new to me, I'm a little curious and look it up on Etsy and notice all their Advent Calendars are up to the 25th. I guess others celebrate differently. </p> <p>If you celebrated with an Advent Calendar growing up, what was your tradition? What types of gifts did you get everyday? What types of gifts will you plan to give your LO everyday? Also, how old were you when you stopped having it?</p> <p>Sidenote: here's a nice Martha Stewart DIY link I found:<br /> <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/857740/handmade-advent-calendars/@center/307034/christmas-workshop#949678" rel="nofollow">http://www.marthastewart.com/857740/handmade-advent-calendars/@center/307034/christmas-workshop#949678</a></p> <p>[attach=1448/12/mdp3do.570x443.etsy.jpg]<br /> <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/114022833/advent-bunting-colours-red-and-cream?ref=usr_faveitems">{ Image Source }</a> </p>