Advent - The countdown to Christmas #XmasLinky

 For the next 4 weeks, every Friday I will host a Christmas link up. Add your Xmas themed posts here for #XmasLinky   (old or new - but non xmas posts will be deleted).

As a kid, my dad came back from a business trip to Germany with the most beautiful advent calendar. It was paper but shaped like a gingerbread clock with little doors that you opened to reveal Christas pictures. I loved it so much, and we shut all the pictures back down after Christmas and used it for quite a few years.

I just adored the excitement of opening it each day. Even when it got to the point that I remembered all the pictures and there was no surprise. 

I still love advent calendars. I now give my neices kids advent calenders (but on Christmas day only give colouring books or something small to do on the day). My kids get fancy advents as part of their santa haul (ie I spend less at Christmas). I will admit I wait for the sales and use discounted vouchers so I can get them for $50 or more less than sale price. There are also flybuy or credit card points you can use to buy gift cards to pay for them.

I have been eyeing off the Jurlique one for myself but at $200, while good value for what you get, I can't justify it. And I haven't been able to knock off enough on the purchase price (I got it down to $180 but still out of my range).

So I've gone with Moomin Tea from Pappa Sven (this is the most wonderufl shop in Newcastle if you don't know it. If you are after Tove Janssen's adult books in English, they have them at a good price).

I do then also reuse the little boxes - I put a little Santa chocolate in it and bring them for the table at Christmas get togethers over the month of December. 

I find the men's one harder to buy so my son gets a gaming/korean noodle one that I put together myself...

If you are looking at Lego, always look at the sales around June. You can get the previous year's for $35-40. But the benefit of the Lego ones is they are small (if Inner city house space is an issue) and they can be played with all year round with any other lego sets and fit in a shoe box for storage once done. 

Ditto Little People and Playmobil. They add to the toy sets they have.

And of course we will be setting up our Playmobil reusable advent, now in it's 25th year!! Because it wouldn't be Christmas without it!

Do you get advent calendars? Which ones and any cost saving tips?

While not an advent, I just wanted to promote these chocolates from David Jones (which I didn't buy so can't tell you how much) but a thoughtful gift if seeing your Vegan friends over the holiday season.

On the Department Stores, if you're not shopping locally (supporting small business), could you consider supporting Myer and David Jones in person? I worry we will lose them, and I do love the ease of Department Stores when looking for specific items (obviously cost matters but they seem to be having endless sales at the moment!)

Note none of this is paid. All my preferences and opinions.

Share your Christmas themed posts, old or new below. Don't forget to share the love and coment.... 

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