Help with advent calendar

[la79al]

I posted last year debating on getting a wooden 'advent tree' from ACMoore, letting the kiddos decorate it and fill the drawers and then give it to my mom at Thanksgiving for her to open in December. Well we did it, the kids had a great time decorating it, mom liked it but we really only filled the drawers with candies or tiny pictures that DD drew and put nothing exciting in the last drawer. This year I want to do better but I don't have any great ideas. I was thinking about doing beads and a bracelet but I know my mom won't wear it (which is fine, the girls would have fun picking out meaningful beads and mom would love it because of that) and the beads seem to be rather expensive. The drawers are squarish and about the size of a matchbox car if you bent a matchbox car in half. So any great ideas on what to fill the drawers with? And any ideas for the last drawer? I was going to do a little flash drive full of pictures of the girls but wasn't sure if that would be good since mom wouldn't know how to use it anyhow, she probably already has at least as many pictures of the girls as I do and she sees at least one of them every week.

 

[LJSquishy]

Earrings, small brooch, slips of paper saying specific things they love about Grandma, individual eyeshadow, small lip gloss, magnet...or certificates for things like to Starbucks, movie theater, etc. If an item doesn't fit in the box, create a slip of paper with the item description on it.

I don't know what your budget is like, but a final box gift would be great with a pair of earrings, ring, necklace, or spa certificate.

I get the thoughtfulness of the advent calendar, and it's awesome, but I'm sure your mom doesn't want a bunch of "stuff" she will never use. Don't worry about finding items to fit in the box...get things she would actually use. Or, alternatively, buy one big gift and put one letter (or a few letters) in each box that at the end she will have to unscramble to figure out what her gift is.

 

[msmama]

I try to mix up my advent calander, a toy, a candy, something else, every day, but really, DS just wants candy.

Anyway, what about "IOU"s from the kids. "IOU one trip to the ice cream store" (give the girls $ and let them "pay") or "IOU one painting" or something like that. You could even do it so that she gets items through the summer, "IOU one 4th of July art" (sounds like your kids are into art).

 

[jgreco]

What about little charms from Origami Owl or the other companies like it and have the final drawer be the locket you put them in?

 

[Narnia_girl]

• Inexpensive charms in several boxes to add to a bracelet?
• A soft cloth (foldable) ornament,
• Tiny square of Scentsy type scented wax cube
• Pretty pattern desk supplies: binder clips, paper clips, pushpins
• Handmade marble magnets (flat stones from dollar store, pictures your children color and a magnet on back)
• A decadent chocolate
• Air freshener sticks for car vents

 

[njpyro]

We have one of these that gets Disney trading pins in some drawers, candy in others.

 

[canwegosoon]

I like the IOU-Coupons idea.
Was thinking maybe stamps, chapstick, magnet(the kids make), you have lots of great ideas and it sounds like it will be great