Dear LPG,

I am a grandma five times over and all my grandchildren are still under seven.  I wanted to get them an advent calendar this year but I just could not settle on one that I was really happy with. 

The secret is to get in before their parents get them one of the ones in the shops which are all so similar with their pictures of the usual characters from the children’s television channels and not a lot else, and so I looked on line where there are also some really nice ones but the problem with getting one of those is that I have to get my children (their parents) to help me with the online shopping which defeats the object of the idea.

I also left it too late again because Christmas has a habit of creeping up on us even though the shops are tempting you to buy all sorts of really expensive things well before Bonfire night has happened, they seem to forget the advent calendars until the week before December 1^st and we need to have them all in place by then (which is when I allow my personal Christmas to start).

I know it is a bit late for 2018 now but I got looking on line and found some really simple ideas that I could have done something with if only I had thought about it on time, but it has occurred to me that if I share my information perhaps I, and other grandmothers who have a little time on their hands could be more prepared. 

I looked on YouTube and found some really good ideas that might be just the thing to bring back a little flavour of the simplicity that symbolised our childhood Christmases but brought up to date.

Perhaps LPG should remind you about this idea next November.

NG, Forest Hill

LPG will take on NG’s note and reprint the ideas that she has shared in the autumn of 2019 so that Grandmas everywhere will be more organized for next year…

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