Also recommend the advent candle! Means you actually sit at a table and chat (or watch telly) and wait till you've burned your section for the day - obvs we always forget and ahve to do a frantic weeks burn or fall asleep on sofa and find out its now the 20th!
To be found in cathedral gift shops or your local church shop selling postcards of the church in snow in 1972 there is probs a dusty box of them
Why don’t charities do advent calendars? Say it costs £ 50 to buy one and each day they say what that day’s £2 is going towards. They could have nice pics too obv.
Because I'm on Royalty Twitter, I've been told that William and Kate didn't make their own post wishing Harry a happy birthday, they simply reposted Charles's post. And allegedly used a picture where he was sitting next to Meghan and cut her out. Which reads as especially performative, imo. But happy birthday anyway, Harry!
Throwing myself a minor 60th celebration by dragging my husband on The 80s Cruise (I'm in America). Squeeze, Adam Ant, Sheila E, Men at Work, Erasure, Christopher Cross are all performing and there are unexpectedly multiple theme nights I'll need to buy neon clothing for. Looking forward to singing myself hoarse in March!
Denis is such a tonic🤣 Totally understand head under the cushion some days. Don't understand the huge celebrations (I think it has to do with social media) or beauty advent calendars much rather have a chocolate one!
For my 60th, I asked all my family to come & stay, brothers, sister, wives, nieces and nephews, gave them a year’s notice. They came Friday to Sunday & on the Sunday also invited the in-laws.
I got a private chef to come & make dinner on the Saturday, breakfast on Sunday morning & buffet for Sunday lunch. We also had just 2 couples who were close friends.
It was just lovely. particularly as we then suffered a terrible family tragedy 6 months later.
NB I just don’t get those beauty advent calendars, they’re all over Instagram and of course the annoying thing is that they’ve all been gifted them & we muggins are expected to fall for the hype….
All my friend group turned 50 during lockdown, the pressure is now on me to have the party of a lifetime when I turn 50 in two years to make it up to them 🍸 Obviously I'll do what I can.
If you stave off having a 'big event' until you really feel like it, you can get younger mysteriously quickly. Many people can only remember exactly how old you are by reference to the last big bash you had. So if you start with 43, edge up to 54 for your '50th', then 65 for your '60th' you'll rapidly have gained a decade by the time you are 90.
So agree about advent calendars - far too early! Although I have a sneaky confession to having bought the crackers for this year yesterday! My defence being, the last time I was going to be anywhere near a ‘Home Bargains’, this side of Christmas! 🤔🤔
My dad has said he will leave everything to charity in his will if the family ever make him have a big birthday party, and my mum says he’s absolutely serious. I got round the 50th birthday last year by just going on holiday with my partner - Oh, no, we’re not doing anything, we’re going to be in Greece - it was bliss 🥳
If anyone sent me that card I’d have to seriously reconsider the friendship. Totally agree about the beauty advent calendars; a load of packaging that goes straight in the bin and very little left of use. I just went out for dinner in a nice hotel with a friend for my 40th; it was lovely. I hate enforced enjoyment and I think I might also find it a bit self-important. Maybe I’m a Grinch. I think Dennis is actually doing Doggie Yoga; how clever is that when you haven’t even taken him to classes?
Make you own rules, don't let Instagram do it for you. I'm 70 next year and quite fancy a few posh dins with v special friends. If you don't like throwing big parties why do it at the one time you should please yourself?
I had my kids at 41 and 43, so I think you may be a late capitulator like me (I hadn't met the right bloke until late 30's)
My kids begged me to stop buying them chocolate advent calendars when they were at uni (embarrassing, apparently) so now they can go without. I operate a 'one for whoever and one for me' when present buying so don't need to 'treat myself' to loads of tiny things that end up in the back of cupboards.
We have had Amanda Loverseed’s Festive Food Advent calendar for a decade and love getting it out every year. I am super excited about giving my son her Castle one this year. They are inexplicably hard to get hold of.
Also recommend the advent candle! Means you actually sit at a table and chat (or watch telly) and wait till you've burned your section for the day - obvs we always forget and ahve to do a frantic weeks burn or fall asleep on sofa and find out its now the 20th!
To be found in cathedral gift shops or your local church shop selling postcards of the church in snow in 1972 there is probs a dusty box of them
So agree with this, Jen. Ester & Erik has some beautiful ones in fab colours too.
Don't distress yourself! Now going to 70th birthday celebrations!!!
Why don’t charities do advent calendars? Say it costs £ 50 to buy one and each day they say what that day’s £2 is going towards. They could have nice pics too obv.
That is a really excellent idea
Because I'm on Royalty Twitter, I've been told that William and Kate didn't make their own post wishing Harry a happy birthday, they simply reposted Charles's post. And allegedly used a picture where he was sitting next to Meghan and cut her out. Which reads as especially performative, imo. But happy birthday anyway, Harry!
Throwing myself a minor 60th celebration by dragging my husband on The 80s Cruise (I'm in America). Squeeze, Adam Ant, Sheila E, Men at Work, Erasure, Christopher Cross are all performing and there are unexpectedly multiple theme nights I'll need to buy neon clothing for. Looking forward to singing myself hoarse in March!
Denis is such a tonic🤣 Totally understand head under the cushion some days. Don't understand the huge celebrations (I think it has to do with social media) or beauty advent calendars much rather have a chocolate one!
For my 60th, I asked all my family to come & stay, brothers, sister, wives, nieces and nephews, gave them a year’s notice. They came Friday to Sunday & on the Sunday also invited the in-laws.
I got a private chef to come & make dinner on the Saturday, breakfast on Sunday morning & buffet for Sunday lunch. We also had just 2 couples who were close friends.
It was just lovely. particularly as we then suffered a terrible family tragedy 6 months later.
NB I just don’t get those beauty advent calendars, they’re all over Instagram and of course the annoying thing is that they’ve all been gifted them & we muggins are expected to fall for the hype….
I am definitely going to order some Turtle Doves gloves. They also look like they’d be an excellent Christmas present.
All my friend group turned 50 during lockdown, the pressure is now on me to have the party of a lifetime when I turn 50 in two years to make it up to them 🍸 Obviously I'll do what I can.
If you stave off having a 'big event' until you really feel like it, you can get younger mysteriously quickly. Many people can only remember exactly how old you are by reference to the last big bash you had. So if you start with 43, edge up to 54 for your '50th', then 65 for your '60th' you'll rapidly have gained a decade by the time you are 90.
So agree about advent calendars - far too early! Although I have a sneaky confession to having bought the crackers for this year yesterday! My defence being, the last time I was going to be anywhere near a ‘Home Bargains’, this side of Christmas! 🤔🤔
*Every* year I say 'I'm not going to buy the M&S beauty advent calendar.' And then every year I do buy it. It's just so good!
As someone currently bang in the middle of my weddings-and-30ths-era I found it super interesting to read about 40ths - thank you for sharing.
My dad has said he will leave everything to charity in his will if the family ever make him have a big birthday party, and my mum says he’s absolutely serious. I got round the 50th birthday last year by just going on holiday with my partner - Oh, no, we’re not doing anything, we’re going to be in Greece - it was bliss 🥳
If anyone sent me that card I’d have to seriously reconsider the friendship. Totally agree about the beauty advent calendars; a load of packaging that goes straight in the bin and very little left of use. I just went out for dinner in a nice hotel with a friend for my 40th; it was lovely. I hate enforced enjoyment and I think I might also find it a bit self-important. Maybe I’m a Grinch. I think Dennis is actually doing Doggie Yoga; how clever is that when you haven’t even taken him to classes?
Make you own rules, don't let Instagram do it for you. I'm 70 next year and quite fancy a few posh dins with v special friends. If you don't like throwing big parties why do it at the one time you should please yourself?
I had my kids at 41 and 43, so I think you may be a late capitulator like me (I hadn't met the right bloke until late 30's)
My kids begged me to stop buying them chocolate advent calendars when they were at uni (embarrassing, apparently) so now they can go without. I operate a 'one for whoever and one for me' when present buying so don't need to 'treat myself' to loads of tiny things that end up in the back of cupboards.
We have the advent calendar on the front of Country Life magazine (last issue in November). It has become a family tradition
We have had Amanda Loverseed’s Festive Food Advent calendar for a decade and love getting it out every year. I am super excited about giving my son her Castle one this year. They are inexplicably hard to get hold of.
https://amandaloverseed.com/advent-calendars-1