Thornbridge Brewery for me – these evening I will open the can of Quiet Storm what wearing the Thornbridge Christmas socks

I’ve got the Flavourly Advent Box.

Today is an Equilibrium Series Session IPA 5

Maris Otter crisp best pale ale Azacca Cascade. Apparently.

Lego City.
Day 1 is a small helicopter 🙂

Home made ones that we refill each year. This year it’s mostly dark Montezumas chocolate of various flavours.

Home made cloth ones here. We loaded them a couple of nights ago.

Homemade one with Christmas themed insults in each one. ‘Mean 1’ the grinch’s number plate today ‘you’re an old slut on junk’ is not far away

Wera’s Santa Tools here. Day 1’s a bit holder.

Oooo, Thornbridge – jealous. I’ve got the Brewdog one but it wasn’t great last year – just loads of random fruit flavours which all felt a bit unnecessary. Year before was good as had stuff like the Double IPAs. This morning started ok though with a Vienna lager I’ve not had before and a glass.

Might need to drop some subtle hints about Thornbridge for next year 😉

My wife does me a home made beer one for which I am very thankful! This year was a very well decorated effort, will post pics if I remember/can be bothered to go through the rigmarole.

Also, has anyone received the bundle of daily joy that is a Cold War Steve one?

The kids have home made ones with little doors my wife made in lockdown. We don’t have adult ones. They got a chocolate /diary free coin today.

Homemade one with choccys in and the EXIT advent puzzle game. Gonna be attempting day 1 with the skipperlets after school…

Lego City.
Day 1 is a small helicopter 🙂

is it though? Our boys have that and I thought it was a plane.

We got the Exit one as well (ice cave). Bit fiddly to set up but day 1 is complete.

Hoping that brewdog flog off their advent calendars cheap again this year. I think I bought 4 last year at £15/pop

Wife got me this one….

Which, judging by day one, will feel like doing home work every morning.

It’s not Christmas till….

Fortnum and Mason tea calendar. It’s a tradition and it sells out early.

^ that is a work of genius….

A pork scratchings one that I won, and a Malteasers one that my youngest gave me yesterday… which I got very excited about when they surprised me with it. Filled their refillable one last night (it’s a truck with 24 drawers). Opening mine at lunch time… because I’ll probably eat what comes out immediately, and that wouldn’t be a healthy second breakfast.

Some advent calenders are silly money. I was chuffed to get one for my lad last January in the sales. Got him a Star Wars socks one. He seems chuffed as he likes his socks.

Wera’s Santa Tools here. Day 1’s a bit holder.

Thought about that for my lad but it didn’t seem as good this year.

Had the Brewdog one last year, but got the Thornbridge one for myself when they were on “discounted” pre order.

MrsMC got herself a Cath Kidson one, LittleMissMC has a science museum one, an experiment a day. GCSE revision!

We got the Exit one as well (ice cave). Bit fiddly to set up but day 1 is complete.

Not that it matters (unless you’re asking for help) but, Ice Cave is 2020’s calendar. This year’s is The Hunt for the Golden Book.

On the Exit calendars, from the horse’s mouth:

Its Day 1 of the Exit Advent Calendar. If you think you are missing a piece, check the refill guides:
Golden Book
Ice Cave
Queries or assistance : games@thamesandkosmos.co.uk or phone 01580 713000 and ask for Nicky!
Please check that you have safely stored the QR code from your shrink wrap ready for day 8 [of the Golden Book]!

Ordered this for a friend, still hasn’t arrived 🙁

I have a Tiny Rebel beer one.  Today is a 10% triple Citra TIPA which I’m sure will be absolutely delicious 🙂

From previous experience there will be a few I’m not so keen on, but overall a big thumbs up.

Bought my wife the Liberty beauty one last year, which she requested again.  Works out at about £10/day :O

A Craft Gin one, looking forward to cracking it open this evening 🙂 It has 24 different, 30ml bottles in it 🙂

It’s time for morning puzzles:

Advent of Code 2022

Less beery but addictive in a geeky way. 🙂

I feel like I’m the only one here without an expensive novelty advent calendar? I had a Beer52 one a couple of years ago but it felt overpriced for some cans of beer, especially when half of them were stout that I’m not overly bothered about.
We’ve done Lego/smiggle ones etc for the kids in the past, but it’s just another big expense in the run up to Christmas. I sound like a grinch, but (mostly due to poor planning several years ago) we have childrens birthdays in both December and January and it’s a frigging expensive time of year!

EDIT: I think I’m just jealous of you all really. Enjoy!

Good old Dairy Milk one, sorts my sugar fix at 6am each day a treat!

Got the Tiny Rebel one again this year. Last years was excellent, I think there was only one which was a bit meh. The last Brewdog one I had was 50% meh and very samey.

We did Lego ones a couple of years running and took turns.

I had a Beer52 one a couple of years ago but it felt overpriced for some cans of beer, especially when half of them were stout that I’m not overly bothered about.
We’ve done Lego/smiggle ones etc for the kids in the past, but it’s just another big expense in the run up to Christmas

Been previously disappointed by Beer52.

Fancy advents are part of our Christmas presents, luckily the kids are old enough to understand that. In fact, mine and the wife’s are our main Christmas presents this year.

Guinness.
Well a slab of guinness came in the shop today. No doors or numbers or anything like that, but still looks pretty easy to have a festive tin everyday.

I don’t.

However, I’ve had a crate of Vault City beers delivered so that’ll do.

I got my wife one from the Oban chocolate co. Fairly pricey but the chocolate is nice .

Mrs Binners has got me a pork scratchings one. Bless her 😃

My wife turned up with a lego Star Wars one only as it was discounted the other day (don’t usually do them).

Day 1 is a mini Mando starship (I think 😂). Anyway kept me quiet for 5 minutes!

Mrs Binners has got me a pork scratchings one. Bless her

Got MrsMC that one last year. Mrs Binners will be inundated with email promotions forever now!

Exit golden book here, after great fun with last years Ice cave.

It turns out we are capable at pushing small pieces of cardboard through a gap they aren’t supposed to fit through…

First time the wife and I haven’t done advent calendars in our 9 years together.

I’m making it up for it by having a mince pie everyday instead.

So what about the good old days when it just used to have a bit of glitter on it and a nice picture of a donkey or something? Surely the kids of today would still appreciate that??

My mu is a bit crafty so popped by today with an advent calendar she had made for the kids. Traditional like, just pictures, like it’s the 70s.

About 5 minutes after she left the 4yr old snaffled it away into a corner and opened every single door.