Who doesn’t love daily gifts during the holidays? One of my favorite ways to celebrate Christmas has always been the advent calendar. Growing up, we never had one, which isn’t much of a surprise considering my mom had four kids very close in age by the time she was 22 years old. I can only assume she had much bigger things on her plate such as getting food on the table and making sure that each of us had at least one present under the Christmas tree. She still did an amazing job of helping to create beautiful holiday memories in all of us. It really taught me that the experience of the holiday season is so much more important than how many gifts there are.
I have always enjoyed being a gift-giver. Sometimes it stresses me out, trying to come up with something new and original for someone I care about just to let them know that I’ve put thought into their gift, but for the most part, I really enjoy the hunt of finding just the right gift for just the right person. Enter the advent calendar – a fun way to celebrate the holidays for several days in a row. Some advent calendars celebrate 12 days of Christmas while others shower gifts to the recipient for 24 or 25 days of Christmas. With so many new advent calendars to choose from, it’s easy to find one that is just right for your friends, family, or work team.
For the past three years, I’ve given JT a LEGO advent calendar to start the holiday season. I’ve been able to find them in the LEGO store, at Target or online and they usually cost about $30 for 24 days of Christmas fun. It’s always a fun activity for him to look forward to in the morning during the month of December. Since he has more than enough LEGO for any kid his age, I decided to go a little smaller this year with a simple chocolate advent calendar from Trader Joe’s, and honestly, I think he’ll be just as excited. Fair warning – the Trader Joe’s 24 Chocolate Days ’til Christmas advent calendars sell out fast so plan to visit your TJ’s by mid-November to pick one up. Best part – this chocolate advent calendar will set you back only 99 cents.
I decided to treat myself this year to an advent calendar of my own when I realized that Trader Joe’s also had an adult-friendly version of the chocolate advent calendar for only $6.99. The Trader Joe’s Advent of The Cocktail Hour gift is a 25 day advent calendar full of boozy chocolate truffles with these fun flavors: Liqueur de Cafe, Honey Caramel, Peach Bellini, Eggnog, Coffee Martini, and Pink Champagne. This would also be a fun hostess gift for the holiday season, had we celebrated Thanksgiving as traditionally done in years past with an invite to a friend or family member’s home to share a meal together.
Advent calendars come in many shapes and sizes so chocolate isn’t the only option:
- The L’OCCITANE signature advent calendar is a self-care splurge full of 24 mini products from the beloved French beauty brand. It is available on their website for $74
- The Crayola Christmas countdown calendar is full of 24 days of DIY crafts for kids, but this $22 advent calendar for kids sells out fast on their website
- The Bonne Maman advent calendar gifts recipients with 24 mini fruit spreads and honey but these sell out fast on their website at only $34.99
- Copper Cow Coffee’s 12 days of pour over is an advent calendar set of gourmet coffees and creamers, available online for $69
- Man Crates continues to sell out of their popular Jerky advent calendar for $79.99 with a variety of 25 beef jerky samples
With so many options for treating your loved ones to a daily dose of gifting in the month of December, advent calendars make it easy to celebrate Christmas all month long.
For more suggestions on memorable 12 Days of Christmas Gifts that are sure to please, check out my post on the Zulily blog.