Last week I spent some time searching for the best advent calendars the web had to offer. I whittled them down to the 26 I think you'd like the most.
Dear Canadians. I've done my best to find calendars that are available both in the US and Canada, but the sad truth is Americans just have more choices and options. If you click on a link and it doesn't take you to what you wanted to see, it's likely because Canada doesn't carry it. On the upside, we have access to the After 8 advent calendar, while Americans do not.
1. A puzzle advent calendar seems like something you people might like. This calendar comes with 12, 100 piece Christmas themed puzzles. The puzzle photos are a bit church sale, but cozy. There's one puzzle in the group I actually love. If you look at them I think you'll all love the same one. We will all love it together. Amazon has a surprisingly large selection of some decent looking puzzle advent calendars.
2. O.K., yes to this shortbread calendar. A shortbread-a-day calendar you can have delivered to your front door which you can then hide from anyone else in your family until December 1st if you're a goody-goody. The rest of us will keep it hidden until all the cookie's are gone.
3. Bonne Maman preserves advent calendar with 12 mini jars of spreads. These are some of the flavours that jumped out at me: Apricot & Peach, Caramel & Coffee, Lemon & Elderflower, Strawberry & Rhubarb, Purple Fig w/ Cinnamon.
4. VEGAN chocolate advent calendar from No Whey. The same calendar is available in Canada from Well.ca
5. The SEXY advent calendar. Each day is a choice of 3 tasks from tame to what I think is supposed to be tantalizing, but probably comes off more as hilarious.
6. Bookish gifts for readers ... although from what I can tell there are no books. Just book related stuff.
7. A Chapstick advent calendar for anyone who gives you lip. Probably worth it for the Graham Cracker and Cotton Candy flavours alone.
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8. Yankee Candle company's votive advent calendar is expensive at $70US, but it's Yankee candles so they'll smell strong and they'll smell good. If you click through there are a few other less expensive candle advent calendars.
9. A mindfulness calendar that prompts you to slow your roll and smell the hot chocolate. A different mindfulness exercise from December 1st - 24th.
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0.The FRIENDS advent calendar with pictures, booklets and ornaments including the little gold peep hole frame.
Fill Your Own Calendars
Before you buy an empty advent calendar that you're going to fill yourself, pay attention to what you plan to put in it and how big the compartments are to make sure they'll fit.
- Reusable plaid bags with wood numbers you can hang from the mantle or stack in a pile. They look about the right size for Ferrero Roche chocolates.
2. Wood box with wood drawers calendar that can be refilled every year. I chose this one because the drawers are all different sizes to accommodate different things. (A lot of reusable advent calendars only have small square boxes)
The Cats & Dogs
1. I'm not entirely sure how it works, but this advent calendar includes 24 homemade dog treat recipes. It looks as though it's a series of recipe cards over 24 days.
2. The first advent calendar for cats to be approved by The Ginger Triplets.
3. This is a fillable cat calendar which makes it among the most versatile of the calendars. You can fill it with cat treats for your cat or cat tongues for a human friend.
4. Philip got this deluxe dog cookie advent calendar last year and we both loved it. All the cookies were beautiful. And I'm assuming delicious.
5.
When you're looking at any of these treat calendars you can also look at the total ounces of treats included. The cute hounds vintage calendar is more expensive, but has 4X more treats in it than the Milkbone calendar.
6. The best bark for your buck calendar for dogs goes to this one. Which unfortunately isn't available anywhere in Canada that I could find. For more pet advent calendar ideas in Canada try Petsmart where they have some good ones for $10-$20.
Under $15
( This pricing is based on the moment I made this list. )
Last Tips
- Check to see what is included in the calendar. Don't just blindly buy it thinking it will be chocolate, because it might be a bible verse under the door. Or a sticker.
- Look at the weight of what you're getting.
- Cheap advent calendars use cheap chocolate & expensive ones use better chocolate. This rarely deviates.
- Refillables are fun and instantly turn into tradition, plus you can put whatever you want in it. If your kid, or husband or self loves pickles, you can have a frigging pickle advent calendar if you want. You could fill it with incredibly thoughtful little gifts, or all different things that add up to one big present at the end. I'm all about options.
Having said that, I'd probably design my own refillable advent calendar so I could make it the size and style I wanted. At the very least that's what I'd plan on doing until I walked past a Ferrero Rocher calendar at the grocery store.
Anne Hogan
I heard Denninger's has cheese advent calendars... on my way now! :)
Ann Brookens
Thanks to this post, I just finished ordering Advent calendars for each of my kids and grandkids! I feel like we all need a daily hit of happy this year.
Karen
Excellent! I still need to order a few.😆 Tonight! I will get it done tonight. ~ karen!
Elise
These are fantastic, but I can't believe you didn't include the Exit The Game advent calendar, can you not get it in Canada/US? I'm awaiting delivery of my 4th annual version as we speak - it's like an Escape Room in advent calendar form and has become my most favourite Christmas tradition. Every evening I sit down with my latest Christmas-themed cocktail or a Christmas Pledge cookie and work out today's riddle. Look out for it :)
Karen
Thanks Karen - a shortbread calendar - who knew! Have paired with a teabag calendar (Pukka) for a moment to savour each day. Hopefully with greater success than Jill! Thought of you yesterday while picking the last flowers before heavy frosts - have you tried growing chrysanthemums? I think they may be the new dahlias - unfashionable yet beautiful. They are autumn flowering for us in the UK - not sure if you have enough of an autumn season for them to grow with you?
Karen
I love Chrysanthemums but people don't seem to grow them around here very much other than grocery store varieties that just get their plastic pots dropped into planters by the front door. It might be hard to find good varieties. The UK has a way better selection of them I'm sure. :) ~ karen!
Ann Brookens
Thanks to this post, I just finished ordering Advent calendars for each of my kids and grandkids! I feel like we all need a daily hit of happy this year.
Terry Rutherford
Just found your beautiful wooden refillable Advent calendar in Canada in Amazon.ca at
https://a.co/d/j1814yL
Your commission link should of course be used to access that!
Karen
Love advent calendars and you have excellent suggestions. The Bonne Maman calendar in Canada is available through London Drugs in Canada for 47$ for 25 mini jars plus shipping with free shipping over 75$. The same one is available at amazon.ca for $116. It was available at metro and other stores but is mostly sold out. I've bought it in the past and it is such a nice treat! Plus you have the cutest little jam jars to keep and can use for future DIY advent calendars. Thank you - Im going to look into your doggie advent calendars this year!
Karen
oops it has 24 jars!
Cara
You. have done a tremendous amount of work and found some lovely calendars. Also you have some great ideas here. Amazing.....
Thanks.
JillB
Last year, I had the Walkers Shortbread calendar. I had visions of having a cup of tea daily with shortbread, making sure I took a break in a busy month. That didn't happen. Occasionally I had shortbread while I did my advent puzzle (that is pretty fun!) but mostly I ended up with a bunch of shortbread at the end of the month.
My friend had the Bonne Maman jam calendar and posted pictures of her toast every day. That gave me a lot of toast envy, so this year, I have that calendar! We'll see if I have toast every day or if it ends up like the shortbread. :D
Leslie Messersmith
Thanks for this idea! I’ve been looking fir something fun for my son and his family. This has given me some great ideas. Karen, you rock!!
Amanda
After 8 advent?? Darn. Might have to fly to Canada next year just to buy one.
Terry Rutherford
This is a 10/10 post (but then which if yours isn’t!) I did in fact buy Adventure Calendars for everyone this year (glad to hear the shortbread one is good!). I found Purdy’s Chocolates had both vegan and regular calendars so everyone in my cousin’s family gets a whole one accommodated to them. I sent a tea one from Adagio Teas that is supposed to be good. And L’Occitane en Provence selected smellums went to anyone I know who liked to get a girly type surprise. Now you’ve guilted me into getting one for each dog, Hazel and Bruno. This research belongs in your Christmas Reminder Book with its own day! The wooden do-it-yourself box you found is gorgeous and I’ll have to consider how to justify this one more Advent calendar and what fun to put into it, perhaps for my honey. Thank you so much for this timely list of great suggestions!
Karen
Thanks Terry, I'm now going to add the L'Occitane advent calendar to the above list! ~ karen :)
Peggy Busch
So I really have no idea which calendar you loved. ….i spotted mine right away❤️
RandyP
Thanks for the gifting hints - I chose one of the Advent Calendar puzzles and sent it to my ex. She luvs jigsaw puzzles and Christmas..
Karen
That's awfully amicable of everyone involved. ~ karen!
RandyP
We've maintained a positive relationship though divorced for nearly 25 years. She lives in another State but we do regularly visit. Life is too short to harbor animosities in many cases. We were together for about 30 years, raised three kids and simply grew apart.