Features gifted items
With everything going on in the world, I feel like this year, more than ever, an advent calendar will make all the difference when it comes to festive cheer in the lead up to Christmas. I have rounded up some alternative, and slightly more traditional, advent calendars on the market this year. Enjoy!
Coffee
The Beanies Advent calendar* is one that I featured last Christmas as well. Beanies Coffee is sugar free, only 2 calories a cup, gluten, dairy and nut free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. This year’s calendar is filled with 44 Beanies stick sachets (2 per day, in assorted flavours), and includes a travel mug and two jars of Beanies Christmas flavoured coffees, making it a great gift for a loved one who loves their coffee!
Chocolate
You can’t go wrong with a chocolate advent calendar and these Divine calendars* in Milk and Dark chocolate versions, are as delicious as they are beautiful in their deigns. As well as this, they are fairtrade, which makes them an ethical choice this Christmas.
Looking for something personalised? This photo upload advent calendar* from Getting Personal can have any name added, alongside a message of your choice on the back and your own image on the front.
Sweets
The Haribo advent calendar is my childhood dream. Behind each door is a miniature packet of Haribo sweets – perfectly sized for little ones (although I’m tempted to keep this all for myself).
Beauty
The Boots No7 calendar is one that I absolutely love. It sells out super quick, so it is advisable to sign up for their pre-sale alert in advance. The calendar is one of the most affordable beauty calendars I have found, and packed full of all the No7 hero products.
You probably know by now that I am a huge Friends fan, so this fun Friends advent calendar* from Mad Beauty is right up my street. Filled with 12 beauty goodies behind each window, the calendar has the yellow peep hole frame, which detaches to keep & use elsewhere. It is perfect for any Friends fan.
Children’s
Looking for something that isn’t chocolate for your little one? The Melissa and Doug advent calendar* is a great alternative and sure to build excitement in the lead up to the big day.
Another great option for children is the Aquabeads advent calendar*, which has templates to make 15 festive designs. This calendar doubles up as a fun indoor activity for those cold December days, with string to turn the designs into decorations.
Paw Patrol is a firm favourite with Benjamin so this Paw Patrol advent calendar is going to be well loved.
Lego
Our household is big on Lego, so it will come as no surprise that the older two kids always opt for the Lego advent calendars. This year they have the Harry Potter and Star Wars calendars, and I love how excited they are each morning, seeing what is behind each door and spending time building them before school.
Candles
A fantastic alternative to an advent calendar is an advent candle*. This gorgeous candle from Kindred Fires is perfect to light each evening in the run up to Christmas, to count down the days whilst getting cosy in front of a festive film.
The 1102 Candles Wax Melt advent calendars would make a lovely treat. You can choose between 12 or 24 days, and enjoy the soy wax melts, filling your home with their gorgeous scents this December.
Popcorn
Not a big fan of chocolate? Why not opt for the Popcorn Shed advent calendar* instead this year? You can choose their standard calendar (I tried this last December and was not disappointed) or this Free From version, which is Dairy and Gluten free and suitable for vegans. The flavours sound absolutely delicious – I cannot wait to get stuck in!
Music
Something a little unique – the Personalised Spotify advent calendar* from Prezzybox allows you to countdown to Christmas with some of the best songs of all time. Behind each door is a popular Christmas track, sure to get you in the festive spirit as the days go by! You can personalise the calendar with the name of your choice, making it a lovely gift idea.
Dairy Free
This So Free Smooth advent calendar is wheat, gluten and milk free, as well as being less than 4% sugar, which means it is the perfect alternative calendar for those on a restrictive diet this Christmas.
Items with an asterisk* have been gifted for the purpose of this post, however all words and images are my own.
