Tuesday 5 November 2019

FESTIVE: Advent Calendar Guide for the Whole Family 2019

Advent Calendar Guide for the Whole Family 2019
*Advertorial Content - Gifted Items
The world of advent calendars has changed quite a lot since my childhood when there were two options...chocolate or pictures. Nowadays the number of different advent calendars increases each year with many getting all the more extravagant, creative and impressive. It's so exciting to see what the new releases will be; there really is something for the whole family, gone have the days when advent calendars were just for children. We can now join in on the magic as the countdown to Christmas begins on December 1st, so I thought I'd put together a guide to some of the best advent calendars available on the market this year. It doesn't matter whether you're shopping for your little ones, loved ones or treating a friend; there is the perfect advent calendar out there for them and hopefully these will inspire you.

For Children
Aquabeads Advent Calendar (£20) - The very popular Aquabeads have released an advent calendar filled with festive fun that allows your children to create their very own Christmas decorations. Throughout December they'll discover the equipment to make fifteen different bead art pieces, including seven decorations. The best thing about this calendar is that it contains everything you need (layout trays, bead stands, sprayer and winter-themed background sheet) to create the different festive decorations, so it's the ideal way to introduce a child to Aquabeads too. 
 (This set doesn't include the beads to make a bumble bee, but I just wanted to show what the bead art looks like once it has been set with water.)
LEGO Friends Advent Calendar (£22.99) - Aren't all children big Lego fans at some point in their childhood? The versatile, imaginative and creative aspects make it ideal for a range of ages (adults included!), so a Lego advent calendar is ideal for children six years plus. Each year LEGO bring out a variety of different advent calendars and this year is no exception with Harry Potter, Star Wars, City and this Friends one amongst the collection. Behind each door you'll find a little festive figure to make, along with instructions on the door itself, including a snowflake, candy cane, Christmas tree, train, radio, snowman and mistletoe. These figures can then be added to your existing LEGO collection or used together to create a festive scene on the run up to Christmas.  
Christmas Ball Advent Calendar from Playmobil (£19.99) - Sparkling crystal, princess dresses and a Christmas feast is what your child can expect to find hidden behind the doors on the Christmas Ball Advent Calendar from playmobil. It's a magical scene that is created day by day throughout December, so it doesn't matter whether you already have a big playmobil collection or not. You're even provided with a scene backdrop, so your little one can truly let their imagination run wild. As with previous years playmobil do have a variety of advent calendars out for 2019, including the Jumbo Family Christmas, Santa's Workshop, 1.2.3 Christmas in the Woods, Top Agents, Horse Farm and Construction Site Fire Rescue
Advent Calendar 2019 from Smiggle (£28 - currently reduced to £18) - This advent calendar is a seriously impressive size and has 25 doors counting down all the way until Christmas Day. The festive design is adorable with many of our favourite Christmas figures featured within a magical snowglobe. Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects is that there are eight exclusive items within this advent calendar, so if you also have a big Smiggle fan then I'm sure they will be beyond excited to discover what they are. Plus you'll find a lucky ticket attached to the back in which you could win a £500 shopping spree at Smiggle...childhood dreams could come true! But if you're not one of the 30 lucky winners then you still have over £50 worth of Smiggle items to enjoy within the advent calendar throughout December, including a bag tag, pencil tube, ruler, spy pen, mini gel pens and rainbow pencil.  
Horse Farm Advent Calendar from Playmobil (£19.99) - If your child is a big fan of horse riding, likes playing with animals or always reaches for the playmobil then this is the advent calendar for them. As previously mentioned playmobil have a wide range of advent calendars for 2019 that appeal to a variety of interests. The Horse Farm is filled with riding instructors, children ready to ride the horses, stable fences, as well as flowers and ribbons for decorating the ponies. Again, I really like that everything children need to enjoy these playmobil figures is included within the advent calendar. There is a backdrop provided and plenty of accessories for children to play with using their imagination. 
For Him
Christmas Beard Oil Advent Calendar from The Bearded Man Co. (£32) - This is the advent calendar for the bearded man in your life, as it is filled with 24 different scents of The Bearded Man Co. natural beard oils. Each of their beard oils is made in small batches with no nasties, are not tested on animals and use high quality natural ingredients; making their whole range of beard products really stand out on the market. They also have an impressive range of scents available and this advent calendar is the ideal way to sample each of them without committing to a single scent. Behind each door you'll find a new dose of conditioning oil for your or your loved ones beard, so come Christmas Day it will be in the best condition it ever has been!
24 Day Man Sized Advent Calendar (£19.99) from Man's Stuff - Man's Stuff have created an advent calendar that is filled with skincare, body care and accessories for 24 days on the run up to Christmas. I found that a lot of the advent calendars aimed at men only had 12 days, so it is such a treat to find one that had treats throughout December. Behind each of the doors they'll find a very generous travel sized products, including hair & body wash, face moisturiser, comb, bath fizzer and body scrub. 
For Her
Dream Big This Christmas Deluxe Advent Calendar from The Body Shop (£65) - This year The Body Shop have released three advent calendars across a range of price points: Beauty (£45), Deluxe (£65) and Ultimate (£99). I think it's really good to see that they are trying to cater for a range of budgets and as with a lot of advent calendars the contents are worth a lot more than the price to buy. For example, the Deluxe (seen here) is £65, but the contents are actually worth £125 so if you're a big fan of The Body Shop's products then it can be a more affordable way to stock up on your favourites and perhaps discover some new ones too. Personally, I think The Body Shop is seriously underrated as a brand; their range of skincare and body care is incredible, they're cruelty-free and more often than not have very generous offers running across their website and in stores. The first thing you'll notice when receiving the Deluxe Advent Calendar is quite how beautiful it is. The packaging, design and execution are all exquisite with such a festive theme and it is incredibly sturdy too. You could most definitely reuse this advent calendar in future years, as the quality is built to last. Inside you'll find 25 treats ranging from skincare to make-up to body care, including Rose Dewy Face Mist, Mango Fragranced Bath Bomb, Aloe Calm Sheet Mask and Strawberry Lip Butter. I don't want to give too much away, but if you are keen to find out the full list of contents then you can do on their website.
 Wreath Advent Calendar from Yankee Candle (£24.99) - Aren't candles just perfect at this time of year? Their twinkling glow through the dark evenings make everything feel really cosy, so opening up a new Yankee Candle tealight each day throughout December is perfect. Yankee Candle has three advent calendars on offer this year covering a range of budgets, including the Book Advent Calendar for £34.99 and the online exclusive Tower Advent Calendar for £79.99. The Wreath Advent Calendar is the most afforable option with 24 tealights and one clear glass tealight holder. There are eight different scents across the tealights, including Christmas Magic, After Sledding, Evergreen Mist, Pomegrante Gin Fizz, Candlelit Cabin, Cinnamon Stick, Christmas Cookie and Snowflake Cookie. If you're a big Yankee Candle fan like me then you'll recognise quite a few of their infamous festive scents there. 
For Foodies
Gourmet Popcorn Advent Calendar from Joe & Seph's (£25) - If you or someone you know likes popcorn then they absolutely must try Joe & Seph's offerings because it is out of this world. Their flavour range is constantly expanding in unique and wonderful ways, including speculoos, strawberry cheesecake, peanut butter, mint chocolate, marmite, cheddar cheese & onion, cheese on toast, honey & hazelnut, lemon & poppyseed, mojito, espresso martini, mince pie...just to name a few. The Gourmet Popcorn Advent Calendar is the way to discover new flavours, enjoy a sweet popcorn treat each day throughout December and introduce a loved one to Joe & Seph's if they've not tried their popcorn before. Behind each of the 24 doors you'll find a snack sized packed of artisan popcorn in 12 unique flavours, such as salted caramel, caramel & white chocolate, strawberries & cream, double chocolate and banoffee pie. I really like the packaging too with the festive window scenes and doors on all four sides. 
 Christmas Advent Calendar from Swizzels (£5) - Swizzels is the home of retro sweets for many of us with classics including refreshers, drumsticks, palma violets and fizzers. This is a really fun advent calendar option that is filled with mini sweets each day...what a treat! The festive house design helps to make any area of your home feel that bit more Christmassy and is a good afforadable option for those loved ones with a sweet tooth. 
 Milk Chocolate Cheeky Elf Advent Calendar from Thorntons (£6) - Thorntons have four advent calendars available this year, some designs are aimed more at adults and others at children, but all filled with their delicious milk or white chocolate. A really nice touch is that you can get them personalised with the lucky recepients name making it an extra thoughtful advent calendar option. A fun addition to this Cheeky Elf Advent Calendar is that when you open it up you'll find a Christmas Quiz and there's an Elf Drop Game on the back.
Coffee Advent Calendar Christmas Selection from Yawn (£22) - Yawn Brew is a craft brew collective that believe your brew should be bold and certainly never boring. They make small batch tea, coffee and hot chocolate that all use the highest quality ingredients. Their Coffee Advent Calendar is filled with 24 different proper craft coffees all in beautifully designs festive packets and available in either Omni-Grind or whole bean. Throughout December you'll be taken on a worldwide tour of coffee featuring The Colombian, Daterra Sweet Yellow, Ethopian Limu, Costa Rica Honey Prep, Kenya AA, Indian Tiger and Peru 1PM.  

 Hot Chocolate Advent Calendar MugCocoa from Yawn (£20) - The second advent calendar Yawn have to offer for 2019 is this seriously moreish Hot Chocolate Advent Calendar. Their drinking chocolate is made with real flakes of real Belgian chocolate meaning every day on the run up to Christmas you can snuggle up and enjoy a warm mug of cocoa...winter perfection. The small batch blends included are: Pumpkin Spice, Salted Caramel, Santa Spice, Dark, Chilli Willy, Bah Humbug, Terry's Mug, Campfire Marshmallow, Cinnamon Socks, Enchanted Forest, Xmas Pud and Can't Catch Me. 
Tea Advent Calendar from Yawn (£20) - The final advent calendar from Yawn is their new seasonal blends of loose leaf tea with each sachet containing enough for two cups of tea. You'll also find a brew and tasting guide, so that you can decide which is your favourite at the end of the month. All you'll need is a ball infuser, infuser mug or brew filter biodegradeable tea bags to enjoy each days offerings, which include the following blends: Vanilla Cinnamon, Ruby Choc Mint, Spiced Orange, Maple Kind, Frosted Fruit, Cranberry, Caramel Roobis and Gingerbread to name a few. 
Christmas Advent Calendar RED 2019- 24 Drawers from Wally & Whiz (40 euros) - Wally and Whiz have created one winegum that can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of religion or cultural preference. Their delicious range of flavoured winegums are vegan, free from artificial colours or flavours, lactose free, gluten free and gelatin free. Their heritage in the Scandinavian culture means that they use clean, fresh and natural ingredients that are unique, such as turmeric, rosehips, pine shoots and anisisop. Wally & Whiz have four advent calendars on offer this year: Green, Red, Limited Edition Gold and Big. The design of their advent calendars is so clever, sleek and quirky, all of which take you on a culinary journey through tasty flavour combinations with a Christmas twist. Some of the flavours you can expect to find inside the RED advent calendar are: apple with gooseberry, apple with yuzu, blackcurrant with strawberry, elderflower with ginger, peach with pear and lime with orange. The perfect advent calendar for someone with a sweet tooth that would love a sophisticated, unique twist. 
Endangered Animals Chocolate Advent Calendar (£24) from Quirky Gift Library - Small batch chocolate making is what Quirky Gift Library specialise in, which becomes instantly evident when you taste their incredibly delicious artisan chocolates. When it comes to advent calendars they have the whole family covered with their unique range, including: 24 Day Pub Crawl Craft Beer Chocolate Advent CalendarChocolate Whisky Advent Calendar, Reuseable Chocolate Advent Calendar and Eat Your Greens Chocolate Sprouts Advent Calendar. Also within their collection is this Endangered Animals Chocolate Advent Calendar, which has a solid milk chocolate brussels sprout that has been hand-rolled in white chocolate behind each door. The array of beautiful yet endangered Artic animals that cover the front of this advent calendar make is perfect for children, animal lovers or simply someone who enjoys seriously moreish high-quality chocolate.

Eat Your Greens Chocolate Advent Calendar (£24) from Quirky Gift Library - Do you know someone who needs to eat more greens? This fun advent calendar is perhaps a more grown up version of the Endangered Animals Advent Calendar from Quirky Gift Library. It may not get your loved one actually eating more greens, but they will be treated to a delicious handmade solid chocolate brussels sprout each day on the run up to Christmas. It's impressive quite how realistic the chocolate brussels sprouts look without taste being compromised in the slightest, in fact because they are made in small batches you are always getting the highest quality chocolate with such attention to detail. You can also get any of the Quirky Gift Library Advent Calendars from notonthehighstreet gift wrapped for an additional £2.50, which is really convenient if you're sending it directly to the lucky recepient.

Café Tasse Advent Calendar (£12.99) from Sous Chef - 'Napolitains' are the signature little tablets of Belgian chocolate that are served with coffee on the continent and is what you'll find nestled behind each of the 24 doors in this Cafe Tasse Advent Calendar from Sous Chef. Cafe Tasse is a family run business that use cocoa beans from Africa and South America, then combine them with pure cocoa butter to create a silky-smooth texture that gently melts in the mouth. You'll find a combination of milk, white and dark Belgian chocolate throughout Decemeber that are combined with an array of interesting flavours, including hazelnut, earl grey tea and coconut. 
Protein Ball Christmas Advent Calendar (£19.99) from The Protein Ball Co. - A healthier advent calendar choice is brought to you by The Protein Ball Co., who have brought back their very popular advent calendar and this time made it vegan too. Each day on the run up to Christmas you'll be treated to a tasty protein ball in a variety of different flavours, all of which are high in protein, GMO/Wheat/Soy/Gluten free, have no added sugar, vegan, high in fibre and all natural. This is a limited edition advent calendar, so if you want one then order today because once they're gone, they're gone! 

Have you got your eye on a certain advent calendar this year?

Feel free to leave a comment - I love reading every single one :)

Helen x
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20 comments

  1. I never get myself an advent calendar but I love the idea of a coffee one.

    Thank you for some fabulous ideas x x

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  2. This post is amazing, super handy to know what you're buying too as sometimes inside can be utter rubbish!

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  3. I really enjoyed looking through this though it made me want them all (ok maybe not the beard one, I don't have a beard haha) But I love the Aqua Beads on, what a great idea to make the decorations over christmas :)

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  4. I had no idea there were so many advent calendars.

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  5. What an aamazing selection you have chosen there. I was looking at the Yankee Candle one the other day in the shop, but I think I'd like the Bodyshop one for me! Mich x

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  6. What a fab guide. We had lego friends last year which my daughter loved but we may be tempted to Smiggle it this year seeing as she's really getting into her stationery.

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  7. Wow, there are so man great advent calendars. The eat your greens sounds like a fun one lol. I'd love the cafe tasse one.

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  8. It is absolutely amazing all the different advents you can get these days! I still need to try and sort one out for Ash at some point while I have a crystal one in order for myself.

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  9. I love a good advent calendar! These are fab!! We have had a few Playmobil ones over the years and love them, the kids still have all the pieces to them now.

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  10. Wow I never knew there was so much variety, I mean I knew there were skincare calendars but I didn't know there were coffee and tea ones, which I might get for my partner and housemate. I love the Joe & Seph popcorn one which I'm tempted to get for myself this year rather than chocolates, thanks for sharing I loved reading all about them!

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  11. We usually just do chocolate calendars. These are all really lovely options though.

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  12. Those are all interesting and wonderful looking advent calendars. I'd love to get some of those and give some to my friends as well. I'm sure they would love this.

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  13. So many great advent calendars, my eldest always used to get the lego friends one when she was a bit younger now she likes beauty ones. x

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  14. There are so many advent calendars out there at the moment and it can be a bit of mine field. I love the body Shop calendar, although I've opted for a mixture one by treat box which will have lifestyle, home, beauty and more which I can't wait for as I loved last year x

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  15. That beard calendar is bloody brilliant! But if I were to pick one for me it would be all about the Thorntons chocolates.

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  16. Wow, I didn't realise just how many non chocolate calendars are available now! My kids would love the Playmobil and LEGO ones.

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  17. I have a really nice read in this article. This is have so much information. And your guide is really awesome. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post.

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  18. These are fantastic alternatives to the chocolate advent calendars... thanks for sharing. :)

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  19. These are all great, and it's really cool to see a post that has so many on one page. I am really taken with the Smiggle one as my kids love it!

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  20. My children get Hotel Chocolat calendars every year from their Aunty. My husband and I tend to not have one tbh.

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