Advent Calendars are one of our favorite ways to count down to the Holidays. It’s a Holiday tradition I remember fondly as a child. We had one of those felt calendars with pockets for each day. In each pocket was a tiny stuffed felt ornament that we hung on a little Christmas tree. As we got closer to Christmas, the tree became more and more decorated with stuffed candy canes, angels, trees, elves, bells and the like.

These days, though, I like my advent calendars filled with treats. I thought I’d share some of my favorites this year, as I did a TON of hunting and researching to find the perfect advent for everyone on my shopping list. My main mission was to find an advent calendar that didn’t have any filler boxes. I didn’t want to burden the recipients with tchotchkes.

This was harder than it sounds.

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For the Dudes

Can I just first express my frustration with the lack of Advent Calendars for avid Golfers? It seems like a sport with so many little parts and accessories would be easy to outfit, but I kept searching and hunting with no luck! Anyhow, most of the men of our family like good tools and good whiskey. Since we’re all particular about quality, and it’s so easy get cheap items in an advent, I searched especially long and hard to find advent calendars that were filled with quality products. I found these three that met the criteria.

Wera Tools 24-Piece Advent Calendar

Wera has always been a favorite and trusted manufacturer of hand tools, so I was very excited to see they had an Advent Calendar! It includes a special wrench designed for tight spaces, their classic screwdriver which I can confirm fits very comfortably in your hand, their iconic bottle opener--which is a fun addition, and more. These tools are honestly built to last and would satisfy any snooty tool enthusiast.

Retails for $80

I got mine at Tool Time Supply

All American Whiskey & Bourbon Tasting Advent Calendar

There are plenty of whiskey advent calendars that are chalk full of “small batch” or “craft” distilleries. These are probably great for someone who’s just starting to get into the spirit. But for someone who has developed a keen palate; and who hunts for the rare stuff, I think the All American Whiskey & Bourbon Advent is a perfect choice. It has quite a few hard-to-find samples of offerings from Buffalo Trace Distillery, which is considered by many to be the cream of the crop (They’re the same folks who produce the allusive Pappy Van Winkle.) The small batch samples included are top-quality. There’s only a small handful of samples I’ve never heard of, which is just enough to keep it interesting. Overall, I think any American Whisky lover will be happy with this selection.

Retails for $183

I got mine from The Spirit Co.

Old & Rare Whiskey Advent Calendar

If rare Scotch is more your jam, and you have a larger budget, this is a very impressive offering. While the samples aren’t exclusively from Scotland, they do make up the majority, and they all are special drams indeed. The advent comes with a beautiful glencairn whiskey glass, which is a nice touch.

Retails for $1,147

I got mine from The Spirit Co.

For the Ladies

The ladies in my family really love cooking, baking, and pampering. While there was a good selection of quality advents in the pampering category, it was harder than I thought to find a good cooking/baking advent calendar. Most came with cheap tools or items that any adult would already have stocked in their kitchen. But I did find a few that I am very happy with.

Bonne Maman Jam & Marmalade Advent Calendar

I admit this is very specific. 23 fruit spreads and 1 honey. But if you have the right recipient, the quality and deliciousness of Bonne Maman can’t be beat. Their products are made simply and slowly, with high quality ingredients, and each product usually tops off around 6 or less ingredients. This truly gives their fruit spreads a home-made taste that I know your recipient will love.

Retails for $40

I got mine direct at Bonne Maman

XO Marshmallow Advent Calendar

Who doesn’t love delicious Marshmallows? I know my chef-sister does! While I haven’t tried this brand yet, she highly recommends XO Marshmallows and even requested it on her Christmas List. The online reviews are glowing and I’m tempted to get myself one . This Advent includes 24 different marshmallow flavors and a quick browse on their site proves you won’t be disappointed! They sell out every year—so don’t hesistate!

Retails for $55

I got mine directly at XO Marshmallow

Sweetapolita Sprinkle Advent Calendar

This is another baker’s advent that is so fun and specific! Opening a daily box of unique and beautiful sprinkles during prime cookie-baking-season has me very excited to see what my recipient does with these! The sprinkles offered by Sweetapolita are truly gorgeous and turn any cookie into a stunning (and tasty) ornament. I can attest that the packaging is gorgeous in person and really gives a high-value impression.

Retails for $120

I got mine directly at Sweetapolita

Voluspa 12 Day Candle Advent Calendar

I love Voluspa’s coconut wax candles. They are so indulgent and scented wonderfully. This set includes 12 of their best-selling and seasonal fragrances, plus a hidden gold-plated wick trimmer. The Advent came packaged very well, arrived safely and looks stunning. The one thing I don’t like is that it’s only a 12-day advent. All my other gifts are 24-day advents and I hate to think of my recipient sitting out the first few weeks without a box to open. But the candles are substantial with a 25-hour burn time for each, so I suppose 24 candles might be a little much. In any case, I am still very happy with my purchase!

Retails for $150

I got mine directly at Voluspa

FOR THE KIDDOS

The kids were super easy to shop for. There’s lots of options out there so I’ll just highlight my top 3.

Funko Advent Calendar: Marvel Holiday 2022

This 24-day advent is perfect for my 4-year old nephew. Each box contains a Funko Pocket Pops Marvel Character (Heroes and Villains) dressed up in Holiday attire. The box wasn’t in perfect condition, but I doubt he’ll notice the tiny corner-ding.

Retails for $45

I got mine at Target

LOL Surprise Advent Calendar

Perfect for my 6-year old niece, this Advent Calendar includes a limited edition LOL Doll plus 24 fashion pieces. The pieces include dresses, shoes, and accessories for tons of mix-and-match dress-up fun daily! The Advent Calendar itself looks impressive with 3-tiers that give it a pop-up book vibe. Currently on sale for $26!

Retails for $30

I got mine directly at LOL Surprise

Disney: Storybook Collection Advent Calendar 2022

Is there a better Holiday tradition than reading a Christmas book every night? We love to encourage reading amongst our little family members and this advent is perfect fun for everyone. It includes 24, 24-page books (both Holiday-themed and non). The books feature familiar Disney and Pixar characters. One common review note to mention is that in years past it wasn’t uncommon to accidently receive a duplicate book. We haven’t opened ours yet, so I’m not sure if this glitch has been fixed, but we’ll be prepared with a stand-by story to read in case this happens.

Retails for $32

I got mine at Amazon

MAKE YOUR OWN ADVENT

While I was trying desperately to avoid this route, I ended up making one advent calendar for my mom. I just couldn’t find the right combination for her. I found the perfect empty advent calendar made by one of her favorite home décor designers, and I went on a mission to fill the boxes.

I stuck with a theme—which was tea. She’s particular about her tea and doesn’t do much caffeine--which is why it was hard to find an advent that fit her perfectly. I found specialty tea and accessories easily. I even added a few bath-teas since she indulges in a long bath occasionally. Some of the boxes have hot chocolate and marshmallows and some have little cookies to eat with tea.

It was difficult to make sure each gift would fit in the little boxes. So I decided to put those gifts in small bags with lettered tags. I’m going to tuck a corresponding lettered tag in the box itself. So some of the advent boxes will contain a tag with a letter on it, and there’ll be a basket full of treat bags with corresponding tags for her to unwrap on those days. Shopping for each goodie and wrapping the ones that don’t fit has been time consuming and more expensive than the advents listed above. But I know she’ll love the extra thought and effort.

This is the empty advent calendar I found. It’s expensive but it’s hand-painted, made out of wood, matches her house décor and I know she’ll cherish it every year. You flip the numbered boxes around each day to complete the tree. It’s a very festive touch.

MacKenzie-Childs Tannenbaum Advent Calendar

Retails for $148

I got mine at Neiman Marcus

That’s a wrap on the extent of my research--I hope it helps someone else out there! I spent hours looking for good quality gifts that weren’t stuffed with knick-knacks. It wasn’t easy but I think I did a pretty good job!

Do you Advent?