If you’re new here, you might not know my affinity for Advent calendars, but long time Shorties will know that these calendars are one of my favorite parts of the holiday season!
Sometimes, Christmas day has the tendency to feel like a letdown. There is so much build-up for just one day that I find myself feeling blue once it’s all over. To combat that, I work on making magic all month long, rather than waiting for the big day.
We’ve rounded up the perfect calendars for everyone and we recently discussed the advent calendars we’re looking forward to for ourselves on an episode of Long Story Short the Podcast!
http://meganandwendy.com/feed/podcastThis post was updated in 2021.
We do that with annual events like our holiday party, our tradition of visiting Santa and then a fun dinner out as a family, and also with several Advent calendars. Yes, our family has more than one calendar. Several years ago my mom bought calendars for the kids and makes it an annual tradition to fill them. My husband and I decided that we wanted in on this game, so we bought a giant calendar for the whole family which we share, so everyone gets six gifts throughout the month.
Everyone looks forward to that calendar, even when it’s not their day. They ooh and ahh over our new ornaments, favorite candies and occasionally a big-ticket holiday activity, like tickets to a show.
While our calendars are the collectible, fill-it-yourself variety, so many companies have gotten in on the Advent calendar game and there are pre-filled calendars for just about everyone’s tastes. We’ve rounded up some of our very favorites below.
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Scroll or jump to any of our calendar categories!
Advent Calendars for Pets
Beauty Advent Calendars
Food & Drink Advent Calendars
Crafty Advent Calendars
Advent Calendars for Teens & Tweens
Advent Calendars for Kids
Collectible Advent Calendars
Advent Calendars for Pets
Yep, for your PET. Even Trader Joe’s is getting in on the pet advent calendar game this year, although you’ll have to go in-store to find those. There’s no reason your furry friends should be left out of the holiday fun! Maybe the reason your cat is so mean is that you always leave him off of your holiday list, hmmmm?
Beauty Advent Calendars
For makeup lovers, beauty advent calendars are such a fun way to get more of your favorites, try new products, and just have fun. We will continue to add to this section as more and more beauty calendars are released. These tend to sell out quickly, so if you see one you want, order now!
George and Viv 24 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar – Beauty advent calendars can get pricey, but this one really delivers on the value. The products are all nicely sized – not a foil packet sample to be seen!
Macy’s 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar – There’s nothing flashy about this calendar, but it’s full of recognizable brands and decently sized products for under $50. Don’t let it slide under your radar!
Advent Calendars for Teens & Tweens
Holiday Vibes Calendar from Sephora – Full of products from the Sephora Collection, this affordable calendar is perfect for the makeup newbie in your house.
Advent Calendar Chocolate Mold – Keep them busy and let them DIY their own advent treats!
Food & Drink Countdown Calendars
Sometimes we just don’t want more STUFF in our this. That makes these food and drink calendars so fun because they are consumable. One cup of coffee or sweet treat per day and when you’re done, it’s GONE. This year’s selections are even better with both a popcorn and a fudge advent calendar available.
Popcorn Advent Calendar – Full of everything you need for your own popcorn party
Cookie Making Advent Calendar – Ingredients and supplies to bake your heart out!
12 Days of Sipping – Wendy, our resident tea lover, is planning to go back and get this one!
Bonne Maman Advent Calendar – Don’t sleep on this option! Everyone loves the charming mini jam jars!
Craft & Activity Calendars to Countdown to Christmas
If you’ve got someone who loves to craft, this is a fun way to get them some new supplies. As far as we can tell the available options are geared toward neeleworkers and paper planner people. There are a LOT of yarn advent calendars on Etsy – we’ve linked just one, but think this is just such a fun idea!
Stitch-A-Day Advent Calendar – Wow, this makes me wish I had an ounce of stitching talent.
24 Days of Christmas Puzzle – A 200 piece puzzle that comes together throughout the month of December!
Meri Meri Winter Wonderland Calendar – Each day reveals a new piece of the winter village – all crafted out of paper.
Advent Calendars for Kids
Fidget Advent Calendar – So 2021
Playmobil Advent Calendar – I am newly obsessed with these calendars annually.
Squishie Calendar – Go ahead, make their day with this calendar chock full of sticky squishies.
Christmas Village Calendar – Put together a new section of this village every day!
Collectible Calendars to Use Every Holiday Season
