3 super cool advent calendars

As you know, the run up to Christmas is my very best bit. Come Christmas afternoon I am done, but the eight weeks or so beforehand are magical. I love the anticipation, buying presents, eating mince pies – all of it. I’ve drunk an entire bottle of sherry already. (Not in one go.) Advent calendars then are big for me. We have a candle too, although I do sometimes forget it for a couple of days and then have to frantically burn it for an entire day to catch up.

There has been a noticeable trend over the last few years away from the boring old cardboard advent calendars to more exciting, indulgent varieties. Playmobil and Lego versions are popular, but the trend has expanded into other areas too, noticeably alcohol (yay!) and make-up.

I thought I’d pick out three of my favourite advent calendars for you, on different themes, in case you fancied treating yourself this year.

Luxury chocolate advent calendar from Godiva

This one is more traditional in that it’s chocolate, but this is not one of your crappy Poundland chocolate advent calendars, where the chocolate tastes a little bit of plastic and despair – this is the daddy of chocolate advent calendars. 25 of your finest Godiva chocolates, including things like ‘the Eclat Feuilletine, which boasts the appreciation of crispy feuilletine pieces that contrast sublimely with smooth praline.’

You know it must be good if you don’t even know what the words mean.

House of Fraser beauty advent calendar

There are masses of beauty advent calendars about this year, but this is one of my favourites because the make-up products are actually decent House of Fraser beauty products, (rather than rubbish samples of hand cream or things like that that you just won’t use), but it’s also not a million pounds, like some of the beauty advent calendars are. £25 seems like a real bargain for everything in this one.

Virgin Wines wine advent calendar

Wine! Every day! For nearly a whole month! Well it is Christmas after all.

Behind every door in the Virgin Wines advent calendar is a generous glass of something delicious, and although it’s a little bit more money at £69.99, when you think about what you get for that, it’s a really good deal. Because fiancé works away during the week, I really like the whole concept of mini bottles of wine. I don’t drink loads, and if I do fancy a glass of wine of an evening, I don’t especially want to have a to open a whole bottle just for myself. This way you get a nice little treat, without the headache.

Your neighbours might wonder what’s going on if they look into your recycling, but if they give you funny looks it’s just jealousy.

Have you got your advent calendars lines up already? If not, why not treat yourself to one of these?

Disclosure – I was sent these calendars to try out for the purposes of this post, but I chose them, and then asked for them. It’s not like I was offered three things and then pretended they were my favourites. That would be cheating.