Advent calendars have been around for a long, long time and were initially printed. The first of this
kind was printed by a chap called Gerhard Lang in Munich. This revelation was made in the early
1900s. No longer did children have to make do with candles or time lines.

It took people some forty or fifty years to realize what was missing from these printed calendars too.
Partially thanks to the great wars and rationing, people were ready to indulge in those things that
were not readily available by the time the fifties made an appearance.

The 1950s saw the emergence of the first chocolate calendars which resemble those that are sold on
the high street today.

Now we celebrate the countdown to Christmas with a chocolate advent calendar which is foil fresh,
attractive and fun. Advent calendars come in all different shapes and sizes. Whether you want a
picture of a celebrity, a Christmas cartoon, a traditional scene or decorations, there is bound to be a
design that suits you.

Think about having a calendar at work. This is something that might help December trundle along
quite nicely, not only will it make your desk festive, it will mean you get that elevenses chocolate
everyday for twenty four days.

If you do not fancy a gaudy design but rather indulgent chocolate, look to more luxurious
chocolate retailers. This might be more pricey than those readily available next to the checkout
in the local shop but they will offer extravagant designs and melt in the mouth chocolate.

Calendars can be as expensive or as cheap as you choose. There is such a host available on the
market that the choice is yours. The best thing though is that ladies, ditch your diets, it’s the only
time of year you can prescribe yourself a daily dose of cocoa without feeling the guilt.

There are so many ideas to be had when deciding what to make your advent calendar look like.  Think about space first of all.  Advent calendars can double up as fantastic Christmas decorations too.  If you are adventurous you could make a giant snowman or a Santa clause.  This might be tricky to work out but with the use of balloons and papier-mâché, the advent world is your Christmas oyster.

For the less adventurous of us, I suggest making a series of little boxes.  There are so many ways you can dress them up!  Firstly how about creating a nativity (or buying one) and placing 24 presents around the stable.  Each can be different; one can be dressed as the star, another three as gold frankincense and myrrh, a few hay bales, a couple of troughs, and some extra gifts for good measure.  If you are particularly interested you could even insert the models as the characters arrive in the Christmas story.  If you want a 25^th gift, place it in the manger ready to be opened on Christmas day.

Alternatively your boxes could all be presents and placed under a mini artificial Christmas tree.  Each could contain a little decoration to pop on the tree.   These could be homemade or bought (make sure you slip in some chocolate too though).

If you fancy something a little different, create a snowy street; Make your boxes into little houses by giving them triangular lids.  Then paint them, possibly like little Tudor homes.  Open each box by taking the lid off and replacing it after the chocolate is safe in your tummy.  Use artificial snow and even mini battery powered fairy lights to make it realistic – you can be as creative as you wish.

Alternatively pop your parcels on a sleigh and add a model Rudolph for good measure – the possibilities are endless.

This Christmas, be green and as much as you don’t like recycling in the cold and wet, think of those
monkeys. Think about buying cards which are made from recycled card. Many cards are now made
from recycled paper even if they cannot be recycled themselves.

In turn these cards could be utilized again. Don’t throw them away but cut out the images on the
front of the card for your craft box. If you don’t own such a thing, maybe try it out and see how
making your own greeting cards take your fancy. If this is still not your cup of tea, compile your bag
of cards and send them with the kids to the art department at school. I am sure the art teacher will
be more than happy to utilize them in projects even if it has to wait until next year.

Recycle cards where you can. Take them to a recycling bank or into a charity that is running a
campaign to collect used cards. Many charities will do this and take all sorts of Christmas waste
from you during the festive season.

Of course you could send cards by email and online so as to save the paper. This is very friendly but
not very fun or personal. I do not feel the world is ready for going paperless just yet; we still like the
idea of the cards dropping on the doormat or on our desks at Christmastime. Emails take very little
effort and so many people are not convinced by them in that they are a cheap and easy cop-out. If
you must send such cards make sure they are individual (mail shots will cause the fat lady to sing).

Cards are a tradition that will eventually go online I am sure but for now we need to be aware of the
paper we use in sending them and simply be sensible about it.

If you fancy dabbling more with your needle than you do a pencil or glue, head to some material
shops. You can find fabulous ideas in sewing pattern books for decorations of all kinds. You could
create small gifts to send to distant friends and relatives with their cards, create advent calendars or
card holders, stockings, the opportunities are endless. You can buy felt from any good craft stores
too along with buttons, sequins, fabric, material glue and of course needles and cotton. If you are
more experienced then there are many projects which you can have a go at using your machine too.

If you are more of a paper fan than a fabric one, look towards crafting magazines and websites.
Some magazines will come with free gifts and websites will offer you step by step ideas for creating
Christmas cards, decorations and more. For your paper crafting supplies look towards the shopping
channels. As twee as they appear, they have some great demonstrations by professional crafters.
This way you can learn about different techniques and know exactly what to buy too; the shopping
channels often have good deals on too. Similarly, find out where and when your local craft show is.
There will be demonstration stands galore, perfect for the amateur and expert crafters alike.

Crafting has taken off in a big way in the last few years. This means that now you can find a whole
array of materials on the market. You can head to your local art and craft store for supplies although
now many large department stores have begun to stock various paper crafting tools.

Have a look around and price up your tools. Remember that while these are cheap on the internet,
you cannot always see them or have ago yourself. Also, if you are new to crafting, pick a project
like Christmas cards and buy supplies enough to make this year’s cards; it is very easy to get carried
away.

Why not get your friends over for an evening in and see what festive creations you can muster up.
You can fill your calendar – literally with lots of fun activities to do. Why not set aside a day for
making tea light holders from jars, another for making your Christmas card garlands, maybe a day
in November to perfect your homemade advent calendar and a day for baking. That is a lot of ‘you’
time listed there. You can be creative and relax all at the same time.

One tip is to be organized with the Christmas chores. Get your cards sent early, order your pressies
online before the rush, buy your Christmas party dress before the shops get crowded then sit back
with your mulled wine safe with the knowledge that others are battling the Christmas crowds.

This advent don’t just treat yourself to chocolate (although this is a very good idea) treat yourself to
you time too.

In order to arrange this fun filled advent, designate your calendar month of December to the cause
or even better print off a blank calendar month of December from your computer, decorate it
then pin it up for all to see and gradually insert your Christmas activities. Stick to it too, after all
you always keep up with your chocolate habit. Decorate it so that it in itself becomes a Christmas
decoration and if you like spontaneity, add doors so your daily activity is as much of a surprise as the
picture in a calendar door.

This is a great way to ensure you enjoy advent with children too. Set aside activities that your little
ones can enjoy such as making a ginger bread house or cookies to go on the tree. They may even
enjoy making cards or decorations too.

Make a custom photo book for your best friend, using the pictures of the two of you in France.  Create a photo book for your parents and fill it with pictures of the kids, or create a photo book to commemorate your family reunion.  Whatever the theme, your friends and family members will love receiving a quality photo book this holiday season.  These beautiful books are quick and easy to create, too! Simply choose a theme, upload your photos, and enter the text.

Your friends and family will treasure these books for years to come.

If you are buying a calendar for a parent of young children keep a look out in the shops for the ‘family organizer’ kind.  Some will accommodate for every family member giving them their own column so on any one day you can clearly differentiate between Johnny’s dentist appointment and Sasha’s first sports day.

In addition, some calendars come with a notes section; either a pad with pages that you can write your shopping list on and (if you remember) tear off before you leave the house, or a surface for notes which comes with an erasable pen much like a white board.  This might be seen by some as a kitchen must-have.

You then get the novelty calendars.  Sometimes the pictures are needlessly big but if the recipient cares more about a torso than remembering a tap class, this may be perfect.

If the person you have in mind is creative then look out for calendars that give you the option of decorating it yourself with photos or craft stuff.   Similarly, choose one that offers recipes or gardening tips for those who like to spend time being creative in the home.

Many photographic websites offer you the option to turn your own photos into a calendar.  This can make a wonderful gift especially for family and friends.  Whether you wish to send the grandparents a calendar with pictures of their grandchildren on it or your sister a version showing twelve adorable pictures of the dog, it is both thoughtful and personal.

Calendars make a wonderful present but they are also fantastic marketing tools.  If you run a business or charity how about creating calendars which will raise money or profile?  There is always room in one’s life for this organisational tool whether it sits on the fridge or by the telephone.

Every family has its own traditions.  There are many activities that we all cherish in my family.  First, we go to a Christmas tree farm, all bundled up so we can really enjoy being outside.  It is a very special feeling when you are surrounded by thousands of Christmas trees and you are deciding, with your loved ones, which tree is the very best.  Cutting it down yourself has more meaning to me than simply buying one that someone else has cut.  In addition, the kids have so much fun out in the snow.  Even the dog has a great time.

Every year, groups of children from our town go door to door caroling.

I have such fond memories of standing by the front door listening to their rendition of traditional Christmas songs.

Decorating cookies is one of my children’s most happily anticipated traditions.  We bake “jelly dimples” and traditional frosted cookies.  This is fun for children of all ages.  Even 2-3 yr. olds can be involved in baking jelly dimples (with help).  They love rolling the dough into marble sized balls, rolling the balls in sugar, and then sticking their thumb in the middle to make a hole for the jelly.  A warm kitchen, sticky hands and laughter make for a cozy time.

We also read The Night Before Christmas every Christmas Eve.  It really gets us in the Christmas spirit and ensures a pleasant end to Christmas Eve before bedtime.

What are your treasured traditions?

Ingredients:

2/3 cup dried apricots

½ cup softened butter

¼ cup sugar

1 cup sifted flour

1/3 cup sifted flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ cup chopped nuts

confectioner’s sugar

Rinse apricots, cover with water.  Boil 10 minutes.  Drain.  Cool.  Chop.

Mix until crumbly: butter, sugar, 1 cup flour.  Put into greased 9” square pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly brown.

Sift 1/3 cup flour, baking powder and salt.

Beat brown sugar into eggs.

Add flour mixture.

Mix in vanilla, nuts and apricots.  Spread over baked layer.

Bake 30 minutes.  When cool, cut into squares and dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Enjoy!

Post offices are more than busy at Christmas time with it being the busiest time of year for businesses and families alike.  Remember to check the final dates of postage well in advance so that you do not miss out.  In fact there is nothing to say that you cannot have your cards signed sealed and ready to be delivered before Advent has even begun.

In addition, think about postage.  Be careful with homemade and larger cards.  These may not pass on a standard postage fee and might require an extra stamp or two.  As much as your recipient will love receiving a card, they might not love traipsing to the Post Office and paying to retrieve the post.  This is especially important if you are a business as it will look disorganised and untimely (family are likely to forgive you… eventually)

Remember that you will need to be extra organised if you are sending cards abroad, unless you fancy sending Happy New Year cards instead. Air mail can take a long time as I am sure you are well aware given the reliability of holiday postcards arriving.

Some cards might be hand deliverable.  This might be time consuming but it might mean a free mince pie and a chin wag before Christmas.  If time is an issue, dropping a card through the door will appear personal and in the long run will save you the postage.

Make sure your cards contain a sentimental and personal wish.  In addition, you could add an element of surprise and fill your cards with confetti so that your recipient gets a little shower of sparkles when they open their card.  This might be particularly fun for children who will love the effect when lots of metallic Santa figures fall out of the envelope.

Finally, ensure your address book is up to date.   This will ensure that your cards will bring all the joy that is intended to the right recipient.