Top 10 best and worse Advent calendars of 2015

Prestat The Finest Truffles Advent Calendar

Let's be honest. The actual "calendar" doesn't look that impressive. Festive? Yes. Creative? No. What helped this calendar make the "best" list is the fact that it features appetizing chocolates in a multitude of colors and designs. You know what they say, you eat with your eyes!

Unfortunately, these decadent chocolates have sold out, but perhaps next year you can purchase what amounts to a beautiful and delicious countdown box of fine chocolates at Prestat.

DIY Lots of Boxes Advent Calendar

These striking calendars can be created with anything from old jewelry boxes to construction paper and can be filled with small gifts, candy, love notes, prayers and more.

Learn how to make your own personalized advent calendar at Mod Podge.

Woodlands Advent Calendar

This beautifully crafted advent calendar stands apart from traditional chocolate and gift-filled ones. The Woodlands Advent Calendar offers a new animal each day, allowing the "woodland" setting to appear increasingly magical.

The calendar is sold on Amazon by Home Bazaar.

Hotel Chocolate Truffles for Two

This chic advent calendar features two holiday-flavored chocolates - enough for you and a loved one - to enjoy at your leisure. Make it a special treat you and your significant other can share to escape for a moment in flavors like  mulled wine, cinnamon praline, pecan gingerbread and more. 

It made the "best" list because of the sentiment behind it as well as the attractive design of the chocolates. Sadly, like all good things, purchasing this item at the beginning of the season is best as they are currently sold out. Hopefully they will be available again next year at John Lewis.

Worst

Now that we've got you itching to purchase beautiful advent calendars, let us show you what advent calendar fails look like!

Punch Board Advent

As one mom discovered, not all DIY advent calendars are good ideas. 

After finding a fun "punch board" advent idea on Pinterest, Robyn attempted to recreate a Jewish version of the interactive calendar.

Unfortunately, the "jagged misplaced circles and promises of paper cuts" were two of the several issues she had with this project. The goal is for children to punch through the tissue paper to get bags taped behind the hole, but the bags often fell off the thin poster board and, as Robyn points out, encourages children to punch things.

Beer Advent Calendar

The beer advent calendar makes our worst list because if it is left out of the fridge, it takes up space and serves as a potential hazard. If it is refrigerated it will take up too much space and really doesn't serve as a calendar. It just turns into a really inconvenient case.

Ugly Advent Calendar Christmas Sweaters

Unless you plan on attending an ugly Christmas sweater party, these advent calendar knock-offs are DEFINITELY not items you should ever waste your money on!

Countdown Toilet Paper

Though this is not quite a calendar, the countdown to Christmas is clearly marked on these hand-stamped squares of German toilet paper.

There are a few reasons why this toilet paper made the list. Is it possible that it could be sent as a gag gift? Sure. Could it be used as padding in a gift? Why not. It is advertised to be an "eyecatcher on your office desk," but it seems a little over-the-top wacky for a professional environment.

Now, more importantly, would we ever want to wipe ourselves clean with paper someone else has handled and stamped with who knows what kind of ink? Heck no!

However people want to use this product is up to them, and the seller, Luciadesign, is doing well since it is currently sold out.

Candy Bowl Advent Calendar

This "advent calendar" is really just a fancy invitation for an ant infestation.

Twenty-four ceramic cups filled with candy and tiny gifts sounds like a parent's worst nightmare. Other than dealing with sugar-fueled children, there is always the worry that the cups fall and break, which would only create more work and possible dangers.

Looking at the image it seems like a nice idea but it really features a cluttered look, leaving this countdown-to-Christmas idea a failure.

What sort of advent calendar do you use? Has it been handed down through generations or was it a DIY project? Let us know in the comments below!

Like our list? Check out our other top lists on sex, lifting your spirits, dealing with anger, love, common misquotes, how to give and healing.

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