BC Living
From Scratch: Chicken Soup Recipe
Earl Grey Cream Pie Recipe
The Lazy Gourmet’s Lamb Meatball Shakshuka Recipe
Top Tips for Workout Recovery
5 Tips to Prevent Muscle and Joint Pain When Working a Desk Job
Skincare Products for Fall
Inviting the Steller’s Jay to Your Garden
6 Budget-friendly Holiday Decor Pieces
Dream Home: $8 Million for a Modern Surprise
Local Getaway: Hide Away at a Lakefront Cabin in Nakusp
6 BC Ski Resorts to Visit this Winter
A Solo Traveller’s Guide to Cozy Accommodations
B.C. Adventures: Things to do in December
Disney on Ice Returns to Vancouver This Winter
5 Boutique Art Galleries to Visit in BC
11 Advent Calendars from BC-Based Companies
10 Nourishing Hair Masks and Oils for Dry Winter Days
The Best Gifts for Travellers in 2024
Count down the days until Christmas with advent calendars from BC-based businesses.
Whether it’s for yourself or a loved one, advent calendars are a great way to gear up for the holliest, jolliest season. Inside these 11 BC-based picks, find something for everyone: tipplers, tea-drinkers, sweet tooths and coffee lovers—and even your furry friends.
When the weather outside is frightful, a cup of tea is delightful. Which makes the advent calendar by Nakusp-based Bush Berry a particularly good pick. The company specializes in sustainably sourced loose-leaf teas, produced by family-run farms and delivered in plastic-free, compostable packaging. The advent calendar features 24 teas, including five Christmas blends, and three that are brand-new this year. Every day, discover a new tea that brews enough for two—or one big steaming mug for yourself.
For an alternative to all the holiday sweets, treat yourself to the sweet scents inside Mala the Brand’s candle advent calendar. This house-shaped calendar is packed with 24 mini candles in a variety of seasonal scents, many of which are holiday- and winter-inspired. It’s hard not to feel jolly when scents like eggnog latte, mistletoe and fireside are burning brightly. Just because they’re mini, doesn’t mean they’re not mighty: each candle burns for 20 to 24 hours. Plus, they’re cruelty-free, vegan and arrive in biodegradable packaging.
For your cat, every day of the year is Celebrate Your Cat Day. To make things easier during the month of December, Catcouver has curated 24 days of treats and toys for the most discerning recipient on your list. Have two cats? Or three? No problem. There’s an option to add a cat—or a few, depending on the feline-to-human ratio in your household. For every calendar sold, a portion of proceeds are donated to VOKRA, a Vancouver-based cat shelter. We’re pretty sure all that good karma guarantees a spot on the Nice List.
Chocolate advent calendars are classic, but the calendars from Drunken Chocolatier are anything but typical. This confectioner specializes in turning seasonal and local ingredients (including what’s locally boozy) into delectable chocolates. Find a dozen truffles and 13 chocolates—or go all-out with the only-truffles option—in calendars available three ways: regular, vegan, and non-alcoholic. A few teasers of what’s in store: “Nog,” with egg nog, spiced liqueur, and white chocolate, and “Sugar Plum,” with dark chocolate and plum cheong.
There’s coffee and there’s coffee. The folks at Vancouver-based Revolver are experts in the latter. Back for its sixth year, Revolver’s advent calendar features 24 coffees by international roasters. This year’s line-up hasn’t been released, but last year’s included picks from roasters near (Lower Mainland) and far (Kyoto and the Czech Republic). Added bonus for those who love a surprise: each coffee is unmarked, with daily picks revealed online daily. Can we also point out the genius in a perfect coffee to kickstart each morning during the busiest season of the year?
Keep your cellar well-stocked for holiday get-togethers with a wine advent calendar from the Okanagan’s Road 13. Choose from a six- or 12-bottle advent calendar—exactly how much entertaining are you doing?—and wait for the holiday cheer to arrive. This Okanagan Valley–based winery is known for organic, award-winning (and delicious) wines, and the calendars arrive with a mix of both red and whites, all cheerfully gift-wrapped.
If you’re sticking with chocolate, it’s hard to go wrong with an advent calendar from Purdys. There are three calendars to choose from, so what’s behind each of the 24 doors depends on which one you choose. The Holiday Reindeer calendar has little drawers filled with salted-butter toffee and milk chocolate; mylk- or dark-chocolate squares lie inside the vegan calendar; and festive-wrapped milk chocolate pieces can be found in the braille calendar.
Make holiday spirits bright with Parallel 49’s beer advent calendar. Back for the first time since 2021, this festively decorated box features 24 unique beers, all with their own labels and names—two things the brand is famous for. Count down the days with a new brew daily, ranging from a double-IPA to a sessionable American pale ale, and everything in-between. This is one gift (or indulgence, if it’s for you) that’s sure to make the holidays jolly.
The advent calendar at Temper Pastry packs 10 flavours of chocolate behind 24 beautifully decorated windows. Sweet tooths will delight in flavours like candy cane bark, vegan raspberry soda and pecan-caramel chocolate. For those with specific tastes (let’s call them desires), it’s possible to customize the calendar with your preferred flavours. Hot tip: if this isn’t your first time ordering, bring in your old one to be refilled at a discount.
Your dog has been the goodest all year, right? So, treat them to Dante’s Doggy Delights advent calendar. This gingerbread house-themed calendar is stocked with 25 gourmet dog treats, including fan favourite peanut butter and pumpkin. These dog treats deliver a yummy mouthful of natural and organic ingredients, made without preservatives, soy or corn. Just trust us on this one: 25 days of delightful treats is exactly what your furry best friend wants for the holidays. Or anytime, really.
’Tis the season… of holiday parties decked out with cheese boards, charcuterie and spreads that make them irresistible. Here to help prepare for all that holiday entertaining is the calendar from Whistler-based Flute & Fromage. This 12-day advent calendar is stocked with fine imported cheeses, a savoury meat and all the accoutrements. That includes chutney, jam, crackers and conservas. All the makings of a perfect plate for entertaining, or a great gift for the foodie in your life.