How you doin? Is it possible to be ready for Christmas with the help of Friends? I would have to say absolutely. As it turns out, Insight Editions has created a brand new Friends The Television Series Official Advent Calendar for 2021. The calendar showcases some of the most memorable moments from the series, including a turkey with sunglasses, coffee shop graphics, and many pictures from the actual series.

Celebrate the holidays with this brand new official Friends Advent Calendar! Reunite with the entire Friends crew, including Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey, as well as cameos from Janice, Mike Hannigan, and more. Revisit iconic and beloved moments from the show with more than 40 keepsakes and mementos ranging from fun mini booklets to trivia games, stationery, a special cell phone accessory, and much more! Nostalgic and entertaining, Friends: The Official Advent Calendar is an exclusive must-have for any Friends fan. It’s the perfect ay to capture memories from the series as you celebrate the holidays with this timeless collectible.

I received the opportunity to review the Official Advent Calendar of the Friends Television Series and here is what I thought.

The Hard cover advent calendar is certainly created with Friends in mind. It features images of the case, the logo and graphics that relate to the series such as a lobster, a turkey with sunglasses and a coffee cup. I is easy to say that and Friends fan would love to have this on their table or under their tree for the 25 days of Advent.

Of course, the cover is not what we are here for. We are here to find out if this advent calendar is worth having. Does it contain fun memorabilia that fans would love to receive? The only way to be sure, is to actually open the calendar and see what is inside. Luckily, we don’t have to wait until December. Since I have the calendar in my possession, we get to see some of the items now.

The inside of the book features a 20×14 inch calendar with 25 envelopes covered in graphics and images inspired by the Friends series. Each envelope is randomly number to make the fan search for the date in question to open their gift of the day.

The packets are fairly flat, which means most of the items hidden inside will more than likely be paper products. If it is anything like the other advent calendars in the Insight Editions series, then the Friends calendar will contain glossy paper ornaments, mini books, a few stickers, and possibly a button or two. Usually these items are very high quality so I am excited to see what we get.

I selected five random envelopes to see what we can look forward to. I figured 1/5th of the collection should give us a pretty good idea of what to expect. They were a bit difficult to open since the envelopes are so close together, but the work is worth it.

In envelope 13 I found a cute sticky notepad with a wreath and a coffee cup as the background image. There are about 50 sheets on high quality paper. It is adorable.

Envelope 7 was a tough one to open because envelope 23 kept getting in the way. However, once I got the present out, I found an adorable mini book call The Friends guide to New York City. It has six pages about iconic buildings and places in New York.

Envelope 21 contains a little mini book called “Everything I need to know I learned from Friends”. These lessons are some of the most important lessons to learn, such as:

• It’s ok if your first marriage doesn’t work out. You’ll find your lobster eventually.
• The hug and roll method is a great way to create more space in your head
• Don’t put your head inside a raw turkey. Just don’t.
• And many more on the 6 pages.

Envelope 1 contains an awesome 14 page mini activity book. The activities include are

• Word search
• Who said it?
• Coloring Pages
• Mazes
• Crosswords

Envelop 9 contains 2 tissue paper drink umbrellas. Welcome to our tropical Christmas Party with these umbrellas that feature the Friends logo . Perhaps we can have a little Friends cocktail hour hehehe.

I actually enjoyed these five gifts. I think they are adorable and a few can be reused each year as an ornament on the tree. For example the mini books come with little ties making them double as ornaments. The notepad and activity book are a one time use, but awesome for any fan to have. There are another 20 items included in this advent calendar that range from paper ornaments to stickers. There is even a set of mini Bingo cards to play a game while watching Friends. I think these items are fun to open, use, and look at. Their quality is good and well worth having. At $30 for the book, that makes each item worth about a dollar, and I think some might be worth more than that. I would say it is a definite score for any fan. I give the Friends Official Advent Calendar Five stars.

If you want to get a copy of the Advent Calendar, head over to Amazon.com (affiliate link).

Well, well, what have we here? An Advent Calendar that may just instill fear? Jack Skellington will light the way as he attempts to take over another holiday. Well he certainly has taken over the idea of an Advent Calendar. Thanks to Insight Editions’, we now have an official Advent Calendar celebrating all things from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas featuring Jack, Zero, Oogie Boogie, Sally and more!

Come along and discover the frighteningly fun surprises that the residents of Halloween Town have been brewing up for Christmas this year. Counting down to the festive holiday has never been more ghoulishly delightful than with this entertaining countdown calendar filled with mini books, ornaments, and other mementos. Uncover a new surprise each day of December with Nightmare-inspired stationery, trinkets, games, and recipe cards featuring fabulous foods from Halloween Town and Christmas Town. The Nightmare Before Christmas Official Advent Calendar of Ghoulish Delights will fill your holidays with fright!

I received the opportunity to conduct a frightfully scary review of this ghoulish advent calendar and this is what I thought.

Upon first glance, the cover of this advent calendar is everything fans have come to love about The Nightmare Before Christmas. The hardcover features Jack, Sally, Zero, and other characters from the nightmarish movie. With the teal wallpaper like background and silver tone accents, it is a delight to look at.

Once a fan opens the book, there is an explosion of colors and characters adorning each numbered envelope. It is a frightful site to behold. There are 25 envelopes randomly placed on the book making a fan search for the day in question in order to open it for something strange. The envelopes are flat, which makes me believe that the items inside will be made of paper printed in the theme of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

I opened four random envelopes so that fans can see what’s inside. The four random envelopes I opened were 1, 8, 12 ,and 19.

Envelope 1 contained a little wooden ornament featuring Jack Skellington . I am surprised to find this in an envelope. Honestly I expected them all to be paper goods, so this was a frightful delight.

Envelope 8 contained two recipe cards featuring Oogie Boogie Pasta Worms and Oogie Boogie Bag of Bugs. They don’t sound all the tasty, but hey, someone will love them.

Envelope 12 contained a magnetic bookmark of the Pumpkin King. This magnet actually pulls apart and then comes back together around the pages you wish to save. This item works as a magnetic paperclip as well!

Envelope 19 contained a small button featuring Sally and Jack. This button is tiny but oh so adorable. The button is less than an inch in diameter but vibrant and iconic.

All four of these items were very well made, the images were clear, the colors vibrant, and fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas will love them. Of course, I can’t end the review on just four random items, so I have taken the initiative and opened every single envelope. Below I have shared pictures of all the gifts included.

WARNING: The Slide Show below will spoil the items contained inside the advent calendar. Only use the slideshow if you wish to ruin the frightful surprises.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Advent Calendar is truly a ghoulish delight. Every item is well made and depicts many of the main characters in the film. Some of the items even nod to the musical numbers. While many of the items are paper products such as the ornaments, cards, books, and recipe cards, they are high quality. The books are glossy, the ornaments shine, and the recipe cards are prefect to use in the kitchen. It is certainly a wonderful collection. I give The Nightmare Before Christmas Official Advent Calendar of Ghoulish Delights five stars. I think this fun Christmas countdown will be a fun calendar for fans to open each day..

Get a copy of The Nightmare Before Christmas Advent Calendar from Amazon.com (affiliate link) and get ready for the greatest time of the year!

Something magical this way comes just in time for Christmas…or maybe something epic! Insight Editions has created a huge collection of Advent Calendars that feature different popular fandoms or Christmas themes, including this beauty inspired by Harry Potter!

What is an advent calendar?

An advent calendar is a special calendar that counts the days before Christmas. Typically an advent calendar has little doors with a number representing the day of the month. We open the door on the day shown to get a small surprise. Some Advent Calendars have chocolates and others have little toys or prizes. Whatever the case, it is a great way to count down the days to the most wonderful day of the year.

This Harry Potter Advent Calendar also counts the days to Christmas, however, each surprise is a little gift inspired by the Harry Potter films. With mini books, mementos, mini replica props, and more, there is a ton of holiday magic inside.

I received the Harry Potter: Holiday Magic advent calendar and here is what I think.

The Harry Potter: Holiday Magic Official Advent Calendar is huge. The cover of the book is 14 inches high and 10 inches wide, almost the size of two standard pieces of paper. It certainly commands attention where ever it is placed. The hardcover captures the eye with a picture of Hogwarts in the center. Gold toned images decorate the cover featuring some of the most popular items from Harry Potter, such as the goblet of fire, symbols of each house, and even a snitch. The cover’s design will look perfect under a tree or on a table as a decoration.

Once we open the cover, we are greeted with 25 envelopes! Each envelope features a gold number (matching the gold on the cover) and a picture representing something from Harry Potter. A few of the pictures featured are from some of the Harry Potter films. The numbered envelopes are randomly placed making it a game to find the next envelope to open, sort of like a seek and find. Many of the envelopes are layered on top of others in different shapes and sizes. The paper is thick and sturdy to help prevent ripping and damage as fans open an envelope each day. The entire piece feels elegant and worthy of display, which is good since it will be sitting there for 25 days.

I find the entire design beautiful and impressive. It holds the elegance of Christmas and the magical feel we get from Harry Potter. It is sturdy and promises to give wonderful treats inside.

NOTE: Spoilers below . I will be divulging several items from the envelopes, and later giving a rundown of each item within.

At first glance, anyone can see that the envelopes are fairly flat. That being said, we can deduce that each item will be thin, possibly made of paper. From their size, it is reasonable to state that they will be small items inspired by the Harry Potter films. Honestly, that is to be expected. Most Advent Calendars have small prizes inside. They give the initial joy of opening a mysterious gift each day as we count down to Christmas. Personally I can’t wait to see what is inside. Thankfully, I am writing a review, so I get to see all the awesomeness in advance.

From a few random envelopes I found several adorable prizes.

In envelope 13 I found a paperclip with a plastic topper featuring the Book of Monsters. I believe that it is used as a bookmark, however, I am sure fans can find other uses for it. How cool would it be to have that holding a stack of important papers together?

In envelope 1 I found a small book called Harry Potter Hogwarts Holidays. This book comes on glossy paper with a little tinsel like ribbon to hang it on the tree. Inside is a story of how the wizarding world celebrates the 25th of December. From the amazing ceiling in Hogwarts to the Yule Ball, all 6 tiny pages have cute images and a little about the celebrations. What is cool, is that this item can come out each year to decorate the tree with a little magic.

In envelope 5 I found the most adorable Mini Christmas greeting cards! All 5 greeting cards are printed on thick cardstock with vibrant designs that are sure to make any Harry Potter fan giggle with glee. There is nothing written inside, leaving it up to the writer to make a unique Christmas greeting.

• Card 1 is burgundy with Harry, Ron, and Herminie on the cover with images of iconic wizarding world items.
• Card 2 Is a light blue with a line art of Hogwarts in the center. (It has sort of a Disney feel to be honest)
• Card 3 is my favorite with Harry, Ron, and Herminie standing in front of a Christmas Tree.
• Card 4 features Harry’s owl Hedwig, his scar and glasses, his Patronus, and The Deathly Hallows symbol.
• Card 5 features the symbols of each house: Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.

In envelope 19 I found the tiniest Postcards known to man; they measure 3.5″ by 2.5″ (about the size of a playing card). In fact, I am not sure they will make it to their destination; as tiny as they are; they may get lost in the mail. However, mail one in an envelope and it will still be a magical surprise.

If the rest of the items are as amazing as these four random ones I just opened, then this Advent Calendar is a wonderful item to have for any Harry Potter fan. All of them are made out of paper, but the quality has been amazing with bright colors and wonderful designs.

I will release a warning here as well.

WARNING: the images below depict what is inside all 25 envelopes. If you wish for these to be a surprise, do not view the slideshow.

I think all of the gifts are wonderful and any fan would love to get the special surprises each day. Although most of these were paper products, I think they were well made and sure to add a touch of magic to the holiday season. If well cared for, several of the items can come back year after year to decorate the tree. As for the book, once everything has been emptied it can be saved again for next year. This time, we can fill it with special items of our own creation to surprise a friend or family member. It is durable enough to be a family tradition.

I give this Advent Calendar five stars and will be using it this holiday season even tho I know what’s inside hehehehe.

Disclosure: SKGaleana receives products in order to conduct reviews. Unless noted otherwise, no monetary compensation was provided. I only share and recommend products or services I think will be a good fit for my readers. All the opinions are 100% my own. In exchange for referrals, some posts may contain affiliate links that I may receive commission for payment. (See more here)