Our Advent Calendar – 2017
Previous years I used to make Klaus an Advent calendar he could take to work. They were always different but always filled with chocolates. Last year Klaus said, we should have an Advent calendar we both can enjoy. It should be filled with activities we can do together. What a brilliant idea! The next free minute I had, I started designing it. This calendar turned out to be the most wonderful Advent experience in my entire life! The days leading up to Christmas were each filled with a surprise, or with something I planned. We decided that one is responsible for the odd and the other for the even days.
Here’s how it turned out.
December 1
December started out with dinner at a restaurant we always wanted to go to since we live in Vancouver. We enjoyed a delicious Italian meal in a wonderful atmosphere.
December 2
Again, we did something we have never done, but always said: One day we should… We went to FlyOver Canada. We were tourists in our town. The experience was quite well done. The seats moved according to the planes flight. If there was fog over the land and over Niagara Falls, soft water would spray on your face. When horses would run across the prairie, it would smell of hey and horses. And the best part of course was the bonus flight to the North pole. Something only offered in December.
After that we went to the Christmas market for dinner.
December 3
Something we never did before, we went to chop down our Christmas tree.
It was worth the drive to the country side. We had most beautiful tree! And it lasted so much longer than any tree from the garden center.
December 4
Again, something we never did before. It turned out to be much harder than we thought… This is our first ever gingerbread house. It came in a box, but we decorated it. One mistake we made is, we assembled the house and then decorated it. As a result the icing and the decorations started running down.
December 5
Klaus made us a homemade hot chocolate for dessert. How sweet was that?!
December 6
We watched a Christmas themed Tatort, our favorite German cop show.
December 7
Dinner was homemade Pasta alla Carbonara, mixed salad, accompanied by a good bottle of red wine. A wonderful cozy evening at home.
December 8
We celebrated the end of the renovations to our home combined with a Christmas open house.
December 9
We love Cirque du Soleil! The performances are always so quirky and full of magic. This one was Kurios.
December 10
This activity may look more like work. We wrote our Christmas cards for friends and family. While doing so we also enjoyed a cup of mulled wine.
December 11
Dinner at the Vancouver Christmas Market. Always a treat!
December 12
We enjoyed a Swiss raclette dinner in front of our fire place. Almost like in a mountain cabin… well, only almost.
December 13
Klaus served homemade paella. Comfort food on a cold evening.
December 14
We went for an after dinner drink at a local bar. A nice glass of red wine tastes so much better after a busy day.
December 15
Dinner at our favorite oyster bar. Since I don’t eat oysters, I enjoyed a delicious saffron risotto.
December 16
Saturday before Christmas Eve is booked since probably close to two decades. In late afternoon we head out for a bar hopping tour. At the first stop we plan our Christmas dinner. And then we meander around the city and have a glass of wine or cocktail here and there.
December 17
Klaus served breakfast in bed and watching a German cop show.
December 18
We enjoyed a German after dinner Christmas movie.
December 19
This day got me totally excited! When I opened the envelope in the morning it contained tickets for that night’s hockey game Vancouver Canucks vs Montreal Canadians. It was a riveting game even though the Canucks lost 5 : 7.
December 20
We baked Christmas cookies. We each made our own. After years of not having had any homemade cookies at home, we ended up with a nice batch of treats.
December 21
Dinner was arranged at a classic French restaurant in Vancouver. It was a total throwback to the 80s, but everything looked and tasted delicious!
December 22
The result of surprised both of us. The challenge was to independently create a couple of tapas like plates. I closed early so we could go to the Granville Island market to shop for our groceries. The weather was gorgeous. Part of the afternoon we spent with the mise-en-place. We then both wrote out the courses we prepared and stuck the “menu” on the fridge.
It turned out that we had an unexpected guest and her dog. Which made the evening even more special. The dishes were served one at a time. We prepared whatever would go well next.
It was an amazing evening! We also kept the stress out of it by buying some items that were already prepared.
M E N U
Smoked Salmon Tartar
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Red Beets with Balsamic Vinegar
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Bacon-Cheese Ravioli warmed in Chives-Butter
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Okanagan Red Wine Prosciutto and Roasted Artichokes
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Lamb Popsicles with Jus
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Focaccia with Finocchiona Salami
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Purple Asparagus sauteed in Butter
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Medley of Mushrooms
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Pesto Gnocchi
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Burrata with Vine Tomatoes
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Cheese Plate with Tomatoes and Pear
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Dark Chocolate and Espresso
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December 23
Brunch at a wonderful restaurant.
December 24
Brunch at a hotel I briefly worked when first coming to Canada.
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It may look that such a calendar adds a lot of stress during December. We actually experienced the contrary. It was wonderful to share an experience each day that was somehow related to the advent season. It is so much fun to open an envelope every second day and then look forward to experience whatever the day calls for. We will have another round this year.
If you like our cards, the PDF for printing is available on our Etsy store.
This kind of Advent calendar would be a great idea for families with children. Put every member in charge of a certain amount of days. It really does not matter what the activity is, as long as they are shared with loved ones.
2018
