so excited!

Penguin's Gift will have its first ever GIVEAWAY beginning tomorrow!

The lucky winner can treat themselves or have an great gift for someone on their gift list.

Advent Calendar Garland

How cute is this Advent garland! As you count down the days to Christmas turn over the little boxes to reveal the message 'Merry Christmas'. The decorative papers used to cover the boxes are beautiful!

At six foot long this garland is perfect for hanging on a mantle, buffet, or bureau. The little boxes are just big enough for your little Advent notes, candy, stickers, etc.

You can find the Advent Calendar Garland ($36 plus shipping) at Merry Matchboxes Etsy shop.

Whimsical Advent Calendar

The beautiful scrapbook paper got me on this Advent calendar from DabberDoo. I love how not every box is numbered and the embellishments look so pretty. Each drawer is just 1.5 inches square so its just right for little notes and surprises each day as you countdown to Christmas!

You can find DabberDoo's Whimsical Advent Calendar here for $33.95 plus shipping. While you are there also check out the JOY wooden blocks!

Magnetic Advent Calendar

This is another one of my favorite finds on etsy - A New Patina's magnetic Advent calendar. What a beautiful way to count down the days until Christmas! The tree is made of metal sheeting covered in beautiful paper (the bottom square is almost like the tree skirt). Count down the number of days until Christmas by moving the small numbered magnetic ornaments to decorate the tree. The last magnet is a vintage jewel star!

The bonus of this Advent Calendar - it folds up for easy storage.

Check out this calendar and other amazing Christmas decorating (and gift ideas) at A New Patina.

LEGO Advent Calendar

This looks like a fun way to share the Christmas countdown with the younger guys in your house. Each day you can create a new little LEGO set together while enjoying the excitement of the season. The 2009 edition includes some new Christmas items such as a snowman and sled - FUN!

The LEGO Advent Calendar is just $29.99 here at amazon.com.

Holiday House Advent Calendar

How cute is this Holiday House Advent Calendar from Pretty Swank?! I love how it is very much a Christmas decoration but isn't screaming CHRISTMAS like some of the other calendars out there. Fun and classic at the same time.

Are you brave, I mean crafty, enough to make on yourself? Pretty Swank offers PDF instructions of two of their other Advent calendars (which are also super cute - funky numbers and French house) at the Etsy site also.

You can find this lovely Advent calendar here for just $32 (plus shipping).

Christmas Countdown week!

I know, Halloween was just yesterday. I was among those headed to Target this morning to grab the discounted decorations and costumes for next year. But remember that Thanksgiving is just 25 days away ... and with a late turkey day that means Christmas isn't that far away either.

This week Penguin's Gift is sharing some Christmas Countdown ideas, also known as Advent Calendars. These are great gift ideas too! One of my favorite Christmas gifts was one that my SIL gave me weeks ahead of Christmas day (I'll share more about that gift idea later).

So keep your mind open to those on your Christmas list that might enjoy one of these calendars as an early gift this year.