Advent-urous Advent Calendars. Forget chocs. Countdown to Christmas withÂ tea bags, gin miniatures...and even jewellery There's nothing more delightful than opening an advent calendar This is your last week to buy one before the countdown starts This year, forget tired chocolate calendars Now, you have the option of a daily dose of tea or alcohol There's nothing more delightful amid all the chaos of Christmas than opening the windows of an advent calendar each morning. And this is your last week to buy one before the countdown starts. But, this year, forget tired chocolate calendars. Now, you have the option of treating yourself to a daily dose of tea, alcohol, or pampering instead of a sugar hit. Here, Etan Smallman shows you the wackiest alternative Christmas countdowns of them all . . . There's nothing more delightful amid all the chaos of Christmas than opening the windows of an advent calendar each morning Christmas tea advent calendar, posttea.co, Â£35 This set of tea treats features 24 different brews, from lemon verbena and Japanese sencha green to gingerbread chai and spiced apple infusion. Each sachet has enough for two to three cups of tea, so you can share each relaxing treat with a friend. Each tea comes in a beautifully-patterned net bag, and three metres of twine and little wooden pegs are included in the box, so you can make a vintage-inspired wall hanging. The set also includes brewing instructions and a tasting notes guide. Gin advent calendar, firebox.com, Â£99.99 Personalised fortune cookie advent calendar, crackingcookies.co.uk On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . . 24 lovely red wax-sealed bottles of Motherâ€™s Ruin. Allowing you to truly get into the festive spirit, you can enjoy a dram a day of your favourite juniper-flavoured tipple with this innovative gift, produced by the Gin Foundry. Behind each window is a 3 cl bottle, and the selection also includes two new varieties which have been imported to the UK especially: Four Pillars and Ferdinandâ€™s gin. Each day of December, you can relish such favourites as Gin Mare, Hendrickâ€™s Gin, No. 3 London Gin and Whitley Neill Dry Gin. And if youâ€™re a social media addict, you can also take part in a â€˜Twitter tastingâ€™ in which you can share your thoughts on the bottles with fellow connoisseurs. Personalised fortune cookie advent calendar, crackingcookies.co.uk, Â£39.99 â€˜A surprise awaits you every day with a delicious treat.â€™ That isnâ€™t a spurious prediction, but a statement of fact â€" provided you purchase this zany calendar. With a festive fortune countdown, the gift includes 24 handcrafted cookies, individually labelled and sealed in transparent pouches. The marvellous news is that they are genuinely tasty, with options including coffee and salted caramel, chocolate orange, pecan pie and lemon and lavender among the more than 20 flavour combinations (all are free of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives). You can either choose to have a set of double-sided, pre-written messages â€" one side is traditional and the other festive â€" or if you prefer, you can personalise each of the 24 fortunes yourself. Jo Malone advent calendar, Selfridges, Â£250 Jo Malone advent calendar, Selfridges This beautiful house of goodies is illustrated with the facade of the headquarters of Jo Malone, a stunning Georgian townhouse. Each morning, open the doors and pull out a drawer to reveal a decadent surprise. The mini lotions and potions hidden behind them are â€˜perfect for layering to create your own seasonal signature scentâ€™. Among the range of 9 ml colognes are lime, basil and mandarin, peony and blush suede, and blackberry and bay, while the 15 ml body cremes include English pear and freesia and grapefruit. However, the top treat lies behind the 24th door, with a 50 ml pomegranate noir body creme to reward you for all your efforts. This most indulgent of calendars has already sold out on the Jo Malone website, but you should still be able to nab one from Selfridges or Harrods. Elemis beauty gift set, timetospa.co.uk, Â£59.50 Elemis beauty gift set, timetospa.co.uk Instead of stuffing yourself with sugary treats every day until Christmas, why not pamper and prettify yourself in the run-up to the big day? This box set from British spa and skincare brand Elemis offers up a luxury skincare treat behind each window for the 12 days of Christmas. They include Elemis favourites such as a pro-collagen cleansing balm, marine cream, oxygenating night cream, illuminating flash balm, papaya enzyme peel and hand and nail cream, as well as â€˜skin blissâ€™ capsules, â€˜revitalising babassuâ€™ facial wipes, a body oil and two shower creams. By the time Christmas arrives, youâ€™ll be relaxed and rejuvenated. Jewellery advent calendar, topshop.com, Â£25 Take the effort out of selecting accessories every morning in December by dressing up with the goodies inside this advent calendar by Freedom at Topshop. Behind each window is a piece of jewellery, from stud earrings and stackable bracelets to lovely charm necklaces. At just Â£25, it is one of the cheaper alternatives on offer and is perfect for any fashionista. The only difficulty would be deciding which of the accessories to wear on Christmas Day itself. Lego calendar, Argos Lego calendar, Argos, Â£19.99 Your children will love opening the windows of this Lego advent calendar â€" and itâ€™s far healthier than giving them chocolates to eat every day. Behind the windows lurk a whole town of Lego festive figurines and accessories for them to enjoy. P.S. and for the man in your life...Â Beer advent calendar, bestofbritishbeer.co.uk, Â£95 This 3ft cardboard Christmas tree conceals 24 full-sized bottles of British beer behind each window, with a 500 ml bottle of â€˜champagne beerâ€™ hidden in the trunk for Christmas Day. The calendar arrives fully assembled with a star on top, along with tasting notes, which give helpful hints such as â€˜tonightâ€™s beer goes well with a curryâ€™. How youâ€™ll feel about this offering is negotiable â€" but no doubt the man in your life will be delighted!