One of the very first things I do every year to usher in the holiday season is pick out my advent calendars. I love to gift them to my loved ones and actually rarely end up keeping any for myself, but it brings me so much joy to be able to bring in a little bit of happiness to the everyday lives of my family. Last year at the very beginning of December I bought a bunch of coffee, socks, cookie and chocolate advents, a mini prelit Christmas tree and filled stockings and packed up the car to visit some elderly relatives to bring them some holiday cheer that would extend through the whole month. They loved it so much so I decided to make it a yearly tradition.

But even if you are buying advents just for yourself, there are some really great ones available this year that range from super affordable to indulgent and splurge worthy. I rounded up some of my favorites below.

This silly cat advent calendar above is the exact one I bought last year, and let me tell you, this is a really fun way to bring some cheer to the elderly. They provide daily laughs and are something really useful and will get continued use. The cover itself is a mood lifter stating "Oh Christmas Tree. Oh Christmas Tree. Your ornaments are history". So if you have an ill or elderly relative I really really cannot recommend picking one of these up for them this holiday season. I can promise you that is will lift their spirits, not just for the day, but for even beyond the advent month. This is also great for any cat lover in your life like myself who can really relate to the naughty cat behavior.

Don't leave your pets out! I found some great options for not just cats and dogs, but even your fish! Everybody needs some Christmas cheer.