Saturday, November 21, 2020

Bear goes Advent Calendar shopping

 


Yesterday Bear 🐻 went Advent shopping. A Paris must-do in November. First stop A la Mere de Famile, top of the Advent heap. They always create inventive house candy boxes. 

This year we got it. By December 1st, most Advent calendars are sold out with no new stock coming in. 


The exception is Ladurée - their Advent box is supposed to arrive in December 😳 hmmm. 


Pierre Hermé’s Advent was available in October. Its always circular and full of fab chocolates. 


Alain Ducasse’s Advent is hexagonal with a Mexican Aztec theme. 


Also 6-sided, Breton chocolatier Henri Leroux has little removable boxes hiding his excellent chocolates. 


At Buci News you can buy empty Advent calendars. 


And fill it yourself. 


These candy calendrier de l’Advents are 24 chances to lose ‘the marshmallow test’. I always flunk and eat the contents Immediately. Waiting is not a skill I ever learned. I’m into ‘Immediate Gratification’. Can you wait for good things? If you have a serious case of IG, Paris is not the right place for you. Every month there’s at least one or two food treats that must be eaten. In May, no one eats Lily of the valleys but they do have them in chocolate. Fete des Meres (Mother’s Day) awaits at the end of the month. The annual November Salon du Chocolat (canceled this year) is the grand sugar-holic’s banquet.


 Growing up, food was a reward in my family. Do your homework and you get a cookie. The homework part got lost. My 6AM Morning cookie raids were infamous and the padlock on the cookie closet was no deterrent. I could  so easily raid my new Advent house this minute 🍫but I would pay a sugar-coma  price later. 


Meanwhile I am slaving away on the November annual Advent letter💌  3 guesses on the subject matter

Stay home and stay well PBers❤️🙏🐻


28 comments:

  1. The best kind of shopping...Advent Calendar shopping...bravo, Bear❣️ The French do these so well. They are so delightful in their inventive designs, not to mention the treats hidden inside. I think that you showed remarkable restraint, Carol, or Bear did, for not bringing them all home with you!

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  2. Thanks so much for the wonderful Paris artwork. Looks like we're still not coming to Paris anytime soon.

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  3. Dorrance1:18 AM

    La Mère de Famille’s looks wonderful...I wouldn’t have the willpower to resist either.

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  4. Even Poilane has an advent calendar...although I can’t imagine what they’d put into it that wouldn’t get stale??

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  5. Looks like you had a FABULOUS day checking out advent calendars!! SO jealous!

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  6. Bonnie I would have LOVED to bring more Advents home but they can be pricy€€€ malheuresemnt.
    The witty A Mere de Famille house collectable. I wish I’d bought them in past years...

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  7. Love your post on shopping for advent calendars...I WANT THEM ALL!! I want ALL the marshmallows, NOW!

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  8. Ah Marshmallows...
    EverydayI am tempted by them..
    Why did you have to mention the word?
    Temtation! There was a chocolate-covered marshmallow inside LA MERE DE FAMILLE Advent house...

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  9. Super post Carol. My favorite shop window is Bucci News. Puts one into the holiday mood. Will you be checking out the department store windows this year? Perhaps it wouldn't be too crowded.
    What is the name of the church and location in your last photo? Beautiful clouds and sky.

    Stay safe and keep enjoying.

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  10. Last pic is Eglise Saint-Germain de près in the 6th Arron.
    I would love to show the major store Christmas windows but I don’t believe they have unveiled them yet since the dept. Stores are closd during our 2nd Lockdown :((

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  11. Chef Ann11:24 AM

    Love Parisian Advent calendars!

    I also love that Paris Breakfast always arrives when I am having breakfast!

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  12. Nice to see EgliseSaint-Germain de Prês! I was showing my mother and sister some Paris sites and we happened on an organ and voice recital rehearsal at St-Germain des Pres. The constant corrections interrupted the song but it revealed the dedication to the music by the singer and organist/coach. Often, excellence is hard to come by.

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  13. They're so beautiful -- no more little pages you fold back for a cute photo in the big leagues, I guess! I decided to keep the Tasha Tudor advent calendar I got for the boys last year. I think I need it more than they do!

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  14. This is a lovely letter - and the store windows with all the Advent calendars lift my spirit.
    American retail does not showcase Advent in this way - at all.

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  15. there is a very long tradition in Europe for the Advents.
    Many were and still are printed in Germany

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  16. DianeS1:08 PM

    I loved the view you gave from New York.
    But when you jumped over the ocean to land in Paris, well that was something else!
    That took such courage and a focus....and it was clearly written in the stars.
    Thank you for sharing so much of yourself with your talent.

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  17. I come onto your blog quite often as I find it to always be a place of inspiration for happiness and general feeling good. Thank you!

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  18. I love all of those Advent Calendars (I think you got the best one) & wish we could get more of them here - our choices are very limited. I always buy the Bon Maman as it's useful, not too extravagant, available and fun. Stay safe & well -hugs to you and Bear.

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  19. I LOVE Advent Calendars so this next letter will be a real treat. I hope to travel to France again, one day, during Advent Calendar season.

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  20. I could relate to your locked cookie cabinet! Any sweets in our house were kept in a cabinet up over the fridge...out of Bonnie’s reach?...au contraire...i would use a kitchen chair to climb up onto the counter, then get up on the fridge and gorge on whatever sweets I could find. I haven’t changed much.

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  21. Maureen and Barry9:00 AM

    Do go on Charbonnel et Walker's site and see their Advent Calendar available to be shipped but sadly, for 70 GBP plus shipping, way beyond my means.. Also Fortnum & Mason has turned their on Pickadilly, with all it's windows, into a giant stone Advent Calendar!Happy Thanksgiving in a strange year!

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  22. Sorry but I dont live in London :((
    F&M is Always wonderful.

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  23. I love the word for marshmallows in French: la guimauve... one of my favorite words and tastes.

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  24. I love advent calendars but do think it more fun to just open them all at once, haha! Good thing I've never had one with chocolates!
    Glad you're still able to get out and about...
    Are Paris masks très chic? Perhaps you've done a post on them. I've been away from Blogger for awhile...

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  25. Cheryl9:39 PM

    I shared the video of marshmallow test with Tommy, the children are hilarious!!

    ❌⭕️❌⭕️

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  26. I'm wired for craving sugar, but I'm stilll not eating the stuff. It's nice to look at though in those artistic forms.. At Goulet Pens Facebook site, called Goulet Nation folks are posting different types of advent calendars that house Goulet's little ink sample bottles, like paper bags and silk bags. I might make one next year. (I'd still want to open them all at once though!)

    I'm writing this on Dec. 19. Sounds like things in Paris didn't shut down during this new spike? Maine's not a bad place to be during a pandemic, but it's spreading here too. Good to see you again. Rita

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