Maggie Wrobel
From Saturday's Globe and Mail Published on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2007 12:00AM EST Last updated on Saturday, Mar. 14, 2009 1:30AM EDT
Like it or not, it's all but inevitable these days to have yourself a corporate little Christmas.
Decorations are landing in stores earlier and earlier each year - and don't even get us started on those brain-draining mixes of carols shrieking at us around every bend.
But that doesn't mean old-school traditions are all gone and forgotten - many have just undergone a facelift.
Take this pretty advent calendar from Starbucks. Each numbered drawer of the red Christmas tree contains a chocolate (milk or dark, depending on the day, rather than whether you've been bad or good).
After you've scarfed down the candy, simply flip each drawer around to put together a lovely image of a snowy landscape. Presto: You get to keep in tune with tradition in a savvy, reusable way.
Once you run out of chocolates, throw in some chocolate-covered espresso beans. You'll need them to stay awake through the endless holiday season.
$21.95 at Starbucks stores across Canada, http://www.starbucks.ca.
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