Give yourself an Advent-age!

It's almost December 1st. For most people, that means a shopping frenzy, checking that you have enough Paxo and tinsel, testing  the fairy lights and writer's cramp from addressing Christmas card envelopes.

For us compers though, it's a different kind of frenzy - the frenzy of Advent calendar competitions. The lure of all those daily prizes has us comping in every free minute, and frantically checking the web to make sure we've not missed any.

This year is going to be more of a frenzy than ever, as there will be so many different ways to enter. Web sites, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Pinterest, Google +, maybe even You Tube, they're going to be all over the place. I wouldn't be surprised to find some that are exclusive to apps on your smart phone or tablet too - if not this year, then next.

Lists of advent competitions crop up on all the well known comping sites and forums, but if you try to follow ALL the lists you'll get exhausted and confused, as many competitions will appear on all of them. I suggest either sticking to just one list, or better still creating a list of your own and using that.

I have a folder in my bookmarks called "Advents 2013" and I will save each one that I plan to enter into that folder, so all the links are ready and waiting in it for me to visit every day. And after the New Year, instead of deleting the folder I can archive it and look at it next year, as many companies are bound to be running them again next year.

I'm not going to do a comprehensive list here, but I have already spotted quite a few places that are going to be having Advent competitions. Here are the links - because I'm writing this in November, they may not go to the actual calendar page as not all of them will go live until the start of December, and I can't guarantee they'll all actually appear!

(Note - usually when I list competitions on here, I have been asked to do so by the promoter so I can get back to them with queries. However these are just what I've found by googling or reading press releases, so if you have a query you'll need to contact the site itself)

Christmas Competitions  a prize a day for 12 days, starting Dec 12

Babymel

BigJigs Toys

Danfoss (I know this one is popular with compers but actually it is intended for plumbing and heating installers)

The Spirit Cellar I don't know much about this but it looks as if the prizes will be gin

Gourmet Burger Kitchen I can't remember what rumour made me add this to my list, we'll just have to wait and see what happens......

Haggis Hunt not really an Advent, as it runs from St Andrew's day to Burns Night. I'm sure that, like me, every year you say "I'm not doing that Haggis Hunt ever again!" and by the first weekend in December you are peering out anxiously over Loch Lomond and telling your nearest and dearest about the weather in Inverness.

Discovery Foods

Little Stuff

Kiddy Charts

Storksak 12 Days of Christmas starts Dec 01 

Superbreak 12 Days of Christmas starts Dec 02

Pour Madame

Weber Grills

Your Dog

Lenze

Manchester Arndale Centre

Bar Chick

Athletics Weekly

Ents 24  ALREADY STARTED!  opened Nov 25

Today's Golfer

RGB building supplies  aimed at professional builders. Runs from Dec 09-20

Q Hotels

Abbot Fox

Game  draw which you  are entered into automatically if you buy a product from their Advent Calendar page

Butlins

Puma Hotels

South Bank London

Rocks Off  definitely ADULTS ONLY!!!!!

UK Campsite

Visit Blackpool  (I get a site security error warning when I visit this site)

London Designer Outlet

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham  starts Dec 02

Ragdale Hall

Sheridan & Co

Total Merchandise

Under the Christmas Tree runs Dec 06-17 

WKD drinks - I think this will either be on this rather unlikely looking Twitter profile or on their Facebook page

Aerial Direct

Do please feel free to add these to your own lists or those on sites or forums you belong to!