By Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — Last fall, I financially blacked out and splurged on a luxury lifestyle advent calendar. I blissfully uncovered a new face serum or silk eye mask or bath oil daily. Naturally, I fell down the rabbit hole and dove into the advent universe. I strolled aisles of festive-patterned packages in the likes of World Market and devoured online reviews and the unboxings that have helped fuel advent-calendar mania.

It was like seeing the holidays through the looking glass: a method of celebrating that I’d never considered in adulthood, and one it seemed millions of people around the world were increasingly living. For those who’ve embraced the advent-calendar lifestyle, every day is a celebration beginning Dec. 1.

For roughly a century, children have punched out numbered doors to discover candy, trinkets or holiday messages that tick off the days of December. But due to a recent boom in popularity and a new allure for adults, now there are advent calendars for candles, jewelry, fishing tackle, makeup, dog treats, perfumes, nail polish and Legos. But some of the world’s most enticing might be those dedicated to your favorite foods.

Cheese, caviar, hot chocolate, spices, Japanese snacks, wine, hot sauce, coffee and canned cocktails can be found behind little drawers and paper doors this year. Even Jeppson’s Malört, that oft-maligned liqueur native to Chicago, just announced a calendar for “25 days. 25 shots. 25 questionable decisions.”

Dandelion Chocolate released an advent calendar this year with a celestial theme and design. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

The competition for them can be fierce, and the prices high. Some sell out months before Christmas. Reddit threads, social media and other online message boards devoted to advent calendars act as sounding boards for — and reviews of — the best values and hottest picks each year.

“It’s really exploded,” said Fredrik Nilsson, the chief executive of luxury licorice company Lakrids by Bülow. “It’s unbelievable.”

The Copenhagen-based sweets company claims to be one of the first culinary advent calendars marketed to adults. Year-round, the brand wraps licorice in an array of layered chocolate and candy shells. For the holidays, Lakrids produces two advent calendars. The version found in the U.S. includes 24 days of the colorful licorice spheres in a black-and-gold box inspired by Nordic aesthetics ($69.99); the other, available only in Europe, is shaped like a giant jar.

Their inspiration came from the candy itself: an adult-oriented take on a childhood classic that wraps licorice in gourmet flavors like tart strawberry or elderflower.

“When I grew up, everyone had a calendar, but it was definitely something for kids,” Nilsson said. “Adults would not have a Christmas calendar. And when we, back in 2011, did our very first Christmas calendar, it was — if not the first — one of the first calendars targeting adults.”

In 2011, the company sold 1,000 of them. Now the confectionery makes 300,000 each year. It’s the fourth year of the advent calendar’s availability in the U.S., and sales have already roughly doubled compared with 2024.

What’s behind the trend’s appeal? One maker has a theory. Jing Gao owns L.A.-based chile crisp company Fly by Jing, which bottles fragrant spices and chiles from Sichuan, China. Gao said the allure for customers is in a daily dose of the unknown: In a society enamored with Labubus and other blind-box items, the thrill of each day containing a wrapped, hidden gift offers “whimsical surprise and delight.”

Fly by Jing released an advent calendar with mini-jars of spices and sauces and packages of noodles. It doubled production this year, but it was gone by Nov. 10. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

This year, Fly by Jing’s mini-jars and other, newer products come in a large, hand-packed red box decorated with illustrated pandas and gold embossing ($98). It’s the second year of Fly by Jing’s advent calendar. As soon as her team wrapped production on 2024’s box, they began planning and coordinating this year’s. For 2025, it includes a reprise of mala spice mix along with two new products that would be too expensive to produce on a larger scale: a shallot sauce and a barbecue rub.

Last year’s calendar sold out in two to three weeks. This year, even with double the production, it was gone by Nov. 10.

Gao grew up in Europe and, especially during her years in Germany, loved advent calendars at the holidays. Then she didn’t think about them for 20 years.

When she began seeing food and beauty brands launch calendars, it only made sense to join them: Gao’s chile crisps always see a spike in sales during the holidays and she already offered gift sets.

The advent calendars are “kind of a playground for us,” Gao said, “where we can still have fun and test different things.”

They can also be a way to dabble in luxuries that might not fit the budget throughout the year. Just as consumers can splurge on couture calendars from fashion brands such as Dior ($750) and Christian Louboutin ($720), extravagance — and brow-raising price tags — can extend into food.

A luxury-branded advent calendar from Williams Sonoma ($350) includes copper-bakeware ornaments, aged balsamic, specialty candies and imported spices. The sold-out Dandelion Chocolate calendar ($198 for one person, or $328 for two) featured a celestial theme and design, with each of the 25 chocolates corresponding to the solar system’s moons, complete with a star map.

For those who indulge in it, the holidays are peak season for caviar — and the San Francisco-based Caviar Co.’s 12-day advent calendar costs $945.

A red-and-gold treasure chest arrives in a styrofoam cooler stuffed with ice packs; the advent calendar is stored in the refrigerator, filling up shelf space with gold embossing and foil stamping.

“I like to say there’s a different caviar for every day of the week,” said chief executive and co-founder Petra Bergstein Higby, who operates the company with her sister.

Each caviar calendar includes two mother-of-pearl spoons, a caviar-tin key, recipe cards and a dozen 1-ounce jars of caviar and roe: some smoked, some standard, some ultra-high-end. In 2025, a “wild card” was added: the beluga-surgeon hybrid, a variety not currently for sale à la carte on the website.

Many customers say they’re purchasing as a gift, but others split it among friends for caviar-tasting parties or events like Friendsgiving, which makes the price more accessible.

While luxury can signal festivities, some of the culinary world’s most popular advent calendars run a fraction of the cost: Walker’s buttery, crunchy shortbread cookies ($31.99), Vahdam’s foldable tea collection ($24.99), Tony’s Chocolonely’s 24-door chocolate menagerie ($39.99).

But perhaps the most beloved and budget-minded calendar of all arrives in the form of two dozen mini-jars of jams and spreads. The Bonne Maman advent calendar ($54.99) has seen 400% growth since its 2017 debut, according to a company representative. Thousands of TikTok and Instagram videos have unboxed, taste-tested and ranked their way through the annual box.

The Bonne Maman advent calendar debuted in 2017 and has seen 400% growth, fueling a social-media trend to unbox, taste-teste and rank the company’s mini-jars of jams. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

To explore the world’s most famous countdown of of French jams, I’d have to call in an expert: There’s no one more dedicated to the cause of the Bonne Maman calendar than my longtime friend Michael-Birch Pierce, a visual artist who, every year, seemingly transforms into a jam influencer with the stroke of Dec. 1.

In 2021, Pierce saw an Instagram post about the calendar and immediately purchased one. It was love at first spread. Deathly allergic to chocolate and caffeine, Pierce could never partake in more traditional advent calendars.

“I never understood the joy of an advent calendar, really,” said Pierce.

Now each morning every December, they toast an English muffin or bagel and run a hearty smear over each side. One year they saw someone using the dredges of a larger jar to make a cocktail, so Pierce used the mostly finished mini-jars for jam-imbued shots. A handful of TikToks and Instagram reels point fellow jam fiends to other uses: Make a fruity cold foam to top coffees, use them in cookies, fill empty jars with homemade beeswax candles or lip balms.

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Last year while traveling for work, Pierce removed the jars from the festive paper cubby holes, wrapped them in paper towels without peeking and stuffed them into the suitcase to open while on the road and be enjoyed at their hotel’s continental breakfast.

Come December, Pierce posts about each day’s flavor; through the years, thousands of friends have followed along, and dozens have purchased the calendar because of it.

“They text me about it all the time,” Pierce said. “People are waiting for my posts about it every day like, ‘Did you stop eating the jam?’ No, I will never stop eating the jam.”

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Amy Lindgren

What do employees everywhere want for the holidays? Not to be let go, would be my first guess. And apparently, not to leave of their own volition either, according to a variety of surveys and statistics.

There’s been a slowdown or pause — or perhaps even a halt — to the post-COVID practice of workers hopping from one job to the next to create a succession of wage boosts. Now, it seems, workers are leaning in to their current jobs, preferring their chances with the known employer.

This practice of sticking to one’s job even when others might be available has earned its own name: Job hugging. As in, this is my job and you can’t have it. Which, by the way, contains unintended consequences. With more people sitting tight, there are fewer naturally-occurring job openings (to borrow a phrase) for others hoping to enter the field.

For my part, I’m happy to see a fade-out on the era of drive-by employment. While I agree that changing employers can be one of the best ways to improve your salary, I haven’t been a fan of doing so repeatedly.

I’d seem altruistic if my reasons involved employer loyalty or some other moral ground. But in truth, I don’t believe workers gain as much as they think when they change jobs for money alone. Even if you can successfully ease the next employer’s concerns about “job hopping,” leaving jobs too soon can have other repercussions.

Chief among my concerns (and this goes double for newer workers) is the missed opportunity to master one’s role. While it’s true that people sometimes stagnate when employers won’t promote them, it’s also true that staying in place creates a depth of experience that can’t be achieved by simply switching jobs.

And why does depth of experience matter? Well, it probably doesn’t if you’re not planning to build a career around whatever work you’re doing. In that case, maintaining historical knowledge around best practices and mastering them would be unnecessary effort.

But if your current job is part of a larger career pursuit, then depth matters. You already know that’s true if you’ve ever been supervised by an habitual job-switcher. When your new department head has less knowledge of the work than you do, your best hope is that they’re good at the supervising part.

But what about you? Are you hugging your job tight right now? If so, ask yourself whether it’s simply a survival tactic until you can jump ship safely, or if you plan to continue building a career in the field. If it’s the former, just keep hanging on until the economy shifts. But if it’s the latter, you’ll want to use this time to prepare for opportunities that eventually start flowing again.

Here are just a few ways to make lemonade — and lemon bars, and lemon meringue pie, and every other lemon treat — out of the apparent lemons you might be holding.

• Talk with your boss. You might think your plan to stay doesn’t need to be articulated, but bosses aren’t mind readers. They like to know who wants to keep their role and what they want to learn or improve during their tenure. This knowledge might also influence their choices if staff cuts are needed.

• Plan a potential exit date. But not to share with your boss! This is just a guesstimate to let you identify realistic goals for this chapter of job hugging. For example, if you imagine staying three or five years, using company funding (if it exists) for a new degree might make sense. But if you’re only planning for two years, then a selection of cross-training experiences might be more realistic.

• Set career path goals. What job do you want after this one? What skills will it require? Knowing where you’re heading, whether that’s with this employer or someone else, lets you identify gaps to work on while you’re in hugging mode.

• Choose something “extra” to work on. Whether that’s a special project, contributions to the company newsletter, certificate training or an entire degree — anything that aligns with your career goals will use your time well. Be sure to track your extra work so it can be leveraged in future job interviews or conversations about promotion.

The career value of these extra steps is probably apparent, but they can also provide valuable contributions for mental health and attitude. Taking control of your career path even when you’re temporarily stalled keeps you in the driver’s seat.

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Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, Associated Press

Our immune system has a dark side: It’s supposed to fight off invaders to keep us healthy. But sometimes it turns traitor and attacks our own cells and tissues.

What are called autoimmune diseases can affect just about every part of the body — and tens of millions of people. While most common in women, these diseases can strike anyone, adults or children, and they’re on the rise.

Dr. Roberto Caricchio, center, director of the Lupus Center at UMass Chan Medical School, speaks to a lupus support group, Feb. 12, 2025, in Worcester, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

New research is raising the prospect of treatments that might do more than tamp down symptoms. Dozens of clinical trials are testing ways to reprogram an immune system-gone-rogue, with some promising early successes against lupus, myositis and certain other illnesses. Other researchers are hunting ways to at least delay brewing autoimmune diseases, spurred by a drug that can buy some time before people show symptoms of Type 1 diabetes.

“This is probably the most exciting time that we’ve ever had to be in autoimmunity,” said Dr. Amit Saxena, a rheumatologist at NYU Langone Health.

Here are some things to know.

What are autoimmune diseases?

They’re chronic diseases that can range from mild to life-threatening, more than 100 with different names depending on how and where they do damage. Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis attack joints. Sjögren’s disease is known for dry eyes and mouth. Myositis and myasthenia gravis weaken muscles in different ways, the latter by attacking how nerves signal them. Lupus has widely varied symptoms including a butterfly-shaped facial rash, joint and muscle pain, fevers and damage to the kidneys, lungs and heart.

They’re also capricious: Even patients faring well for long periods can suddenly have a “flare” for no apparent reason.

Why autoimmune diseases are so difficult to diagnose

Many start with vague symptoms that come and go or mimic other illnesses. Many also have overlapping symptoms — rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s also can harm major organs, for example.

Diagnosis can take multiple tests, including some blood tests to detect antibodies that mistakenly latch onto healthy tissue. It usually centers on symptoms and involves ruling out other causes. Depending on the disease it can take years and seeing multiple doctors before one puts the clues together. There are efforts to improve: The National MS Society is educating doctors about newly updated guidelines to streamline diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

How the immune system gets out of whack

The human immune system is a complex army with sentinels to detect threats like germs or cancer cells, a variety of soldiers to attack them, and peacemakers to calm things down once the danger is over. Key is that it can distinguish what’s foreign from what’s “you,” what scientists call tolerance.

Ruth Wilson, whose has lupus, takes her prescription medications and supplements before going to work on Jan. 13, 2025, in Littleton, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Sometimes confused immune cells or antibodies slip through, or the peacemakers can’t calm things down after a battle. If the system can’t spot and fix the problem, autoimmune diseases gradually develop.

Autoimmune diseases are often set off by a trigger

Most autoimmune diseases, especially in adults, aren’t caused by a specific gene defect. Instead, a variety of genes that affect immune functions can make people susceptible. Scientists say it then takes some “environmental” trigger, such as an infection, smoking or pollutants, to set the disease into motion. For example, the Epstein-Barr virus is linked to MS.

Scientists are zeroing in on the earliest molecular triggers. For example, white blood cells called neutrophils are first responders to signs of infection or injury — but abnormally overactive ones are suspected of playing a key role in lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases.

Women are at highest risk for autoimmune diseases

Women account for about 4 of 5 autoimmune patients, many of them young. Hormones are thought to play a role. But also, females have two X chromosomes while males have one X and one Y. Some research suggests an abnormality in how female cells switch off that extra X can increase women’s vulnerability.

Ruth Wilson, left, whose lupus took six years to diagnose, receives her monthly lupus-focused IV treatment at UMass Memorial Medical Center, Jan. 14, 2025, in Worcester, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

But men do suffer from autoimmune diseases. One especially severe one named VEXAS syndrome wasn’t discovered until 2020. It mainly affects men over 50 and in addition to typical autoimmune symptoms it can cause blood clots, shortness of breath and night sweats.

Certain populations also have higher risks. For example, lupus is more common in Black and Hispanic women. Northern Europeans have a higher risk of MS than other groups.

Treatment for autoimmune diseases is complicated

According to investment research company Morningstar, the global market for autoimmune disease treatments is $100 billion a year. That’s not counting doctor visits and such things as lost time at work. Treatment is lifelong and, while usually covered by insurance, can be pricey.

Ruth Wilson, who has lupus, unpacks a kit to prick her finger for a blood sample to share with her doctor whenever she experiences a flare up, Jan. 12, 2025, at her home in Littleton, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Not so long ago there was little to offer for many autoimmune diseases beyond high-dose steroids and broad immune-suppressing drugs, with side effects that include a risk of infections and cancer. Today some newer options target specific molecules, somewhat less immune dampening. But for many autoimmune diseases, treatment is trial and error, with little to guide patient decisions.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

As shoppers gear up for Small Business Saturday, a new business owner is hoping to make a name for herself along one of St. Paul’s historic shopping corridors.

Sara Holst has high hopes for her women’s boutique, mor, that sells clothing, perfume, candles and accessories on Grand Avenue.

“In July, I honestly was having a midlife existential crisis,” said Holst, a mother of two in her late 30s. “Come to find out after some research, midlife for women is 39, 40, 41 – that’s where I’m at.”

Holst, who works by day as a business consultant for aesthetic clinics, said she began pondering some of life’s bigger questions, like “What is my legacy going to be?” when she pulled up in front of a “for lease” sign on Grand Avenue.

“When I pulled up that day, I felt this call,” she said. “I’m going to sign a commercial lease and I am going to open a store.”

Mor officially opened its doors last month at 844 Grand Ave., just a stone’s throw from Café Latte, one of the avenue’s most popular destinations.

The store’s name, which comes from the Norwegian word for mother, “is an homage to my Scandinavian heritage,” said Holst, whose grandfather is from Norway and grandmother from Sweden. “Mother is the term I cherish most in my life.”

Small Business Saturday

To celebrate its first Small Business Saturday, mor will offer shoppers a 20% discount on clothing through the weekend.

Founded in 2010 by American Express, Small Business Saturday has slowly become a staple for small business owners, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, which started co-sponsoring the event in 2011.

Minnesota is home to over 547,000 small businesses, which employ roughly half of the state’s workforce, according to a 2024 report from the SBA.

“Small businesses are the heartbeat of Minnesota’s economy,” said Brian McDonald, Minnesota district director for the SBA. “Retail stores, restaurants, e-commerce businesses and other mom-and-pop shops along Main Streets across the state strengthen local communities and create jobs.”

American Express estimates that the total spending in the U.S. by those who shopped at small businesses on Small Business Saturday was around $22 billion in 2024 and it has generated more $223 billion since the event was founded, Forbes reports.

More about mor

Sara Holst has high hopes for her women’s boutique, mor, that sells clothing, perfume, candles and accessories on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, seen Nov. 26, 2025. (Claudia Staut / Pioneer Press)

When entering the shop, patrons will be met with a table full of skin care products, rows of dresses, blouses and jeans, jewelry displays and stacks of candles.

The chic storefront leans into the minimalist aesthetic with neutral earth tones, warm lighting and seasonal garland adorning the doorframes.

“Shopping in stores is an experience,” said Holst, who loathes online shopping.

“This is not fast fashion. It’s for people who want to curate a wardrobe.” Holst said of the store’s clothing inventory. “Our prices are more on the contemporary women’s clothing side,” she said, with clothing items ranging from $75 to $500.

Northeast Minneapolis resident Alayna Bombard said she has shopped at mor twice since its grand opening last month.

Bombard, who heard about the store through word-of-mouth, said she specifically comes to Grand Avenue to “shop local,” and appreciates mor’s rotating selection.

If you’re looking to spend less, mor also offers products like greeting cards, hand soaps, nail polish and candles for less than $50.

As the buyer for the store, Holst said, “I am my target market.” As a result, she focuses on small makers and sustainability. Such was the case for Roen, a Los-Angeles-based candlemaker.

Created by Brit Roennigke after she left her career in the fashion industry, Roen makes small batch scents that are vegan, cruelty-free and packaged in fully recyclable materials.

Roen’s candle scents, like 29 Palms, which is mor’s most popular with notes of sage, cedar and eucalyptus, are influenced by Roennigke’s experience in fashion, styling and product development, according to her website.

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“I loved this woman’s story,” Holst said, adding that Roennigke pours the candles in a bungalow in her backyard.

“Resonating with small makers was important to me,” Holst said. “Being a small business, I want to support other small businesses.”

Before it was a women’s boutique, the 900-square-foot storefront was home to Nothing But Canna dispensary, Zero Proof, a non-alcoholic bottle shop, and most recently, Wonderland Mushroom, Minnesota’s first mushroom dispensary.

The fourplex building, which is also home to Specs Appeal and Preferred Management Services Inc., is owned by an entity called “844 Grand Ave. LLC,” according to Ramsey County property records. The building was last sold in 2004 for $895,000.

“We signed a 12-month lease, but we plan to be there as long as we possibly can,” Holst said.

‘Financially savvy’

Sara Holst and Matt Holst talk behind the counter inside mor in St. Paul on Nov. 26, 2025. (Claudia Staut / Pioneer Press)

Some first-time business owners turn to federal loans while others rely on the generosity of family members to get their businesses up and running.

That was not the case for Sara Holst and her husband, Matt Holst, who own a Minneapolis duplex that they rent out.

“We’d been saving for another rental property to buy,” Holst said. But after some discussion, the husband-and-wife team decided to “put that dream on hold” and use that savings to launch mor.

“We’re pretty financially savvy,” said Sara Holst, adding, “I am a little bit of a doomsday prepper.”

To set up the shop, the Holsts turned to Facebook Marketplace where they found discounted retail racks, furniture, plants and a bar that the couple repurposed to serve as the store’s checkout counter.

When it came to building out the space, Matt Holst got to work, assembling dressing rooms and doing electrical work.

Earlier this year, Matt Holst was working in the steel industry, his wife said. Now that the store is open, he runs the shop Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with Sara Holst taking over on Saturdays.

“He’s the most amazing person and he’s my biggest fan,” she said of her husband.

“I am so proud of her,” Matt Holst said, adding that he has struck “a great work/life balance” between running the shop and caring for the couple’s 3-year-old child.

Tariff troubles?

“I thought (the Trump administration’s tariffs) were going to affect me more,” Sara Holst said. “Most of the brands I’m working with are either made in the U.S. or they ship from the U.S.”

With that being said, mor is not entirely unscathed by the tariffs.

Sara Holst said she has seen wholesale prices increase from one brand that ships from Florida. And she was recently made to part ways with a Canadian beauty company as a result of the tariffs.

Based in Montreal, BKIND creates nail polish, body scrubs and hair care products, to name a few, with vegan, eco-friendly ingredients.

Founded in 2014 by Marilyne Bouchard, BKind recently announced that it would no longer ship to the U.S., Sara Holst said.

“She’s really bummed, she’d love to continue working with the U.S., but unfortunately the cost associated with doing so and the shipping and tariffs is too high,” Sara Holst said. The dozen or so BKIND nail polishes in stock at mor will unfortunately be the last, she said.

Looking ahead

An exterior view of mor in St. Paul on Nov. 26, 2025. (Claudia Staut / Pioneer Press)

“I was blown away with how well we did the first two or three weeks being open,” Sara Holst said, adding that the store made enough money to cover a couple months of rent.

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Despite the shop’s early success, the Holsts are not counting their chickens before they hatch. “I am fully aware that most businesses don’t take home a profit for two years. We are ready to hunker down,” she said.

“We want a life-first business,” Sara Holst said. “We want mor to be a blessing to our family, not a curse.”

In keeping with this goal, the store is only open four days a week for eight hours at a time, which Holst said is intentional. “We want something we love doing, not something we feel obligated to do.”

If all goes according to plan, Holst said down the line she hopes to expand the store to offer men’s and children’s clothing and host events like once-a-month galleries for artists.

“I want to give back to the community all that we are bringing in,” she said.

mor

When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays

Where: 844 Grand Ave., St. Paul

Holiday sale: Clothing 20% off through Dec. 1