While you might think that the seasons are determined by forces like nature, the structure of time, or the Earth's orbit around the sun, the truth is that the seasons are controlled by one person, and one person only: Trader Joe. It's summer when Joe launches canned wine; fall arrives and Joe brings his ridiculously large pumpkin spice lineup; and starting this year, Trader Joe's launches an Advent calendar for dogs, reportedly in 2018 Things that happened.
The third episode of Season 2 of the Inside Trader Joe's podcast had employees talking about the chain's best holiday products coming to shelves this year, which, according to store president Jon Basalone, will be a copy of Advent of the Dog, Delish reports Christmas calendar with small gifts for your four-legged friends in the days leading up to Christmas. It's unclear whether this will be a 12-day Advent calendar or a 25-day Advent calendar, but what's clear is that people are about to go crazy over it. I don't even live with a dog, but I'd like to get my paws on one.
But that's actually just the tip of the iceberg of what's exciting for our dear friend Joe this holiday season; employees on the podcast said the chain will be launching between 150 and 200 products for the holiday season, according to Delish. Products mentioned include Bûche de Noël ice cream, Grain d'Orge cheese made with apple brandy, 10-, 13- and 16-year-old Scotch whiskeys from the Ardmore Distillery, and the return of turkey and potato stuffing Chips and riced cauliflower filling.
A moment of silence, though, for sticky toffee pudding, which reportedly won't be back on shelves this year; at least this year we have chocolate salted caramel cake in a cup to replace it in our mouths and hearts.
If you're not yet familiar with some of Trader Joe's' more classic holiday offerings, be sure to visit the chain in November and December. Not only does Joe carry a variety of seasonal candies, like gourmet chocolates (Irish whiskey caramels, anyone?), but the baked goods section is usually just a variety of pies, as well as limited-edition cakes, cookies, and breads for the holidays. Since TJ's is getting deeper into specialty items like vegan and gluten-free options, it's basically the perfect one-stop shop for affordable entertainment or picking up something for your friends to watch Get up and put in more effort than you put in. (To be fair, standing in line at a Trader Joe's in Manhattan is a daunting task in itself.)
There's no official word yet on when the Advent calendar will be dropped, but Trader Joe's has been silent on these matters, so there's a good chance you'll see it in stores first before seeing other products online. In the meantime, if you're looking for something to tide your pup through, you can always head over to TJ's this year to stock up on pumpkin spice dog food — now you and your pooch can pair up with the fall brand once and for all.
