‘Tis the season that always seems to go by in a blur. My house is currently covered in boxes filled with Christmas decorations waiting to be unpacked. Decorating is a multi-week endeavor for me. While there never seems to be enough time to do everything on my holiday list, I’m going to give it a shot this year. We’ll see where the holiday spirit takes me and what I can squeeze in this coming month. Below are a few things I’m hoping to do.

Check out some Local Artisans.  I have a brown felt covered advent calendar with perfectly symmetrical numbered tags hanging from hooks on which we place ornaments to count down the days until Christmas. I made it during a crafting weekend with a friend who brought her sizzix die cutting machine and let me play with it. I  often blog about my love for crafting and always get to a few craft shows each season. It’s the best place to find something unique and personal.

Picnic Craft Fair. Last year was my first year attending Picnic and it was especially wonderful. There are so many local artists showcasing their artwork. This year they’ve moved the venue to Thompson’s Point and the lineup of vendors looks amazing.  Date: Sunday, December 10, 2017.

The following weekend is the Vintage Bazaar New England Holiday Edition which is also being held at Thompson’s Point. This one seems to have more of a flea market vibe and would be a great place to search out some of those vintage decorations I love so much. Date: December 16 & 17, 2017.

Take in the Holiday Lights. Climbing in the back of our station wagon in our pajamas, and slowly driving through town looking at the freshly hung holiday lights as we waited in anticipation for the grand finale at the local Fire Station is one of my favorite childhood memories. I have not lost my love of a good light display.

While I didn’t make it to the tree lighting at Monument Square in Portland which happens the day after Thanksgiving, I’ll be wandering Portland in December and will have a chance to enjoy the holiday lights.

I’m also hoping to get up to Gardens Aglow at the Coastal Maine Botanical gardens. I’ve blogged about the gardens previously in my post An Afternoon at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay It’s a magical place even without holiday lights so I image it will be even more enchanting with holiday lights hung throughout the gardens.

Admire some Christmas Trees.   I always handle the delicate, white blown glass elephant with amber ears and wispy tail careful as I search for a strong branch, high up in my tree, to secure it for the season. It was my grandmothers and is one of the many ornaments I have collected over the years. Trimming my trees each year is one of my favorite things to do. I also enjoy seeing how other’s have decorated their trees and am especially fond of themed trees.

While I’ve seen many photographs of the Lobster Trap Tree in Cape Porpois, I’ve never seen it in person. The lighting of the tree is one of the many events that make up the Kennebunkport Christmas Prelude. For more information on the tree lighting visit the Cape Purpose Lobster Trap Tree Lighting page. Date: Friday, December 01, 2017 7:00 pm.

The 7th Annual Christmas Tree Tour in Kennebunkport is another event from prelude where local resident’s open their homes and share their decorated trees. Date: Saturday, December 2, 2017, 10:00 am – 04:00 pm.

Escape with a Christmas Classic.  The night my husband and I met, our future was sealed when I discovered he could recite every line from It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s my  favorite holiday move. I watch it every year along with many other classics both old and new.

Ogunquit’s Christmas by the Sea has a full weekend of events, including a free movie showing of  the “Shop Around the Corner” featuring Jimmy Stewart which will be shown by Ogunquit Performing Arts as part of their classic film series. Film, popcorn and parking are all free! Plus it gives me a double dose of Jimmy Stewart this holiday season. Date: Sunday, December 10, 2017 at 2:00 pm.

There is a live radio play of It’s a Wonderful Life at Portland Stage. The previews of the show just started this past weekend and the show runs through December 24, 2017. For more information, check out the Portland Stage website.

Spend Time with Ebeneezer.  The sound of a rusty, tentative laugh growing into a deep, robust hearty one is just one of the many pleasures of listening to the audio version of A Christmas Carol performed by Patrick Stewart. It is amazing. His distinctive voice handles all the characters with ease and draws you easily into the story. We listen to it every year on our way down to visit friends for New Year’s Eve. And while I’m sure we will do that again this year, there are a couple of local events with a Dickens’ flair happening as well.

The Maine Historical Society is hosting a one man performance of a Christmas Carol performed by Gerald Dickens (great-great-grandson of Charles). Visit the Maine Historical Society’s website for more information. Date: Monday, November 27, 2017 at 7:00 pm.

The Victorian Mansion in Portland is also hosting Christmas with Dickens. Date: Saturday, December 2, 2017 from 6:00-9:00 PM.

Get Inspired by Gingerbread Houses.  It’s hard to balance the saucer of the USS Enterprise when it’s made of gingerbread, but I have mastered that trick. Each year, I let my love of all things geek find expression through my annual Gingerbread House creations. But, it’s not all about pop culture. I love a traditional gingerbread house too and found a couple of local events that might provide inspiration.

The Gingerbread Spectacular in Boothbay Harbor looks like a great way to check out some of my favorite edible holiday houses. The viewing runs December 16-17, 2017. While the viewing is free, they do have a  ticketed Dough Ball Preview Party scheduled for Friday, December 15, 2017.

Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery, 347 Carroll Road, Union is also hosting a gingerbread competition. You can view the entries at their annual open house. Date:  December 9 and 10, 2017.

Hang with Santa. Who doesn’t want to visit Santa before the big day? For years, my grandmother displayed a Polaroid picture of my brother and I, well into our teen years, flanking a mall Santa. No matter the age, we all love to spend time with the man in the red suit. I think I might mix it up this year and attend an event that has multiple Santas.

The tenth annual Portland Santacon is a fundraising event where participants dress up as Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph, Christmas trees, the Abominable Snowman, and other holiday icons as they pub crawl through the Old Port. Date: Saturday, December 2, 2017.

Sunday River hosts an annual Santa Sunday. This fundraising event showcases 250 Santas skiing down the slopes with a group photo taken at 11:00 AM. Date: Sunday, December 3, 2017 

I’m always a little overly ambitious each season and probably won’t get to everything on my list, especially since I’ll have plenty of my own holiday baking, decorating and wrapping to do but I hope to make a few. What activities are you planning to do this holiday season?