25 Merry Days: All month long

Make Your Home Merry and Bright
We may not have one store completely devoted to Christmas, but we have something better. Bradford Mercantile, the fantastically seasonal shop in Warren, completely changes with the seasons – so we have a super-patriotic July Fourth store in the summer, a Halloween mecca in October, and now a holiday shop that’s as festive as they come. Owner Terry Stone is known for her beautifully crafted seasonal displays, and Christmas is the season in which she really shines. Check out the store for home gifts, ornaments and decorations as far as the eye can see. Even if you’re not shopping, it’s worth taking a look. 384 Market Street, Warren. 401-289-2102, www.bradfordmercantile.com

Deck the Halls
Christmas at Blithewold is unlike anything else you’re going to find. This month, the mansion decks its halls – and we mean really decks them. This year’s theme is “The Gifts of Nature,” where the outside comes in with handmade ornaments and decorations made from pine cones and plants on the property. Time your visit around their afternoon teas, offered Tuesday-Friday at 1:30pm and 3pm, to fully enjoy the experience. 101 Ferry Road, Bristol. 401-253-2707, www.blithewold.org

Trim the Tree

This year, don’t just head to Home Depot to get some dried-out tree that was cut down weeks ago in another state. The area is full of tree farms, and many of them are offering fun ways to get in the Christmas spirit. In Tiverton, Clarks Christmas Tree Farm offers pony rides, handmade wreaths and cider and treats in the barn. Boughs and Berry Farm in Little Compton offers kids the opportunity to hunt for the Charlie Brown tree while their parents search for one a little more robust to take home. Middletown’s Sweet Berry Farm offers seven varieties of firs and spruces, along with holiday floral arrangements and offerings from the farm’s gourmet shop. For a full listing of local tree farms, visit RIChristmasTrees.com. Clarks: 4191 Main Road, Tiverton. 401-624-4119, www.clarkschristmastreefarm.com. Boughs and Berry: 255 Peckham Road, Little Compton. 401-635-8582. Sweet Berry: 915 Mitchell’s Lane, Middletown. 401-847-3912, www.sweetberryfarmri.com.

Locally Source Your Holiday Meal
Purchasing your food from local farms benefits everyone: not only are you eating better, fresher, more wholesome meals, you’re supporting local farmers and food purveyors. Take it one step further by getting your holiday turkey from Helger’s Turkey Farm in Tiverton. They’re taking holiday orders as of right now, and encourage early orders – though frozen turkeys are available year-round. 2554 Main Road, Tiverton. 401-624-4087

Foster Traditions
Now in its 40th year, Christmas in Newport is a city-wide celebration sure to get you waxing nostalgic. Clear bulbs, meant to simulate candles, will light up the streets as activities unfold all through the month of December. In keeping with the spirit of the season, all events are either free of charge or will benefit a charity or nonprofit organization. A calendar of events, including historic home tours and choral perfor- mances, can be found online.

Treat Yourself
After all of that shopping, baking, wrapping and merrymaking (hey, that can get exhausting, too), you deserve a little bit of me time. Elizabeth Grady Spa in Seekonk offers a way to treat yourself to an indulgent spa service and have a sense of the season at the same time. The Feet First Peppermint Manicure and Pedicure is an intensive, invigorating treatment, infused with deliciously seasonal peppermint oil, to get your tired hands and feet back in holiday party shape. 20 Commerce Road, Seekonk. 508-336-7710, www.elizabethgrady.com