According to someone, there are a limited number of shopping days left until Christmas. You already missed St. Nicholas Day yesterday so now you’re dealing with Yankee Swap (for Mr. Owl that’s Monday), teacher gifts, Christmas Eve present exchange (many non-American cultures including Brazil) and Christmas Day–and yes there is a Santa Claus. You have to believe. And Three Kings Day, which Spain at least celebrates — those folks are going to need a lot of presents now they’re out of the World Cup. Why yes, I did manage to roll in a WC allusion to a holiday post, thanks for playing.

Yesterday, after meeting with the second-best conservation organization in Metrowest (that would be LLCT), my WFTA boss bought me lunch at Twisted Sister Tree, one of my favorite little cafes. The Sweet and Spicy Chicken Protein Bowl is insane. Also I covet a mug. You do know Lincoln has a twisted tree, right? It’s a catalpa and right in front of the Lincoln Public Library. It has a fan club on Instagram (possibly true though I made that up) and great care from an involved community (ahem).

Wait, where was I? Oh yes, Lincoln. After lunch, I wandered into Something Special in search of children’s earmuffs for the Waltham Boys and Girls Club kids, and while that was a rare strikeout (they had adult ones, fluffy and plaid-y at the same time), of course I found 8 billion other gifts for others and full disclosure, me.

My WFTA boss calls Something Special his Christmas Eve go-to–if he’s forgotten something for anyone on his list, that is the place he can find it. It is incredibly hard to define Something Special–it has beautiful sweaters (more coveting), scarves, hats, clothes, children’s items, culinary doo-dads, cards, puzzles and then…Simon Pearce. Some day someone will explain the Simon Pearce obsession to me–I do own a couple of items and they are really nice but still bowls. So just checking there.

It has all kinds of cool kitchen gadgets (hello mini grater for a stocking stuffer, ditto a small spice mill), candles, napkins, dish towels and traveling two more feet, bah-da-bing, you’re in the children’s area with zillions of games, stuffies, even books and collectibles. Puzzles. And then baby stuff that is so cute you almost miss having ittty bitty twin baby boys and then you remember that you didn’t sleep for a year, and you are repeating that now as they are learning to drive. Agh.

So off you go to the cards and chocolate section and buy all of that for yourself, plus books on Lincoln and Concord (I am SO writing a book on Weston one day–can’t decide if I model it after Stephen King or Hunger Games). Jewelry and a wonderful you-don’t-need-it or possibly sure-I-could-gift-it-but-I-love-it Christmas section with ornaments, gnomes and the item I picked up and put down FIVE times– an owl snow globe. I did not get it. Yet. What did I miss? Oh yes, soaps and lotions and stocking stuffers and gadgets and I want the rainbow scarf too, alas no. Massachusetts cutting board? Why yes, that is traveling to Brazil as a gift.

With apologies to other wonderful retail stores like Weston Table which is major level up and I love dearly, and Russell’s in Wayland where you can get lots of gifts and ornaments and stuff and also birdseed…Something Special will always be my #1 go-to for panic mode. And non panic mode. And gifting myself. And others.

Shop local–in this case family-owned Something Special in Lincoln.

Something Special is located in the Mall at Lincoln Station at 145 Lincoln Road. They are old school with no online shopping or even website. Hours are 9:30-6 most days (I think they’re closed Sunday outside of holiday weeks) but call ahead if you’re concerned. (781) 259-0544