The Nightmare Before Christmas a somewhat-quirky guide to aid the reluctant holiday shopper

Author: Will Mallett

Holiday season is upon us once again. It is, needless to say, a pleasant time of year, and we here at Middlebury College all look forward to the joys the season will bring with anticipation - snow on the ground, smiles on children's faces, cheer in the air. Even a Wal-Mart parking lot looks beautiful bedecked with freshly cut balsam firs, and the most barren of wastelands is transformed into a winter wonderland when laden with three feet of freshly fallen snow, much as a sparkling-clean article of clothing will conceal even the most hideous of human forms. Yet beneath all of this snow and joy there yet lurks the hidden monstrosity, the Christmas-time equivalent of the senior thesis - that lingering, conscience-eating tapeworm that silently ruins what would otherwise be a perfectly good time. But don't fret: The Middlebury Campus has endeavored this week to help you bear the burden of holiday shopping with ease and class and without the price tags that accompany shipping, handling and gas. A best-of-the-best, oven-ready guide to holiday shopping in Middlebury:

Yak Adventure: Snuggled into a nondescript storefront across the street from Shaw's and beside the Co-op, the misleadingly named Yak Adventure has little to do with yaks or adventure. What it does have to do with is supplying you with an ample quantity of possible gifts for that hard to please loved one on your list. This might be the spiritualist voyageur who would be impressed and pleased to find, say, a Tibetan prayer flag under the Christmas tree. Or it might just be the average girl on your list, who is ipso facto hard to please but who, of course, loves jewelry and things made out of cloth. Yak Adventure has plenty of both, and all with an exotic flair. Swing by on your next toothpaste run.

Sweet Cecily: "A country store for today," Sweet Cecily has everything a family member could want from a relative going to school in Vermont. Useful things like cookbooks and the a la mode French coffee press (cheaper than at other places) line the shelves alongside local products like soap, candy and even some jewelry. Noteworthy items include a line of deliberately mismatched socks, from a Vermont company whose prominence in the front window suggest they will be this season's hot new thing, and a selection of gourmet teas from "Tea forte," which comes in tea bags made out of silk and which is one of Oprah's favorite teas. Of the eclectic selection of products you will be sure to find something, at least for your mom, maybe for your dad too and probably for your sister. The store also smells fantastic.

Green Mountain Apparel: This downtown store is just what it sounds like, with everything necessary to keep you and yours impervious to the cold. The first thing one sees upon entrance is a rubber boot at least two-and-a-half feet tall, flanked by a collection of snow boots of all shapes and sizes which, if less immediately impressive than the first, are all no less practical for winter walking in the Frozen North. Further down the corridor one comes upon an incredible selection of winter hats, many of which are lined with fur and some of which cover one's entire face except the eyes, like the headwear worn by robbers of old. Much of the floor space is occupied by Carhartt and Sorel pants and jackets, vests and flannel, warm socks and the "Middlebury" apparel that younger siblings are always proud to sport. As of Dec. 3, there were a number of items on sale.

The Recycling Center: Head down the hill toward the Adirondacks to the building underneath the wind turbine. Through the front door and across the floor to the back lies a treasure-trove of potential gifts that are either free or really inexpensive. Discarded books, clothing and knick-knacks will light up the eyes of anyone on your list - from the would-be bum to the most fashion-savvy. Some items may also be conducive to the make-your-own gift. A Campus reporter recently making inquiries at the center was asked by an employee, "Are you looking for stuff to make an art project or something?" The answer was "No," - but what a great idea! Show your loved ones not only that you care enough to put some time into their gift, but that you have talent to boot.

Ben Franklin: This Middlebury landmark actually has everything that anyone could possibly want or need, so you may luck out and discover that you can take care of all of your holiday shopping in one quick, in-and-out, easy-on-your-wallet trip. You may even have enough time and cash left over afterwards to swing into the McDonald's drive-thru for a burger and fries. Unlike fast-food, however, this one-stop holiday shop appeals to both pragmatic and aesthetic sensibilities, with everything from cotton tube-socks to velvet fabric, frying pans, batteries, bicycle locks, crayons, fine art prints and a whole room full of toys downstairs. Like the Founding Father himself, this store screams 'renaissance sensibility' - science alongside art, liberty alongside progress.