Who doesn’t like snowmen? They’re a happy reminder of Maine’s winter wonderland. And unlike Christmas-specific decorations, which are usually packed away after the holidays, these little guys can stay out and keep you company all winter long.

Snowmen aficionados will definitely want to stop by Provencher’s Landscaping Nursery Home & Garden Shoppe in Lewiston. “Our vanilla scented, battery-operated snowmen candles, priced at $11.99 each, are proving to be very popular with customers this season,” stated co-owner Lorraine Roberge. Complete the wintery effect by adding a star-shaped candle holder for $4.99 and faux star/berry wrap at $3.99 from Bear Necessities in Auburn.

Roberge noted that customers are purchasing outdoor, wooden-arrow holders which can be interchanged and hung with their favorite wooden snowmen and stars. Provencher’s also does brisk sales of fresh balsam wreaths, garlands, poinsettias, boxwood trees, and kissing balls, as well as designing fresh centerpieces.

Jim Myrick, owner of Skier’s Edge in Auburn, recommended that all skiers wear a helmet, which can go for $59 and up. Myrick noted that he has a leopard fur covered helmet with fur-covered goggles in stock for $159. He stated that skiers will have a better day by inserting Super Feet Orthotics, which cost $39, into their ski boots. He also sells hand and feet warmers for under $5.

What better way to relax after a fun day of skiing than with a good book that was on your “Most Wanted List.” Pam Morris, assistant manager of Walden Books in the Auburn Mall, said that die-hard readers usually provide their friends and family members with “a specific reading list. In addition, we sell a lot of Playboy magazines during this time. Many wives get them as stocking stuffers for their husbands,” she commented. Readers also seem to like book lights that start at $9.99 and bookmarks, starting at $3.49.

Sports enthusiasts, ready to watch their athletic games, would probably enjoy receiving some items from Olympia Sports in Auburn, stated sales associate Cari Jolin. She noted that Celtics and other basketball jerseys run from $45 to $54, while Patriot football jerseys cost about $80, and knitted winter hats with fleece lining and team logos go for $22 and up. Celtics and Red Sox fans can start their day right with toast from a $34.99 toaster that imprints their team’s logo on their bread, she noted.

Those searching for nautical, sterling-silver pieces to add to their popular bead bracelets will want to visit Pamela’s World on Water Street in Bath. “These are the hottest things going, and at a good price, too,” stated owner Pamela Hagerthy-Edwards. She commissioned a jeweler in Rhode Island to design a double-sided starfish that costs $28; a lighthouse, a lobster trap, and an outline of the state of Maine, each priced at $32; and a sterling-silver lobster trap with 14-karat gold lobster for $99. She also carries a sterling-silver Red Sox bead for $32; and Yankee and Patriot beads for $36 apiece.

“Functional art is quite fun to receive,” commented Wendy Sinton, sales associate at April 56, on Front Street in Bath. She pointed to the whimsical watering cans, designed by April Cornell in different animal, bug, and bird shapes for $42 each. Sinton said that customers were also buying the clear martini glasses that sit on thick, square-bottomed bases of blue and green glass. “They do double duty as both drink and dessert glasses,” she stated.

The knowledgeable folks at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies, on 56 Maine Street in Brunswick, hope to convince more customers to turn over a new leaf and become more “green” in 2011. It can start with an attractive stainless steel kitchen compost pail ($39.95) to collect scraps for a compost pile. The carbon filters in the lid absorb odors and keep fruit flies away.

Shari Burke, sales associate, also recommended the BoGo Solar flashlight ($34.95) for its six settings – high, medium, and low for both tents and rooms. “It’s easy and pleasant to read a book at the high room setting,” she said, pointing out that the solar flashlight offers substantial cost savings by eliminating the need for disposable batteries.

“The solar panel recharges NiMH batteries, which are better for the environment than NiCad batteries,” Burke stated. She noted that in this economy, more people are bringing their own food for lunch. “We have a nice selection of reusable lunch ware starting with Wrap-N-Mats at $6.95,” she stated.

Baskets aren’t just for Easter. According to Lee Duguay, president of Craft-Mania on Center Street in Auburn, they provide an easy way to package up many of the above items listed. Duguay, who sells a variety of different-sized baskets and plastic covers at Craft-Mania, held up a gift basket that he quickly put together that included a pattern; popular Noro yarn, made from 50 percent wool, 30 percent angora and 20 percent silk; and bamboo knitting needles, “which traveling holiday knitters can take on planes. Metal knitting needles aren’t allowed,” he explained.

Others may want to hop on their bikes and cycle over to Delorme in Yarmouth to see its new Global Positioning System that won an award from Popular Mechanics “that moved society forward in 2010.”

Delorme’s Earthmate Pn-60w GPS system ($549.95) communicates wirelessly with a California company’s satellite messaging device, allowing users to type and send text messages from practically anywhere in the world via satellites. While there, Delorme’s retail store is definitely worth checking out. It carries fun and interesting items and maps for all ages and interests, including geocaching, a recreational activity, where someone buries something for others to find using GPS. The geocache normally consists of a waterproof container, holding a logbook and inexpensive trinkets. Delorme’s retail store carries these items and much more.

David Brink, co-owner of CycleMania on Federal Street in Portland, said an under-$50 holiday biking basket could include cycling gloves for $19.95; rear flashing light for $10.95; chain lube for $6.95; and Allen wrench set for $9.95. A basket for about $100 would have a cycling jersey ($49.95); Co2 inflator kit ($19.95); spare tube ($5.95); and cycling computer ($24.95).