‘Twas 32 days before Christmas, when all through the store every creature was stirring - especially owner Mrs Angela Thomson.

While visions of sugar-plums danced in her head, she imagined a world of Christmas all year.

Located at 134 Jellicoe Street in Te Puke, the Aberdeen House Christmas Shed is the Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium of the festive world, where the magic begins the moment you open the doors.

And this year, the store will also be one of the many addresses on The Weekend Sun Christmas Lights Drive.

Christmas enthusiast Angela Thomson says the shed started out in her house with a small Christmas grotto, but has now grown into a winter wonderland, with nine different parts to visit.

'I wanted to turn the grotto into a shop,” says Angela, 'because I know what a wonderful feeling it is to experience Christmas.”

Walk through the elf alleyway, with more than 100 different types of elves hanging in an archway, and you'll come face-to-face with three life-size polar bears in the snow grotto.

Take your own family photos on the giant snowman seat, with the snow scene backdrop free all year round, or visit Santa's little workshop, complete with elves painting and hammering away. The grotto also changes every year to keep the experience fresh and exciting.

'My biggest dream,” says Angela, 'is to have a sleigh that will drive through the wonderland and arrive at a café area that does high teas and Christmas-themed food, like candy canes, cupcakes and hot chocolate with marshmallows.

'I would also like a men's cave, like an ice cave, because I've found that a lot of men don't really get into Christmas or don't really like spending time in the Christmas shop.

'They can have an area where they can have a cup of coffee and watch sports or read car magazines while the rest of the family is looking around.”

Angela says the most rewarding part of creating the store is seeing the smiling faces when people walk through the door.

'There's a couple of ladies who get down and come into the shop for their pick me up. They walk out smiling again.

'It's not about Christmas as such, but about bringing magic to people's lives, because there's so much crap going on out there and it's nice just to have some place - a happy place - to get away from all of that.”

The Aberdeen House Christmas Shed opens a couple of weeks before Easter for four days a week, with the hours increasing right up until Christmas.

If you also have a twinkling, glittering house or store and want to spread some Christmas cheer to the community, there's still time to register for The Weekend Sun Christmas Lights Drive.

Entrants go in to the draw to win some great prizes, including one of two prize packs worth $150 each filled with goodies, so why not get into the Christmas spirit and make your house shine. It's free to enter!

All entered, decorated houses will have their addresses published on a big double page Christmas Lights Drive spread in The Weekend Sun on December 7, so the community can enjoy the twinkling lights.

The Weekend Sun Christmas Lights Drive will run from December 7 right up to December 24. Lights must to be available for viewing from 8.30-10pm.

Entries close on Tuesday December 4. To register, email: debbie@thesun.co.nz or fill out the entry form in The Weekend Sun and post it to: PO Box 240, Tauranga, 3140. You can also drop it into our offices at Number 1 The Strand, Tauranga.