Shopping in Concord

Today's side deal gets a lush Christmas tree into your house while simultaneously getting your family out of it. For $38, you get a pre-cut Christmas tree, up to eight feet tall, from Smolak Farms (up to a $75 value). Located just 45 minutes outside of Boston, this picturesque 300-year-old New England farm lets you and your family enjoy the Christmas tradition of taking your pick of hundreds of pre-cut trees. Because purchasing a Christmas tree after Christmas is considered something of a faux pas, this side deal understandably expires on Christmas Eve. This deal covers the tree only—rope is not included.

Thanks to improper equipment and a lack of professional training, Nanci Grenier Boutet endured four years of splashes and bruises before she could reliably stand up on her surfboard. Nanci founded Aquaholics to save others from a similarly waterlogged fate, and it was not long before she began to make waves in Maine’s dedicated surfing community. Nestled in a space that once housed a church, her surf shop has earned local renown for its selection of quality wetsuits and beach gear available to rent or buy.

When Nanci and her staff aren’t outfitting wave riders with professional equipment, they take to the ocean themselves during year-round surf and paddleboard lessons. CPR-certified instructors coach boarders of all skill levels in private surf sessions or group classes capped at three students per instructor. Large parties can opt for abbreviated surf lessons with a less-structured approach that lends itself to mild mayhem. Alternatively, standup paddleboard lessons impart various techniques for mounting boards and steering clear of siren rap battles during guided tours of Maine’s waterways.

Andy’s Sport Shop draws upon four generations of expertise in peddling and maintaining gear for skiers, snowboarders, and scuba divers. During the winter seasons, the staff buffs and waxes snowboards and skis, reducing friction that can melt the snow surface and limit traction while careening downhill. The shop also stocks aqua-ready gear, including scuba fins and weight belts, which provide a useful dive-descent alternative to cement shoes. Outfitted explorers can enroll in a vast offering of scuba courses to pursue sundry certifications ranging from open-water diving to wreck diving to ice diving.

Today's Groupon gets you $80 worth of custom framing services for $40 at Art & Framing at Stapleton. This locally owned and operated gallery is a local favorite for fulfilling framing needs because of its huge selection and friendly, art-expert staff.The Case: Toni Jorgensen, the antique shop owner, is hired to polish Amy’s grandmother’s antique vase, when, according to Jorgensen, the cleaning lady came in and broke it. “I wasn’t even here,” says Jorgensen, a single tear rolling down from the outside of her eye. “I was visiting my sick aunt in the hospital.” How does Amy know she is lying?