It's that time of year again. The cold weather and premature nightfall are exacerbating your seasonal depression. The Christmas decorations and miscellaneous holiday tchotchkes you've been eyeing for weeks can finally find places to live around your home. And you've already started coming up with new resolutions for 2018 because you've haven't checked a single one off of your 2017 list. Trust me, you're not the only one.

For a couple weeks, I've been throwing side-eyes at friends and social media acquaintances who've been posting pictures of their Christmas tree prior to Thanksgiving. "Since when did people start putting up Christmas decorations before Turkey Day? And who told her that her Charlie Brown Christmas tree was cute?" I've asked a few of my friends. They rolled their eyes in response because they knew I was just sippin' on some holiday haterade.

And they were right, as soon as I returned to the Queen after spending time with family, I started planning out when I'd put up my trees. Yes, you read that right, I'm putting up multiple trees this year, two artificial and one real one. I've even been trying to figure out if I have room for garland. Who am I?!

Nevertheless, each year I try to compile a list of a few things to do in or around Charlotte during the holiday season and share it with my readers. Why break tradition this year? Here are a few things on my holiday bucket list this year:

Plan a friendsgivemas party. Maybe you missed out on friendsgiving. Maybe you want a good excuse to continue the torturous tradition of White Elephant Gift Exchange. Whatever your excuse, the month in between your next paid holiday is the perfect time to gather your friends and family for a friendsgivemas party. Think outside of the box. Instead of hosting a dinner party, coordinate a silent disco or take over your favorite watering hole.

Get lit with your coworkers. If you work a 9-to-5, you know that the holiday office party is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year. I mean, they even make movies about them! Don't be a Grinch and turn down free booze at some of the best venues in Charlotte. Lightly mingle with the higher-ups then sit back and enjoy the shitshow that the majority of your coworkers will become.

Embarrass yourself on ice skates. There's plenty of places to test out your ice skating skills around this time in the Q.C. But Holiday On Ice, Charlotte's outdoor ice skating rink Uptown screams #Charlottean! Grab your boo thang or a group of friends and head over to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza until January 7th!

Sign up for a bar crawl, run or volunteer work. "One of my biggest fears is that I'll marry into a family that runs 5Ks on holidays," reads a meme that I recently saw, and immediately co-signed after my third trip to the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. However, maybe you're one of the healthy/give-back-to-the-community types and running is your thing. Well, there's good news, you'll find plenty of runs, trots, walks and volunteer opportunities in the Queen City during the holiday season. But for those who prefer to exercise their palates, there's plenty of Santa and Christmas-themed bar crawls to go around, too.

Feast your eyes on 3,000,000 Christmas lights. Even though I have every intention of going to Speedway Christmas every year, I never seem to make it. But this year I've got to do it! If taking a ride through millions of Christmas lights doesn't put me in the holiday spirit, I don't know what will. Pack up your car any night of the week and head to the Charlotte Motor Speedway for a light show that will rival your wildest dreams.

Hop on the brewery train. You know how it is in Charlotte. You bring one unique concept to the nightlife scene and next thing you know, there's 1,000 more just like it. Well, it's not the worst idea when it comes to our obsession with breweries. There's so many popping up all over the city, that it's hard to keep up. Finally stop by Plaza Midwood's latest addition, Resident Culture, and cozy up to a pint, or three. Then make a point to visit a new brewery each weekend in December. There's nothing like exploring new spots in your city to put your seasonal depression at ease.

Did you know Fantasia Barrino, the winner American Idol season 3, lives in the Queen City?

Well, anyone who kept up with her or who's a Charlottean probably does, and that includes my mom. A few weeks ago, she sent me a link to an event and asked me if I wanted to go. I took a gander at the luncheon put on by Café Mocha Radio called the 'Salute Her': Beauty of Diversity Awards. Why was my mom interested in going to that? "Because 'Tasia's' gonna be there," she said. I relented, she never asks for much.

Friday I introduced her to the beauty of Stoke Charlotte — the décor, the ambiance, the pork shank and the pretzel brioche. To my surprise, her sometimes finicky palate was impressed by the subtle flavors and textures I introduced her to. By the time we finished eating and watching Thor: Ragnarok at Studio Move Grill, we were both pooped.

Saturday morning, I didn't think I'd be able convince my body that it was time to get up until my mom gently tapped me and reminded me it was almost time for the luncheon to start. I threw on a simple black dress and called an Uber.

Once there, we eventually reached a point where both of us were asking, "Will we starve before the luncheon starts?" But just as our impatience was taking over, Fantasia walked by. I thought my mom was going to pass out. We watched as she greeted everyone while photographers snapped away.

I tried to help my mom gather herself as we sat down at our assigned table and prepared to eat while our host, Loni Love from The Real, entertained us. Speech after speech, I felt more privileged and appreciative of sharing a moment I would've never even considered if it hadn't been for my mom — or maybe it was the glass of red wine and three-course meal? Nevertheless, as the luncheon was wrapping up, Fantasia walks by and my mom grabs her arm, tells her we're from her hometown and gives her a kiss on her cheek. Fantasia smiled, thanked her and told her she loved her hair. Again, I thought she would pass out. But that's the beauty of Charlotte, you never know who's going to be around every corner.

As if she hadn't had enough excitement for the day, let alone the entire weekend, I'd convinced her to go to the Sofar Charlotte show later on that night. I shared in my last column that Sofar has introduced the city to an entirely unique live music experience. One that is intimate and mysterious. We showed up at the venue, this time it was at Yoga Warrior Studio located off Morehead Street. We couldn't quite tell where we needed to go in when a guy walks up and instructs us to ring the doorbell. I thought, "Okay, Sofar a doorbell? You're taking it too far." "What is it you're here for anyway," he asked with genuine curiosity. I told him that we were there to see a show to which he responded, "Oh you must be here for the video."

It could've totally been possible for the creators of Sofar to allow one of their performers to make a video. But thankfully, that motherly instinct kicked in as we rounded the corner of the office building and saw a room filled fluorescent purple lighting. "What kind of video?" All of a sudden we all realized that we were in the wrong place.

I don't know what I'd done if these guys had convinced my mom to be a video hoe.

We laughed and walked around the other side of the building and found the entrance to one of the most beautiful yoga studios that I've seen in Charlotte. Before even laying our eyes on the intimacy of the smaller event space/stage, we were captivated by a yogi performing some form of aerial acrobatics. I knew then that mom's first Sofar experience was going to be epic. The show unfolded nicely before us while we listened to the unique sounds of Hedera, Dust & Ashes and Sidney Murray. If you haven't checked any of them out yet, you better!

I finished up the third PBR tall boy I'd BYOBed after the show concluded and waited for my mom to agree to drive us to The Corner Pub for late night family time. Again, she'd had a full day but she tried to play it cool as all my regular favorites introduced themselves. By the end of the night, when she hopped in the car to head back to my house, I knew she'd had enough. But the fullness of our Queen City adventures was one of the best pre-Thanksgiving turn ups we could've asked for.

Have you ever paid for a ticket to show without knowing who the performer(s) were going to be? I'm not referring to the last-minute tickets you purchased because your friends were going to see someone whose music you had never listened to — such as my recent situation with Bon Iver, if you recall from last week's column. No, I'm talking about buying tickets to a show and you literally don't even have a name to research, nor do you even know where the show is going to take place.

Yeah, probably not.

Well it's exactly that "allure of the unknown" that's the drawing card for Sofar Sounds.

A couple months ago, one of my friends asked me if I'd heard about Sofar Charlotte. I remember looking at him with a confused look on my face — the same face that people give me now when I ask them if they've heard of the concept. He laughed and proceeded to tell me about a brand new music listening experience in the Queen City.

He told me to Google "Sofar Sounds," visit the website, search for Charlotte and sign up. Then what, you may ask? Then, I had to wait for an email confirmation that stated I've applied and then another email confirming I was on the guest list before I could actually buy tickets to this exclusive gig. Sighs. Generally, that would be more steps than I'm willing to take, but after going to my first Sofar experience on Halloween, I'm so glad I wasn't a spoiled brat and "trusted the process."

Sofar Sounds has been described as a global movement in music that redefines, and arguably restores, the intimacy of a live show experience. Sofar is actually an acronym for Songs From a Room. This music event company brings live gigs to intimate spaces all over the world. The catch is, you don't know who's going to be performing or what kind of "room" you're going to be in. You could be listening to a local artist in a warehouse, or you could be listening to Bastille in someone's living room. Crazy, right?! But it's the "gamble" that attracted me and seems to be the draw for the random people I've told about it.

After receiving my email confirmation that I was on the guest list and eligible to purchase tickets, I followed the link and bought my ticket for $15. I was given the option to buy tickets for up to four additional guests — perfect for people with friends like me who have huge commitment issues but always end up wanting to go when it comes down to it. The day before the show, I received an email that revealed the event location: Camp North End. After stopping through one of the newest additions to the Charlotte nightlife scene a couple months ago and leaving after a short period of time, I didn't quite know what to expect. Would we be inside or outside? Could I bring my heated blanket? How will they create an intimate space in a refurbished factory?

I picked up one of my girls (and McDonald's just in case there weren't any snacks) and headed toward Statesville Avenue. We were the first to arrive so we weren't quite sure where to park. I just pulled in the first paved area on the right after the factory came into view. We waited for our other friends and other Sofar-goers to arrive, then gathered our blankets and pillows. We climbed the stairs to what I would call the courtyard area and a stage was set up outside where the show would take place. Thankfully, the temperature was bearable on Halloween night, as we bundled up on the ground, on picnic tables and in chairs illuminated by string lights.

At first, I was thrown off by the "rules" we were given at the start of the show: no phones (unless taking a pic or vid), no talking during the performances (oh my God, how was I going to stay quiet?!) and you must stay the entire show (out of respect for the artists). I was worried my ADD would take over and I'd be that kid who everyone wants to punish for running in and out of the house. But to my surprise, I was fully engaged for all three performances.

None of us were familiar with the artists who performed — Johnny Graves, Pierce Edens and Mo Lowda & The Humble — but after just a few songs from each and ample time for stretching our legs during intermissions, I think it was safe to say we didn't need to know who they were, where they came from or what they were going to be doing. We simply enjoyed the overall experience. Therefore, #Sofarwinning in my book because that's what it's all about.

Catch the next shows on November 18th and December 1st.

A few months ago, one of my coworkers was talking about a show he really wanted to go to. I wasn't familiar with the name, so I hadn't put much thought into it until I happened upon an extra ticket and posted a status asking if anyone I knew would be going. He messaged me immediately asking if I'd gotten tickets and that's when I realized Bon Iver was the show he'd been hoping to win tickets to.

I'd watched a YouTube video a friend sent me, but I was just as lost on whether or not I knew anything about the band as I was when my coworkers assured me I'd heard something by Dave Matthews Band before boarding a party bus to PNC Music Pavilion two years ago — for the record, they were wrong. I hadn't.

After watching the Bon Iver video, I knew I liked the sound, but other than that, I was walking into yet another concert completely blind, and coming off the end of Daylight Saving Time.

Normally, I wouldn't complain about having another hour at the bar on a Saturday night, but after watching the sunrise and being exhausted all day on Sunday, I started to wonder who the hell thought it would be a good idea to change the time at all? And despite the fact that I ended up staying in and sleeping through the Panthers game, I was still feeling tired on Monday and had no idea how I'd make it through a show at Fillmore Charlotte.

Not much has changed about the Music Factory other than a couple new hotspots and a name change — it's now named after AvidXchange — and yet, I found myself heading to the familiar venue with a heavy sigh as I anticipated the usual congestion.

To top it off, I'd messaged a few friends asking if they were going to go and even though most weren't, they were all adamant about how packed the venue was going to be. Sure enough, it was filled to the brim. As many times as I'd been there for a show, I'd never seen that many people crammed into that space.

"This better be worth it," I thought to myself as my hopes for any sitting space dwindled.

I was pleasantly surprised when, unlike the artists I was used to seeing, Bon Iver started on time. Not even ten seconds had passed once the first song began before I fell in love with a "brand new" band. There was something so beautiful and painful about the video I'd seen on YouTube, but never would I have guessed that I'd be able to close my eyes and just listen to a band I'd sworn I never heard before. (I won't even mention the fact that outside of the impressive light show, there wasn't much I could see with my terrible vision from the back of the venue anyways.)

Even though Bon Iver is categorized as an American indie folk band, the consensus seems to be that their sound has changed a bit and is more fluid now, creating a space for what I would argue is a fairly diverse listening audience.

For me, there was something about the sounds of the instruments that appealed to my taste for jazz. Not to mention, it's hard to win me over when it comes to live performances, but there I was enjoying every second of it. It may have appeared I wasn't interested, but that's just the short attention span in me.

The words may have escaped me, but there was nothing about the sound that they were making or the vibrations of the sound system that I didn't like.

The amateurs in the room, myself included, thought for sure the set was over when the lead singer said, "Goodnight," but we were wrong. A fan, dressed in the gaudy orange button-up I'd been pointing out and picking on as something that "wasn't in my color wheel," turned around and said, "You know he always does an encore!"

He was right. Bon Iver performed two more songs before making his "actual" exit. This time, however, I actually knew the song. That's right, "Skinny Love" was my jam and I would've never known about it if it hadn't been for my beautiful, hero-hair-wearing vampires in the series "The Vampire Diaries." I immediately thought about my favorite scene and hummed along while the band played.

It's funny how fate plays out in our day-to-day. If I'd left a few seconds earlier, I would've missed it. But just like I was in the right place at the right time to get on an elevator with Randy Houser, the timing of the only song I knew couldn't have been more perfect.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. You know what I'm talking about: Rich & Bennett's 17th Annual Halloween Pub Crawl. I know, last week I said I wasn't going to revisit the shitshow that is the Halloween pub crawl, but I soon thereafter found myself coming in contact with a multitude of the Queen City's monsters, dinosaurs, "cereal killers," Hooters girls and those "who could not be named."

I started my weekend on Friday at Soul Gastrolounge in Plaza Midwood. Would you believe there are a fair share of Queen City imports who have yet to try one of the most popular spots for delectable small plates and irresistible craft cocktails?! Yeah I know, I am floored every single time I meet one of these anomalies. How could one not be tempted by the allure of the menu that's proven itself time and time again by being backed by a three-hour wait? While I couldn't indulge in a Moscow mule, — it was still Sober October after all — I was able to give a few new dishes a try: barrel aged Greek feta, saganaki and sashimi tuna tacos. I don't regret a single bite.

After a meal like that, there's not much anyone can do to top that. Late-night festivities, however, consisted of a game of Picolo around a table in a cozy row house off of 10th street with a group of people that always tend to drag me into a scenario that's built for a drinking game. It's funny, an intimate setting around a dinner table at 2 a.m. with a pizza and drunk folk can still be just as fulfilling and entertaining as watching the belligerent pub crawlers searching for a safe place to vomit in their googly-eyed costumes.

On Saturday, I woke just in time to catch a late afternoon football game. One of my friends wanted to meet at Flight Beer Garden & Music Hall. I looked up the pub crawl and searched for the list of participating venues uptown — of course, Flight was on the list. We decided, however, that most crawlers wouldn't show up in droves at a beer garden ... and we were wrong. It wasn't long before we were trying to escape to our favorite watering hole — I won't even mention where that is this time.

As I walked the streets later that night, I was berated by everyone from the girl in a costume that was too small and runs in her panty hose to the random guy selling water and drugs (now that's what I call strategic marketing) for not wearing a costume. The only time of year where ­you will be brutally judged for not dressing like a freak show. "I'm a Duke student," I'd say after letting out a long sigh with a tinge of annoyance. Still, I was amused by the spectacles that were around every single corner. I mean, who wouldn't laugh at the sight of a couple furiously arguing on a patio in inflatable giraffe costumes?!

After dropping a band of misfits, aka drunken bar crawlers, aka my cousin and her band of misfits off at home, I thought I'd put the Halloween shenanigans behind me. Nope, the following day I was convinced that I should go to a country concert at Rooftop 210 in the EpiCentre. What do you get when you combine freezing cold temps, Uptown wind and country music? A black chick's Halloween nightmare come true. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate country music, it's just not my preference and in the freezing cold, I can't say that I'd even want to see Lil' Wayne in the cold wind-whipped setting that was Rooftop 210 on Sunday.

Nevertheless, I went. Our group huddled on the rooftop while Randy Houser played some tunes. I'm not going to lie, all I could think about was when I was going to leave and how much warmer the drunk people dancing must feel. Before his encore, I let everyone know I'd be heading to my car in the parking garage. I waited on my friend to get into her Uber and then proceeded to call for the Aloft elevator.

When I stepped on, I pulled out my phone in the hopes that no one on the elevator would speak to me. What can I say? I have social anxiety, believe it or not. "You are GORGEOUS," someone said as the elevator started to lower. Sighs, "Thank you," I responded thinking that my phone tactic didn't work. "What's your name? My name's Randy." I finally lifted my head to look at the stranger who'd extended his hand. Would you believe it?! It was Randy Houser. *insert crying laughing cat emoji* Out of all the people to meet this man, it was the hip-hop loving black chick who can't stand being cold! I'm telling y'all, I can't make this shit up.