Despite what the calendar is insisting, the warm weather over the last few days has me fairly convinced that spring is already in full swing. One of my absolute favorite signs of the new season is the return of restaurant weeks.

The Seacoast is up first with what is officially being called Restaurant Week Portsmouth, even though not all the participating restaurants are in the Port City. From March 26-April, you can find special three-course prix frixe menus. Lunch is $16.95 per person and dinner is $29.95 per person. If you have your heart set on a particular meal at a particular locale, reservations are highly recommended.

A growing list of participating restaurants, with links to their menus, is available on the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce site. Some of the hottest new restaurants join familiar favorites, so it’s a truly great opportunity to dig in and try them out.

Not to be outdone, Manchester brings back Eats Week from April 11-15. Unfortunately, I can’t find anything more on the InTown Manchester site, but last year there were some fabulous offerings at Richard’s Bistro, Cotton, the Commercial Street Fishery and Z — just to name a few.

You may have to loosen your belt after they’re both over, but that’s a sacrifice I think is worth making.

Have I missed any others? Are you North Country or Upper Valley folks planning a Restaurant Week.

Southern New Hampshire University this weekend hosts the NorthBEAST Regional competitive poetry event. Nationally registered slam venues from New England and beyond are invited to compete for bragging rights, poetic glory and a spot at the 2010 National Poetry Slam.

The events take place at Robert Frost Hall on the campus of Southern New Hampshire University on North River Road in Manchester.

Beginning at 6 p.m. tonight, poetry teams from all over the northeastern U.S. deliver storytelling, theater, stand-up comedy and cold, hard poetry to wheedle points from judges selected from the audience. I judged the NH slam finals a few years ago, and let me tell you, it’s an AWESOME job, but ridiculously hard with such talent.

On Saturday, Dec. 5, daytime workshops and open mics give attendees a hand at trying performance poetry. On Saturday night, the top eight scoring poets of each team from Friday, plus two wildcard poets from the Lizard Lounge and Lowell poetry slams, battle for the NorthBEAST 2009 individual title!

Tickets to both nights’ events will be available at the door for $5 per night (with a two-night pass available on Friday night for $8).

This event is co-sponsored by Southern New Hampshire University and The NH Writer’s Project.

I know this blog is supposed to be about New Hampshire, but it’s also for people in New Hampshire, and some of us can get to Massachusetts lickity-split.

Soooooo, I just had to tell you about the Tyngsboro Elizabeth Grady Salon’s special tomorrow. The staff will be doing manicures and makeup at Smokey Bones on Daniel Webster Highway from 8-10 p.m. For just $12.49, you get a martini and a manicure or makeup application. You also get free appetizers and a chance to win some pretty nifty raffle prizes.

How awesome is that? It’s less than $20, and it’s not that far over the state line. Smokey Bones is practically in New Hampshire. It’s not like you need to pack a wagon train or ford a river.

I’m bummed that I’ve already got plans tomorrow, but you should totally go. And tell Liz, the owner, that I sent you.

I invested in cross-country skis a few years ago. Although New Hampshire has some great options for downhill skiing, to me nothing beats cross-country skiing. There is something serene about swishing along a trail and taking in all the beauty of the New England countryside in winter. Plus, it’s a great workout and a great way to get out and enjoy the cold instead of huddling up inside.

That being said, last year I realized my skiing could use some help, so I am planning to take a lesson this winter. So I am particularly looking forward to this coming weekend’s Cross Country Center Open House at Gunstock.

Guests can participate in raffles, check out the new yurt, partake of free refreshments and hike the snowshoe trails for free.

Speaking of skiing, today is the last day to take advantage of big discounts on the 4 NH College Pass and Threedom Pass, which opens up discounted skiing at there mountains. Check out the details here, snow bunnies.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so the song goes. But it can also be a stressful time, particularly if you’re on a budget.

I know how easy it is to get off track and start adding names to your list, but don’t get carried away. Make like an after-school special and resist the peer pressure.

That’s not to say you can’t have fun this holiday season. Free fun happens to be coming out the wazoo this time of year.

And first up is one of my favorite events: The Nashua Holiday Stroll.

It’s held every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in downtown Nashua, and it’s free. First you take a candlelit stroll down to Railroad Square where the city lights its holiday tree. Then the evening gives way to a bevy of free musical and theatrical performances in venues downtown. It’s a wonderful community event that marks its 16th year.

My favorite aspect of the Stroll is its focus on charity. You can bring canned goods, disposable diapers, and new, unwrapped toys for local charitable organizations, and drop them off in front of Citizens Bank.

It is impossible to leave the Stroll without feeling touched by the true spirit of the holiday season. And if this warm weather keeps up, you won’t even have to bundle up to enjoy it.

Elm Street just got a little sweeter — at least for tonight.

Do you like chocolate? How about wine and chocolate?

I thought so.

Van Otis on Elm Street in Manchester is hosting a Thanksgiving wine and chocolate event tonight (Thursday, Nov. 5), from 5-8 p.m.

And it’s free. We like free here.

A representative will be on hand to provide wine education and answer questions about pairings, like what wine goes with a Snickers bar. (OK, that’s my question.)

There will be live music and a drawing for a gourmet gift basket, as well as special savings for participants.

R.S.V.P. by calling 627.1611.

I don’t know about you, but I hate to have my picture taken. I always seem to have my eyes half closed and my mouth open. I end up thinking, “Oh no! Is that what I really look like?”

But there is a photographer in Nashua who I firmly believe is incapable of taking a bad picture. His name is Sid Ceaser and he owns Ceaser Photography.

Sid is an all-around cool guy. In his studio in Nashua’s Picker Building, he keeps action figures and a Kermit puppet and some of the most amazing portraits he’s shot. No smile looks forced and he has this way of capturing the essence of who a person really is.

You’re probably thinking, “I bet that costs a pretty penny.” Well, Sid is such an amazing guy that if you stop by his studio during Nashua’s ArtWalk on Oct. 3 and 4, he will take a headshot of you suitable for MySpace or Facebook use. And it costs you NOTHING.

So, say cheese, baby.

I know I’ve been neglecting my duties here, so I am going to make it up to you, O budget-conscious bloggy readers, with a hot tip for which you will truly thank me.

At the end of every September and into October, Flag Hill Winery in Lee hosts its Harvest Days. They are so popular, you have to be on the e-mail list to purchase tickets, which are sold by lottery within a matter of hours after the e-mail alert goes out.

And why?

Because it is one HECK of a time.

I’ve gone the last two years, and I have it on good authority that the e-mail alert is going to go out VERY SOON. So, now is your chance to sign up for their e-mail alert. Trust me. Do it NOW.

The day begins rather early in the morning on a Saturday. You need to bring along garden shears and I highly recommend waterproof shoes, as the ground is usually covered in dew so early. If you’re afraid of bees, you might want to bring work gloves, too. A few folks got stung last year.

The deal behind harvest days is that you help Flag Hill pick its crop of grapes. Then you can opt to stomp some of the grapes in what looks like a slightly larger-than-average kiddie pool. Then they feed you and everyone gets a free commemorative glass and a glass of the wine made the year before.

When I say “feed you,” I mean they really feed you. The lunch is hugely delicious and you can also buy bottles of Flag Hill’s wine to drink with your repast. I highly recommend the strawberry wine.

The gift shop is also open during lunch, and you can partake of a tasting and check out the distillery.

I’ve been lucky enough that both years I’ve gone, the weather has been achingly picture perfect. The vineyard is so beautiful, and there really is no better way to spend an autumn Saturday.

Now here’s the best part. Last year, tickets were only $6 each. I cannot stress enough what an incredible bargain it is. So, go! Sign up for the alert before it’s too late!!

It’s not fun to think about budgeting your money, but the good news is, you’re not alone if you are. And if you need a little help figuring it all out, the UNH Cooperative Extension is holding a two-night workshop in Manchester at the YWCA on Concord Street to help folks develop a spending and savings plan.

Is it as exciting as barhopping or going out to a concert? No. Is it completely necessary nowadays? You betcha. And of course you’re going to go, because it’s free and you’re a smart cookie. But you do have to register.

The course runs from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Aug. 24 and Aug. 31.

I recently saw the episode of Penn & Teller Bullshit! where the comedic duo examine Americans’ obsession with their lawns. Unsurprisingly, a loooot of money goes into creating the unnatural habitat known as the lawn, as well as keeping it green and weed-free.

I don’t personally have a lawn, but if I did, that episode would definitely be enough to send me to the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension’s Twilight Meeting: “Great Lawns and Landscape on a Shoestring Budget.” The event takes place from 5:15-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, at the Londonderry School District, 295 Mammoth Road in Londondery.

No registration is required and the meeting is free to attend. Among the presenters will be extension specialists on turf, plant health, entomology and agricultural resources.

For more information, visit www.extension.unh.edu.