BOARDMAN — Back in 1973, the British rock band Wizzard released the cult classic “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday.” Fifty years later, April Mason made that a reality with the opening of The Christmas Cafe, 7393 California Ave.

The year-round Christmas-themed cafe features floor-to-ceiling festive decorations, a continuous soundtrack of holiday tunes and a variety of drinks, pastries and specialty food items.

“The idea for the Christmas Cafe stemmed from a period of personal transition,” said Mason, “moving to a new area, adjusting to life without nearby friends, and experiencing an empty nest. Whenever I needed a mood boost, I found solace in Christmas music and movies. This led me to ponder why the joyous Christmas spirit is confined to just the final month of the year. I began to imagine the impact of extending that festive feeling throughout the entire year.”

Mason lived in Youngstown with her family from 1993 to 1998 and moved back last summer. All of her children were born here.

“My kids are 30, 28, and 26. My daughter is busy running a few of our other family businesses, but I do still have my son-in-law, who is our CFO for The Christmas Cafe. My 28-year-old son is moving to the area from Texas to be more hands-on with the cafe, and my 26-year-old son comes in and helps as needed. I couldn’t be happier and more excited.”

She added, “Having witnessed various phases of my life, my children recognize the significance of our Christmas Cafe as a symbol of perseverance and the strength found in pursuing what brings joy. Entrepreneurship is a familiar concept to them, as they’ve seen me embrace this path since my oldest was 10, and she’s now 30. Now that my children are adults, they play a major role in our family business.”

A San Francisco Bay Area native, she relocated to Atlanta for more than 20 years.

“I moved to Atlanta to try entrepreneurship on a larger scale, and it was the best decision I could have ever made. My experience in Atlanta is what showed me that I can make it anywhere.”

When asked what feelings the holidays bring out in her, she replied in a manner that also relays how she wants The Christmas Cafe to become a daily oasis for others, too.

“The essence of Christmas — joy, happiness, love, peace and comfort — is what I always feel during the festive season. It’s this same heartwarming atmosphere we aim to evoke in our cafe. We hope that as people enter, they experience a brief, delightful escape where worries and problems momentarily fade away,” Mason said.

While everyone is welcome there, Mason emphasizes an invitation to adult customers. Elaborating on this, she said, “There’s a common perception that the spirit of Christmas and activities are primarily for children. However, our goal is to highlight that our space is designed for adults. It’s important for adults to know they are more than just parents, and have a haven where they can find a bit of upliftment, peace, relaxation and joy. While there are numerous child-oriented spaces in the area, and we generally welcome children, our cafe is not exclusively for them. We aim to clear any misunderstandings that it’s a kid-focused venue.”

The cafe hosts game nights, karaoke nights and live music nights.

Mason’s journey back to the area followed a period of transition that began when she resided at the Bay Area Rescue Mission with her three children. It was there she developed the ideas and strategy for entrepreneurship by empowering others in the manner she did for herself.

“These varied experiences, both good and bad, have been the fuel for my drive and creativity, molding me into the person I am today. My life exemplifies the principle of practicing what you preach. I strive to inspire others to see themselves as artists, with their lives as canvases, ready to be transformed by their choices.”

This led to her becoming a femininity lifestyle strategist, host of programs internationally, TEDx speaker and television and social media personality who presents livestreams on Instagram and Facebook, and supplies content on her Youtube channel (AprilMasontv).

She authored six best-selling books — “Identity Switch: Becoming the Woman Who Gets What She Wants,” “Broken But Not Bound: The Making of Me,” the series of “Are You an Asset?” books (three so far) and the recently-released ebook, “The Art of Feminine Language: How to Talk To a Man So He Hears You, Feels You, and Craves You.”

As her website details, her “purpose and passion is to help women embrace their femininity and identify who they are at their core.”

“We’re all just one decision away from shaping the lives we desire. Yearly, I receive thousands of testimonials from people who have been influenced by my books, my TEDx talk, or my events. These individuals share transformative stories; how my insights have helped them evolve, boost their finances, find love, rediscover joy, reignite their dreams and create new ones.

“What keeps me going is this relentless pursuit of something greater. I firmly believe that our choices pave the way for our destinies. So, I promised myself to create a life that truly reflects my worth. I’ve never been one to sit around expecting handouts or favors. I refuse to let anything or anyone hold me back. I share this mindset in my books as well as the thousands of people I mentor all over the globe because, at the end of the day, our lives are a reflection of what we believe. And, I wholeheartedly believe that I can make my dreams a reality, no matter what.”

The latest example of that can be found at The Christmas Cafe.