There is not long to go now to Christmas. I just can’t believe how quickly the end of the year has come. I feel like I have blinked my eyes since it was last December! I always find Christmas very stressful if you don’t organise yourself. I guess it is even worse if you have to host the whole family. I think the best way to avoid disappointments and stressing too much in the run up to Christmas is trying to make a list of the things you need to do so then you can start ticking them off once you have completed each task.
We don’t host Christmas at home very often, and one of the reasons for this is because of the lack of space. It is not very comfortable to have all your family in a small flat. For the years when we have hosted it, we have tried to get things done with anticipation.
These are the things that I would like to do ahead to have a stress free Christmas:
1. PRESENTS
Make a list of the people that you plan to buy a present for. I like to plan a budget too, so we usually do our list in a very basic spreadsheet. You can share this with your significant other using services like Dropbox as you work out what to get and check items off. Obviously start with your kids first as these will probably take more of your budget and the sooner these are decided on and bought, it makes buying everything else easier. If you can’t think what to get them, remember that getting your kids to write a list for Santa is not just a fun activity for your kids, it can really help Santa know what to get (hint, hint!). Christmas is a special day for them and presents are an important part of this so its better to get them bought on time. Try to have them wrapped and labelled with time too, so you can have a little pile hidden somewhere in your house. Trust me, this will make you feel on top of everything once it is done!
I try to buy most of my presents online. That really helps a lot. I will say thank goodness for Amazon, LOL! For us it is always the best place to get things cheap and they deliver quick to you too.
2. WHAT TO WEAR
Not everybody cares much about this but for me and my family it is important to choose and buy a nice outfit for that day. It is better if you check with time what you and your kids will wear. I have been checking some dresses for my girls so I have already in mind what would be cute for them to wear. I will start looking for a dress for me soon too. I love wearing something new for Christmas as it makes me feel prettier and you can really feel that you are ready for the party! 😉
I also like to check the stores online for this. I love browsing through H&M, Zara or Monsoon for the girls and for me I love ASOS. They have amazing things there.
3. FOOD
This is very important if you are hosting Christmas dinner. If we host, you should have the turkey ordered with anticipation as waiting until the last minute to buy a turkey would be too much of a risk. We actually like to buy a turkey crown too rather than a full turkey, as its much easier to cook. As most of you know, I don’t cook so this is normally a job for Nick who really enjoys this role. There are a fair amount of food items that we get which are pre-cooked or prepared that just need warming in the oven which makes life easier. We get these things from our local supermarkets, usually Asda, along with plenty of nibbles and snacks too.
If we are not hosting, we normally ask the person who is hosting what they need and we also usually bring along some nibbles too as well as some flowers and a bottle of wine or two. Don’t forget these from your list, especially the drinks, LOL!
4. DECORATION
This again is important when you are hosting. If you’re like me, I’m sure you love to have your house looking very Christmassy. I apply the same principle here as I love browsing and shopping online for decorations. I would suggest to spend some time on Pinterest to find lots of inspiration for your decoration. You can also find a lot of do-it-yourself ideas which will make your Christmas decorations even more special.
5. CHRISTMAS CARDS
Start from today! It is the best moment to get them done and dusted at this time of the year so your family and friends can enjoy them even more. We used to love personalising our Christmas cards by taking a recent family photo and sticking it in each card by hand. However, for the last couple of years my eldest daughter has been making cute Christmas drawings at her school. They then print these as a Christmas Card and sell to parents to raise money for the school. We like to buy these and send them to our friends and family. These are both nice ideas which add a personal touch to our cards, especially if your sending them to people you don’t see often (in my case, my family who live miles away) so they can have a nice card and keep sake.
6. ACTIVITIES FOR THE KIDS
Think about a few games and activities that you could do to keep the little ones entertained. You can browse for lots of inspiration online too. Pinterest is again a great way to find lots of interesting ideas. They can also watch a Christmas film during the day which i’m sure will keep them happy! 🙂
I can probably stay here for hours writing about all the things that you could do to save time and stress. However, one of my best tips is to simple search online to find out more information about what you can do to have a stress-free family Christmas, so if you find any good ones, please let me know!
What do you think of the ideas/tips I have listed? Do you also do the same? Do you try to be organised? When do you start preparing for Christmas? What other tips do you have that we can add to this list? Please leave a comment below as I would love to read what you think.
*Disclosure: this is a collaborative post
Thanks for stopping by,
Love you all ❤️
Franca 💋
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oh its making me feel all festive and excited x