1. Budget for and buy your presents first
Before you start planning anything for Christmas, get your presents all bought and wrapped... or if you prefer- save the wrapping for closer to Christmas one evening, where you can relax in your festively decorated home, drinking mulled wine, or a hot chocolate and watching Christmas movies. Getting the presents all budgeted for and out of the way first means that you can relax, knowing that the most important expenditure is out of the way and focus your energy on the finer details.
2. Buy and write your Christmas cards
Encourage the kids to make their own Christmas cards to send to family and friends. You can spend many an afternoon making festive goods and crafting together, which is such a great opportunity to bond in quality time.
3. Write your letters to Father Christmas
Get your kids organised by getting their letters off as soon as possible. We tend to write our in Novembers, so that i know what my girl wants before December hits and I can be on target to meet my bought-before-December present goal deadline.
4. Send off your wish lists
If you've been following me for some time, you'll know that I'm big on practising and teaching keeping everything except clutter. What is clutter? Clutter is anything you don't want, need, love or use. During the festive period, many of us accumulate clutter in the form of unwanted gifts. Some people keep these out of guilt. A good preventative measure for this is to create wish-lists for friends and family so that they know what to buy you.
If you're trying to reduce the amount of clutter you have within your home, think about some consumable gift options, such as: crafting supplies, food, or drink, tickets, or vouchers for experiences and bath, or beauty products that you know will get used.
5. Budget for food and drink
Create a budget for your food and drink - and stick to it! I remember when I was younger, my mum used to spend a little extra on her shopping every week in Tesco to buy these vouchers that she could put toward our Christmas food shop because it was always more expensive. Her budgeting for this early, meant that she never had to worry about not having enough at Christmas. I learned a lot from this and I set aside money leading up to Christmas too. Christmas can be an expensive time anyway, but it's also mine and my daughters birthdays, so that little extra effort to budget really makes a difference.
6. Meal-plan
Do a meal plan for all the meals you’ll need to cook, including snacks and party food. write down all the meals and try to find recipes to use up any leftovers you have to reduce the amount of food waste and keep the indulgent Christmas party food train steaming for as long as possible!
7. Plan the food prep & cooking
This step is really important, because there's nothing worse then getting to Christmas eve and realising that NOTHING is prepped. Make it a family affair and set everyone some duties, come together with Christmas music and tipples and get in the mood together while you prepare the greatest feast of the year.
8. Cook in advance
Prepare as much as you can in advance. There are so many part snacks and sides for your roast dinner that you can part prepare and freeze to save you valuable time and energy o the big day.
9. Go gangster on the wrap
Ensure you have enough supply to wrap all your gifts, with some left over for an emergency present or two... I can't be the only one that's accidentally eaten someone else's box of chocolates while wrapping the presents and had to go buy another one, can I? So, what, I unwrapped it? It was a sn'accident!
10. Check through decorations
Declutter any that are broken, not working, or simply not needed anymore in good time to donate to somebody who can love them for a little longer. Also check those lights are still working!
11. Clear space
Get your home ready for Christmas with a deep clean and clear some space ready to decorate and accommodate your tree and any other festive ornaments that need a considerable amount of space. Taking some time out to do this can really change the ambience of your home. It's important to get the balance of decor right in order to create a relaxed ambience.
12. Get the advent calendar's ready
Whether you're making them, or buying them, getting your advent calendar's ready is just one less pressure to take off before December hits and the madness ensues.
13. Plan your festive experiences
Christmas isn't just about decorating, buying presents, receiving presents and eating, it's about spending quality time with loved ones and togetherness. Find out when your local Christmas market is on and take a trip down to explore what the local community are doing to celebrate it. Buy from small local business. Visit your local theatre for the Christmas panto. Plan a Christmas get together with loved ones in one of your favourite restaurants, or try somewhere new. Christmas is an experience... and each experience is what you make of it. So, plan ahead and get creative. Why not try something new? What about a wreath making evening with some friends for a change? Or perhaps go down to your local spa and get pampered with your bezzie. Plan and do things that will delight and fill you with wonder and joy. It's all about the love you give and the memories that you create, not the amount of items that you have- that's what truly matters.
I hope this list has helped you...
Thirsty for more? For a deeper dive into clutter types click here. To organise your kitchen like a pro in time for festivities try here. And to invite good vibes into your home click here.
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Wishing you peace & prosperity for the coming season.
L O V E,
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