This year has been as stressful as they come and Christmas can turn into a full on stress fest! I think 2020 has made most of us not want to ‘adult’ and I for one would happily drink hot chocolate and not add any extra stress to my life right now.
These tips should keep everything ticking along nicely and give you a stress free Christmas with plenty of time for fun, frolics and lashings of hot chocolate.
1 Make a list:
Making a list of all the people you want to buy presents for gets all your ducks ( or reindeer) in a row. You can then allocate a budget and or what gifts you have in mind for each person on your list. Not only does this keep you on track and you won’t be panic buying on Christmas Eve, but it also makes sure that you know exactly what you are spending and therefore not getting into unnecessary debt.
2 Stock up
Stock up on Christmas cards and wrapping paper so that you won’t run out. As a general rule, I do this after Christmas in the sales so that I can be extra prepared next year, but for this exercise just make sure you have what you need for this year. we can all hit the January sales after Christmas and be ready for next year together. Whilst we are on the stocking up line, now is the time to make sure you have Christmas crackers etc too. Another important thing to think about is sticky tape for wrapping.
3 Posting deadlines
If you are posting out cards or gifts this year, and lets face it, this year most of us will be, we need to know what the posting deadlines are for the uk and for abroad dates for those gifts we are shipping overseas. Its simple enough to find out these dates by heading to the post office website online or by asking at the post office. A great idea is to print out the dates and stick them to the fridge or your calendar.
4 Meal plan
Knowing what you plan on cooking on Christmas Day and for the Christmas period will help you organise your shopping lists. A lots of things that you will use can be bought and stored before the big Christmas shop such as dry goods and some snacks. this lightens the load when you do the big shop. Once you have your meals planned out you can make out your shopping list and chip away at it each week. Its also a great time to head to your butcher and order any meats you plan on having at Christmas. this way you won’t be left with the last frozen turkey in the supermarket freezer section.
5 Your future friend
Thinking about all the things you will need before Christmas will take away a lot of the stress at Christmas. Make sure you have stocked up on pet food, medications and any dietary requirements you might need during the Christmas period. that way you can just sit back and forget about it all for the Christmas break.
I hope that you find this helpful. Pop back tomorrow for anther Blogmas post. Now go put up your favourite Christmas decorations and enjoy the season.
Ho Ho Ho
Sam x