Christmas is fast approaching and the last thing you want is to be rushed off your feet trying to get everything ready last minute. Instead, have a relaxed Christmas this year and get everything ready in advance!
December is arguably the busiest month of the year; days disappear and it’s Christmas Eve before you know it and there are still a million things to do! There are lots of things to consider when preparing your home for Christmas, especially if you are hosting! But not to worry, we’re here to help you prepare so you can have the best Christmas ever.
Arrangements
Before you do anything else, decide on what your plans for this Christmas will be. Are you spending Christmas with friends or family and if so, where will you be – at someone else’s house or will you be the host? Or perhaps you fancy doing something different this year and would like to spend Christmas abroad. Whatever your plans may be make sure you have them arranged in good time as it will have an effect on the rest of your plans; you won’t be able to fit that new TV you bought your husband in the suitcase!
Invitations
If you are going to be hosting Christmas this year, or another event (perhaps Christmas Eve, Boxing Day or New Year’s) make sure you get invitations ready and sent out in plenty of time. Everyone likes to have plans for Christmas and you don’t want your guests already booked up with other offers. Be the first to invite them to make sure you spend Christmas with your nearest and dearest.
Food and Drink
Again, if you are hosting this is something you will need to consider carefully. One of our favourite things about Christmas is all of the delicious food we indulge in. Christmas dinner is bound to be the main event at your dinner table this year but it’s important to also consider the other meals around Christmas. Impress your guests with an extra special Christmas breakfast, and maybe even throw in some bucks fizz for that extra special touch! When shopping for your food, you want to have everything clearly planned out. Instead of battling in the supermarkets, why not put your feet up, put a Christmas movie on the TV, pour yourself a glass of your favourite wine and do an online order, making sure to include everything specified on your list.
A word to the wise; make sure you pre-order your turkey in advance as the turkey shelves tend to become rather sparse in the lead up to Christmas.
Cooking
Once you’ve decided on the meals you’ll be cooking, you need to type/write out your cooking schedule. You won’t need to do this for every meal, just those where it seems like you need to be doing a hundred things all at once i.e. Christmas dinner! Write out your times, when things need to go in the oven, when they come out etc. and then all you have to do on Christmas day is follow your own instructions. Where possible, it is always a good idea to prepare food; if there are any side dishes or desserts you can prepare and freeze do it – trust us, you will be glad you did.
Cards
Before you know it Christmas creeps up on you, cards begin to arrive and the realisation kicks in that you haven’t bought, written or sent your Christmas cards (which can often turn out to be quite a lengthy process)! To save yourself last minute panic, buy Christmas cards early on, sit down with a cup of hot chocolate, put some Christmas tunes on the radio and set about the task of writing and addressing your cards. As stamps do seem to have become rather expensive it may be an idea to send a Christmas card via email instead this year, or deliver your cards by hand (if the recipients live locally).
Gifts
Write a list of the people you need to buy for and any ideas you may have for gifts. Then set a day aside to go Christmas shopping and bag a bargain before it’s too late. It’s always best to tackle Christmas shopping sooner rather than later so you can avoid the stress of the busy high streets in mid-December. Christmas can be an expensive time of the year so it may be worth considering opting for Secret Santa so everyone only as to buy for one person. Otherwise you could try and do your Christmas shopping throughout the year, collecting gifts you know the recipients will truly appreciate. Designate a cupboard for Christmas presents that is off-limits to others. By the time Christmas comes around you will have already done most of your shopping, leaving you with less stress and more importantly you won’t have to spend as much money in December.
Housework
Christmas can be a stressful time of the year and with so much going on, your house can get very messy very quickly so to avoid any more stress than necessary try to keep on top of the housework as you go. It’s also a good idea to get a helping hand involved so you don’t have to tackle everything on your own! You could ask the kids to help out with some of the easier tasks such as dusting and hoovering – offer some kind of incentive i.e. a little present as a reward if they do a good job. If you just don’t have enough time to manage everything or you fancy a break you could always hire someone else to come in and clean up the house for you! Workbusters are here to help with all of your cleaning needs so you don’t have to worry – if you would like some extra help around the house this year why not get in touch to find out more about how we can help.
Hover over the image below to discover some top cleaning tips for pre and post Christmas…
