While it might not seem like it quite yet, Christmas is just a few months away – and once Halloween is done with, you can expect all of the trappings of the season to be everywhere once again. Supermarkets will be crammed with tinsel, mince pies, and miniature trees; the sound of ‘Fairytale of New York’ will be nigh-on inescapable.
If you want to avoid the stress that comes with Christmas, it’s worth planning as much as possible in advance. Let’s run through a quick checklist of everything you need to celebrate the festive season.
Stock Up on Essentials
You don’t want to run out of toilet roll, tin foil or cling film when there’s so much else going on, so make sure that you’re adequately stocked with essential items. On the other hand, you don’t want to overfill your freezer: you’ll need to get those leftovers into storage, as they’ll be able to last you long into January.
Change Sheets
Christmas is a time for entertaining friends and family – which means that you’ll need to get sleeping arrangements sorted before they arrive. That means putting fresh bedding down in spare rooms and making sure that the sofa and air-beds are reading to go downstairs.
Buying Presents
One thing that’s sure to cause a considerable amount of stress is the purchasing of presents. You’re sure to forget at least one person – and even if you don’t, you might have a surprise guest imposed on you at short notice. For this reason, it’s worth investing in a few spare presents that can be quickly wrapped up.
Schedule Wrapping
Wrapping presents is something that requires just a little bit of time – but if you don’t set that time aside, you might find it a struggle to get it done. So, mark your diary with a few hour-long sessions, and make sure that you have enough wrapping paper, scissors and Sellotape to get everything covered. If you have packages you need to be delivered before the day itself, don’t leave anything to chance; go for a reputable shipper like Parcel2Go.
Sort the Food
Ideally, you’ll want to get all of your food shopping done ahead of time. Reserve a turkey at a reputable butcher. Get as much supermarket stuff as possible delivered – unless you want to brave the crowds. Check-in advance whether any of your guests have any dietary requirements, and cater for them accordingly.
Sort the Entertainment
You don’t want your guests to be bored on Christmas day. But at the same time, you don’t want to place constant demands on their attention. Come up with a rough itinerary, including any television events you want to see live. Younger guests probably won’t have the same tastes as the grownups, so set aside a room where they can entertain themselves for at least a portion of the day.