As of today there is only 7 Saturdays until Christmas, which is more than ample time to get yourself organised! No Christmas rush for you this year!!
I’m here to make your life as easy as possible with my 6 top tips for better Christmas planning.
Ho, Ho, Ho, Off We Go!
Make a List – Check it Twice
Grab a little notebook or an excel sheet and write down every single thing you need to make, purchase or do for Christmas. I find it easier to split it up into sections – Menu & Food, Gifts to purchase/Cards to write, Things to Do etc. Leave a few pages blank as I’m sure it will get filled up quickly!
Schedule what you can into your diary now and remember to add them as the things come up! School Nativity Play, Work Christmas Party, Order Turkey etc!
Make Online shopping your friend
Trust me when I tell you there is honestly no need for you to stand in a queue or waste your valuable time in a store when you can easily purchase just about anything from your lounge room in your pajamas. Once you have your list of recipients and gifts you can easily organise everything you need to be delivered to you (or to them if they are overseas, saves on postage) and stash them away in your cupboard to be wrapped up and put under the tree.
Stick to a Budget
Its easy to go overboard at Christmas however if you give yourself a limit to stick to, you will have much more money left for Shoes at the Boxing Day Sales (and we all know that’s very important).
Menu Plan
List out everything you need to feed your Christmas party. Work out what you can purchase ahead of time, what you can order and what ultra fresh items (like Seafood) you need to purchase last thing. My mum used to always get one or two things each week she went shopping and stash them away in the cupboards so that she was always organised and never had a massive Christmas shopping bill. If you have the space its a great system. Just make sure its hidden so no one nicks off with the chocolate covered nuts!!
Get everyone to help
I’m from a very large family and am very used to pitching in for all sorts of big occasions. Just because you may be hosting Christmas does not mean you have to buy everything. Once you work out how much food and drinks you need, divide that between the families and get everyone to pitch in. Our “what to bring” list we send out normally specifies that each family bring 2 packs of lollies/chips/snacks plus a few bottles of drinks, their own Alcohol and then 1 larger item to make up the bulk of the meal (like Vegetables, Seafood, Turkey, Dessert etc).
Clean up & Clean Out
I love spring cleaning (I know, I’m a freak) and a pre-Christmas clear out is no exception. Weeks before Christmas (and before birthdays too), I always get myself and the children to go through our own things and see what can be thrown, donated or passed on. Not only will you be happier as your house is tidier, but you won’t be drowning in a pile of stuff afterwards either.
Just Be You, Everyday
