Are bossy women organised too? Sometimes! But as the festive period approaches, it’s important to prepare accordingly, so that you can have a stress-free Christmas. So here are my tips for nailing your Christmas preparations.
1) Clear some space
If you have a lot of stuff, then it might be wise to clear some space before the festive season. This could involve going through your kids’ toy box, doing a charity shop run, or finally constructing that piece of IKEA furniture you’ve been looking at for eight weeks.
2) Get any craft plans sorted now
If you want to make wreath, some body scrub (or anything else for that matter), then get the materials bought as soon as possible. It might be worth booking some craft time in your diary too. That way you will get the job done.
3) Decorate!
Get your decorations up. You might decide to do more than a Christmas tree. Perhaps you’ll do a fancy window display, or just add some extra lights outdoors. The choice is yours, but if there was ever a year to get festive, it’s this one. A lot of us have been suffering with loneliness in lockdown and some decorations in your home may help to boost your mood if you’ve been feeling a little down.
4) Plan your gifts (and get them ordered)
It’s worth taking some time to get your presents planned. Work out what you’re buying for your friends and family and remember to include everybody. Your parents, the vegan in your life, young kids, older kids, your pet cat, the crystal collector, the travel lover and that quirky work mate you selected in Secret Santa!
Once everybody is accounted for, get buying. The sooner the better!
Keep in mind that not everybody will need a physical gift though. This year, me and my friends decided to book a weekend in a Lake District lodge instead of buying gifts. So if you fancy doing something a bit different, have the conversation and get planning.
5) Think about the food and drink
Depending on how much time you have, you may want to bake a cake. Or if that’s a bit beyond your usual capabilities, at least work out where to buy a nice one. And what about the drinks? Perhaps you’d like a nice bottle of personalised Champagne to crack open over the dinner table?
Talking of which, are you making Christmas dinner? If so, you’ll want to make a shopping list. You’ll also need to work out when you’ll do your shop. This might be another one to pop in the diary.
Even if you’re going somewhere else for Christmas dinner, you might still want to experiment with a new recipe or two.
6) Enjoy it
Hopefully by taking steps to be organised, you’ll be able to enjoy a stress-free Christmas. So relax, pour yourself a glass of red wine and enjoy it!
It’s so important to approach the festive period in an organised way and to be mentally prepared, as well as physically ready. I hope the tips above help you to get ready for the festivities.
