..to be stressed to the max, running around like a headless chicken, queuing in the shops like your queuing for the best ride at Thorpe park and singing “all I want for Christmas is youuuuu”...in November!!

If your like me and your hosting Christmas Day and dinner for the family, welcome aren’t we the lucky ones to not be able to sit back in an armchair and drink ourselves to sleep.

It has just dawned on me that the really annoying elves on the shelves will be returning too in just under a week and ontop of everything else, we have to think of different scenarios for them to get up to every night for almost a month and it’s guaranteed that I will curl up in bed close my eyes then jump up and say to the hubby “we forgot to move the elves”. (I love it really but not when I’m warm in bed).

With only a month to go I thought I’d blog about this stressful time of year with a few tips on how to organise yourself a little if your not already and how to get your home ready for the decent of what feels like 100 people into your home, so here it goes...

CREATE LISTS

Lists are a must... Christmas card list, present list, table plan list, food shopping list etc you can see where I’m going with this, try to cross off a few items a week... trust me it will make you feel more organised and better about yourself.

Decor

Christmas tree ohh Christmas tree 🎄 has to be the most important item of your Christmas decor alongside your table setting ...make it beautiful. I personally love to go for real over faux, I have had faux trees they are fab, reusable and a great money saver. Also they can fit perfectly into most tight or awkward spaces, where as real trees you get what your given, you can trim them but I love the natural smell and feel of the real trees. So choose wisely and when it comes to the lights and accessories, matching with your current interior decor creates a stunning addition to your existing room. We all know our little angles like to help with the tree decor and I love watching them decorate it and get excited for Christmas. I am one of the mothers guilty of letting them decorate it but then once they are asleep I always rearrange it... I know, I know but I just can’t help it I’m not the only one... right?!

The lights are just as important I love to go for warm white lights to create a soft, cozy and relaxing atmosphere, rather than brightly coloured ones flashing away in the corner of the room.

Get the kids involved making and creating their own masterpiece to hang on the tree too, plus you can save them for years to come then you can embarrass them when they are adults by showing it to their boyfriend or girlfriend.

Also Once the twelve days of Christmas are complete if you opt for the real Christmas tree please recycle it appropriately.

PRESENTS

Start by buying for the easiest members of the family as soon as you buy the first present then this starts to get you in the mood to start buying everyone’s. I always leave the difficult ones till last. I also hold off purchasing my children’s till last because if you start too early buying theirs, nine times out of ten they will change their mind from a robot to a remote controlled car in the blink of a eye. If your kids write letters to Santa...take a sneaky picture of them before popping in the envelope as a reminder...trust me you will need to look back on it and once it’s in that postbox you’ve had it.

Look what table wear you have if you need any new plates, glasses or cutlery and think about your table decor, colour scheme, favours, crackers and candles and don’t forget a lovely centre piece. I know there is so much to think about isn’t there?!. If your crafty there is so much accessible craft wear now days you could make your own.

So start to buy little bits when your out and about.

Making Space

Hosting means sometimes squeezing in a lot of extra bodies into your home plus you have already made space and moved furniture just to fit the tree in. Look at your dining room think how many will be seated and look at possibly moving things around so people fit comfortably.

Also think about your snug or living room space, how many seats you have and if you can bring in extra dining chairs for the big chill out period after the feast (kids can sit on the floor). Or you could build an extension (a little extreme I know).

Games

Think of a few games to play after dinner getting everyone involved and stopping anyone from falling asleep or reaching for the dreaded phones to check social media. After all this is what Christmas is all about spending time with family and friends, joining in together, having fun and eating........a lot.

Most Importantly enjoy it

The most important thing in all of this preparation pressure is to enjoy it, try not to get too stressed out it’s your family and friends coming, they don’t care if your pigs in blankets are slightly burnt or your gravy was lumpy.

We also all need to remember that this time of year isn’t always the most wonderful for some. We don’t need to worry about the material things as much as we are all guilty of when we host the big day and worry wether we have got every present our children wanted.

Definitely don’t get in debt for it, only do and give what you can afford.

Check on your elders and your elderly neighbours, take them some of your dinner or even invite them over if they are alone. Think about the ones that don’t have what we have.

So this was just a little one to help you organise yourself a little and please, please enjoy it, it will all be wonderful.

Preparation pressures,

Don’t let them get you down.

Please don’t get into debt for Christmas.

Enjoy your hosting,

and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If all else fails open the wine and quality street!!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and enjoy the festivities🎄

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all

Stacy x

Tis the season...