“Why is Christmas
just like a day at the office? You do all the work, and the fat guy with the
suit gets all the credit.” Anonymous
Autumn is officially here and, love it or hate
it, that means that Christmas is coming. Unless you’re planning to spend the
next three months in solitary confinement, there is no avoiding the build-up.
Christmas cards are already on sale. The obligatory tubs of Heroes and
Celebrations are in the supermarkets. Parents are already feverishly hunting
down the elusive ‘must have’ toy of the year (have you seen how terrifying that
doll is?!?). Furniture stores are advertising how you can order your new sofa
now and have it in your home in time for Christmas.
Christmas Creep, as it’s known, annoys plenty
of people. Hell, Selfridges and Harrods have had their Christmas shops open
since July (surely that should be illegal)! Who wants to shop for decorations
and mince pies in October? But, while it does seem ridiculous, perhaps there
might be some benefits to it. Maybe.
You can’t
convince me it’s a good thing...
I’m sure I can.
You see, the thing is, while
Christmas is supposed to be fun, we all know that it’s stressful.
Traditionally, we started shopping in December. That gave us 24 days to get
organised. Traditionally, it was enough. But times change. We are busier than
ever, and have more to think about than ever.
Fitting in shopping, Christmas cards, family,
food, travelling, decorating and everything else Christmas related on top of
our normal, day-to-day life, can feel nigh on impossible. And who wants to
spend the big day too frazzled and exhausted to enjoy it? Perhaps then it is a
good thing then that we can start preparing a bit earlier, even if July does
seem a little excessive.
So, taking a deep breath and overcoming our
objections, what can we do to make the festive season less stressful?
What’s that saying? ‘Fail to plan, plan to
fail.’ Okay, that’s probably an exaggeration here, but planning will make your
festive season so much easier. Not only will you feel less stressed and more in
control, but the chances of you forgetting something important will be much
reduced.
Where do I
start?
Ok, there’s a lot, as I’m sure you know, so let’s break it down.
●
The big one: where are you
spending Christmas, and who with? Do you want the extended family around at
yours? Or would you prefer it to be just you and your significant other? Are
you staying at home, or going abroad? Perhaps you’re putting off making a
decision because you know it’s going to upset someone. There’s another saying:
‘eat a frog for breakfast’. Not literally, obviously. If you haven’t come
across the saying, it simply means getting the stuff we’re worried about done
and dusted. In the long run, it’s much less stressful than fretting about it.
●
Budget: we all know what that
Christmas debt hangover feels like. If you’ve promised yourself never again,
work out what you can afford in advance - and stick to it! Most of us would
struggle to pay for Christmas just out of December’s wages, so put aside a
small amount each week or month. If money is tight, why not look at making
gifts. If you’re not crafty, a hamper of some of their favourite foods is often
a welcome - and personal - gift.
●
Gift lists: start planning - and
making - your purchases as soon as possible. This will help spread the cost
and, if you’re going to the shops, it’ll also cut down on queuing time, and
prevent frazzled nerves. Once you’ve got them, wrap them. Wrapping can be a
long process, so get it out of the way, plus it stops prying eyes spoiling
their surprise. Just remember to clearly label them and don’t put them in such
a ‘safe’ place that you don’t find them again until July!
●
Your home. We all want our home to
look gorgeous for Christmas, especially if we have guests coming. Perhaps
you’ve been thinking about decluttering, re-decorating, or creating a different
look for your tree. Again, start early. No-one wants to be glossing the door
frames at 10pm Christmas Eve.
●
Decide on your Christmas menu. If
you shop online, get your delivery slot booked as soon as you can. While you
can add a few items to your basket to begin with, to keep your allocated time
open, make absolutely sure that you check everything out. You don’t want to
open your door on Christmas Eve expecting your Christmas dinner only to find
that all you’ve actually ordered is twelve bottles of champagne and a box of
tampons (true story!).
●
Christmas cards. Make a list of
everyone you need to send them to and dig out your address book. Writing cards
can be tedious, so do a few a night. And, obvious as it sounds, make sure you
put stamps on the envelopes before posting (again, a true story). Your friends
and family will not be impressed at having to pay the postage!
If you’re wondering
how to keep track of all of this, there are some great apps for your phone, and
websites where you can find print-outs - I like to use Trello and Pinterest, as well as the trusty spreadsheet. I am a visual person, and being able to see each child's haul at a glance just makes my life easier. Of course, there is also the more
traditional notebook or diary, which will do the job just as well. Whichever
option you choose, let’s not put it off any longer.
We're starting to list our Christmas lines over on the Etsy shop this week. Keep an eye open! In the meantime, everyone knows a unicorn fan, right? Here are 3 of our best selling unicorn items.
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| Best selling: Unicorn water bottle |
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Best Selling: personalised unicorn lunchbox
|
