Get Organised for Christmas

I think that I may well get in trouble for using the C-word when we are only just into November, but hear me out, because a little bit of preparation now will stand you in good stead for the end of the year. Plus, November is supposed to be one of the hardest months of the year to get through, so the thought of some Christmas cheer might be just what you need!

As ever, the whole point of what I do is to try to make your life easier and less stressful. So don’t worry about trying to plan the Best Christmas Ever – remember it’s not about how many different courses there are at Christmas Dinner, or about who can spend the most money on presents, it’s about spending time with each other.

First things first, where are you going to spend Christmas and with who? With the number of animals we have, we usually spend Christmas at home and this year is no exception. For many people there will be negotiations to be had with families, and I know we’re all hoping that this year Christmas will be more normal, but do make sure that you’re not running round like a headless turkey trying to please everyone.

Who will you be buying gifts for? Make a list now so you don’t forget, and don’t forget to set yourself a budget. I’ll be talking more about gift giving next week, but remember that the point of Christmas is not to bankrupt yourself trying to show love. One of my super organised friends has already finished her Christmas Shopping, but I’ve not even started…

Decide if you are sending Christmas Cards. I know that these are rather going out of fashion now, with many people preferring to make a charity donation, but I still love a card. They help me to keep in touch with people who are not big on Social Media and I enjoy reading the round ups that people send with them.

Royal Mail postage dates this year:

29thNovember – Operational BFPO

1stDecember – Caribbean

6thDecember – Australian, Greece, Italy, New Zealand and Portugal, Static BFPO

8thDecember – Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Far and Middle East

10thDecember – Cyprus, Malta and Sweden

11thDecember – Eastern Europe (with some exceptions – see below), Turkey

13thDecember – Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Poland and USA

16thDecember – Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxumberg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland.

17thDecember – UK Bulk Economy

18thDecember – 2ndClass

21stDecember – 1stClass

22ndDecember – Royal Mail Tracked 24

23rdDecember – Special Delivery

Prepare food where you can. If you’re making a Christmas cake, then tradition dictates that you should have started in September, but it’s not too late to start now. You can also start slipping the extra thing into your trolley for the store cupboard or freezer now to spread out the cost. Do you need to order a turkey? My children are not fond of turkey, so we will be having something else at Christmas, probably chicken. With my husband being such an avid cook, food features pretty highly during Christmas Day, but equally, we like to keep it relatively simple – the point is not that he should spend the whole day in the kitchen, but that we should enjoy the day as a family.

So that’s it for now – give some thoughts to plans, gifts, cards and food.