10 Ways to Plan Ahead this Holiday Season

Do the words ‘panic’ and ‘chaos’ come to mind when thinking about your Christmas to-do list? Are you one to leave everything to the last minute? Yes (nodding). Well, don’t let this year get the best of you. Here’s a list of 10 ways to plan ahead this Holiday Season – in sequential order.

1) Create a Christmas Countdown The best way to feel organised is to map-out each day. Print out a blank, A4 size December calendar and keep it on the fridge. Markdown already scheduled activities and pencil-in tasks/events as they arise. Get creative and colour code – this will help categorise. For example block in blue when the Christmas Carrols are on, then green when Aunt May arrives.

2) Put up the Tree & Decorate The last thing you want hanging over your head is the thought of putting up the tree and decorating the house just days before Christmas. This can be a big job, so make sure the entire family gets involved and helps hang the decorations, ornaments and tinsel.

3) Plan Whose House? One of the biggest decisions of the year – whose house will host Christmas this year? Will it be Mum and Dad’s or your partner’s parents? Figuring this out can be a headache at times, so it’s best to have the conversation earlier rather than later. If it’s not at yours, how you will get there – do you need to book flights, organise another car? If you did manage to win it this year, will you require more chairs and tables? After the location is decided upon, plan who will bring what – and if double-ups happen…oh well, everyone goes back for seconds!

4) Make a Budget and a Gift List Christmas spending can add up quickly, so have the conversation with your family about setting a limit to expenses. If you have a big family, like mine, then try the $30 challenge – for each person, spend a total of $30. I like to call this a challenge because it gets you to think outside of the box and forces you to be creative. You’d be surprised at what you can put together for $30. Better yet, you will have money left over. Now that you’ve set a budget, write down every person who you will be buying for. Next to their name, write down some gift ideas and the total amount you wish to spend. For example: Aunt May – Bath products from Lush, Scarf and Earrings, Slippers ($30). Mum - Manicure Set, Cookbook, Nice Photo frame with Picture of us, Candles ($30). Dad - Homemade Rocky road, Gardening Tools, Running Shirt ($30).

5) Buy Your Gifts Early You have your Gift List and your budget is set. This is the fun part! Head to the shopping centres ahead of time. You want to do this for a few reasons. First, you don’t compete with everyone else, secondly, you might grab some pre-Christmas bargains (sales?) and thirdly, once this part is over, everything else becomes easier.

6) Wrap Gifts as You Buy Them Another fun activity for the entire family to get involved in. Choose your favourite wrapping patterns and designs and go crazy! Accessories with curly ribbon and place under the tree!

7) Create a Menu and Start Cooking Cooking is what really gets me excited for Christmas. When I was a little girl, I used to love to watch my mum make homemade Fruit Cake and Trifle. I still love the smell of candied orange, cinnamon and spices throughout the house. To be most efficient, draft up a menu. Figure out what ingredients you need and if cooking can commence (a few days out, or the day before), then start the food preparation. Put on a Christmas playlist, and get everyone involved. The kids can be decorating Christmas shortbread cookies while Dad gets a start on the punch!

8) Start Baking Things You Can Freeze If you can freeze things ahead of time, then do it! This will save you a lot of stress come Christmas Day. Some Christmas favourites include: Stuffing, Christmas Cake, Fruits, Tiramisu, Ice Cream, Kievs, Wellingtons, Spinach Pie, Puddings and Cheesecake.

9) Set the Table Setting the table for 4, 12 or 24? No matter how big or small the number may be, make sure you have enough plates and cutlery. If you want to save cleaning time, buy disposables. Get creative with Christmas-styled plates, seat-tags and table decorations!

10) Enjoy and Relax! All that’s left for you to do is to pour yourself a glass of champagne or wine and enjoy Christmas Day! You’ve done it!