I know it’s early to start thinking about Christmas, we haven’t even had Halloween yet! But the best way to have a relaxed and stress free Christmas is to start making preparations early.

I’m not talking about hanging up the decorations – unless you really want to get into the spirit of things! I’m talking about starting to make plans and organising, and generally getting ahead of the game to avoid the last-minute panic.

If you are anything like me, I get easily side-tracked by other shiny objects, and then I forget what I was doing. So having a plan that I can quickly glance at to see if there is anything to do, or somewhere to jot down my ideas is what I need.

I’ve created a downloadable plan for you to get Christmas organised. It includes an ‘At-a-glance’ plan and structured lists to start jotting down your present, menu, and organisation plans. If you would like a stress free organised Christmas, download it here.

Remember, the more you do ahead of time, the less there is to do nearer the time. This frees you up to do more fun things when you want to. You can even go to the last-minute party that your friends have sprung on you, without having to worry about all the work you still have to do.

My top 4 tips for a stress free Christmas

If you do nothing else, follow these quick tips to keep you ahead of the game:

1. Create a budget. Don’t let Christmas spending get too out of hand. Create a budget and stick to it. This way you will be starting the new year in a much better frame of mind, rather than worrying about money. You may even have some leftover to treat yourself in the new year sales.
2. Wrap your presents when you buy them. This is the one I am going to try and stick to this year! I used to love wrapping presents and would spend time decorating them with ribbons and extras. As my family has grown, it has become a real chore. Lately, it is my most dreaded job so I have been leaving it to the last minute. It’s always done in a rush, and shown no love. This year I am really going to try and show my gift-giving the love by doing it in small doses earlier. Hopefully, everyone feels the love too.
3. Create a Christmas gift list. Write down everyone you need to buy a present for. Using your budget, work out how much you can spend on each person. Try and think of the things that each person would like within your budget. If you do this in good time, you can keep an eye out for vouchers and discounts that you could use to help you get more for your money.
4. Prepare as much food ahead of time as you can. Did you know you can freeze roast potatoes? I tried it last year, and they were the best roasties I have ever had! (even if I do say so myself). With this in mind, start prepping whatever food you can and stick it in your freezer, ready for when you need it on the big day or the run-up to it. Doing small amounts as part of your usual cooking won’t seem like too much extra effort. But it will help you big time later on. You never know it may even sprinkle you with a little festive cheer earlier than usual.

If you want more tips on how to get better organised for Christmas, check this post out.

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