The Ultimate Christmas Checklist
We are only a few short months away from Christmas. Although we may still be enjoying the heat of summer, the realisation that Christmas is on the doorstep can bring anxiety.
The festive season is a time many of us kick back and relax, looking back on the year that was and making plans for the coming 12 months.
But it is also a busy time, where guests – planned and unexpected – drop by. Relieve the anxiety of Christmas with our ultimate Christmas checklist.
The ‘cut-out-and-keep’ Envisage Christmas Guide
October
If you Christmas is a very busy time for you, the earlier you start planning the better. From
October start to;
* Put together a plan for the festive season including everything you can think of from when you think the grandparents will be arriving to Christmas plays and social events.
* Bake and set aside space in your freezer for festive treats. Start the process o making mince pies to cakes and more!
* Update the Christmas card list.
* OR, consider which charity you will make a donation to in lieu of Christmas cards and how you will go about letting people know you have done this
* Buy cards and wrapping paper, along with plenty of ribbon
* Make your own gift tags
* Consider homeware purchases such as a new duvet set and sheets for the guest bedroom, along with some fluffy towels and guest slippers.
If you are involved in organising a Christmas party or event, NOW is the time to hire a Santa!
November
With the big day only weeks away, start to ramp up your Christmas planning activity;
1. The master guest list
If you are super organised, you may have been buying smaller gifts during the year waiting for the final ‘big gift decision’ from the kids and your partner.
Bear in mind that retailers are super-busy from November onwards so don’t leave placing an order too late!
2. The Christmas budget
Finalise your budget and, more importantly, stick to it.
The average projected spend per family on Christmas is estimated to be anything between £753 to £868. Clearly this is a lot of money to find and there is no rulebook that says the only way to celebrate Christmas is to spend hundreds – in fact, for many people, the opposite is true.
However, it is an expensive time of year with purchases creeping up on you. Assign a ballpark figure to each person and stay within the limit.
HINT – we know you probably don’t want to hear this but shopping for gifts in the January sales can save you hundreds…
3. Start the gift shopping…
… and set a completion date because no one has the time nor the energy (or the patience!) to shop for Christmas gifts for weeks and weeks on end.
DECEMBER
Hopefully, by now, you have all the gifts and you can start to get more in the festive season spirit by;
* Gift-wrapping – with the December afternoons usually very wintry, why not close the curtains, make a fire, play some Christmas tunes and spend an afternoon wrapping gifts?
* Christmas ornament audit – with the Christmas gifts wrapped and ready, turn your attention to your Christmas decorations. If your tinsel is looking threadbare and your tree baubles have lost their shine, why not spend a small portion of your budget on some new ones?
* The kitchen audit – for most of us, a lot of time is spent in the kitchen as well as entertaining family and friends. Take stock of your cutlery, plates, dishes and glasses. If you are running low, now is the time to invest in new ones.
* Start the Christmas card posting – check with the Post Office for the international posting dates, as well as the dates for parcels, first and second class letters that guarantee delivery before the festive shutdown.
The final countdown
Three weeks before…
* Start the decorating process and order your live tree from the local plant nursery
* Finalise the Christmas menu
* Order your meat from your butchers as well as placing an order for Christmas veg from your greengrocer
One week before…
* Get cleaning and make this the one last big clean before Christmas arrives
* Buy plenty of batteries of different sizes for toys
* Shop for fresh ingredients
23rd December
* Place the Christmas Eve boxes for people to find the following day
Christmas eve
* Set the table and then…
You’re done! Enjoy Christmas!
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