Four Top Tips for a Tip-Top Christmas

Christmas and the monumental build up to it can be a stressful time. But it doesn't have to be, here are a few tips for a smooth running and enjoyable festive period.

1. Presents
Get organised. A good idea is to write a list of all the people you are buying for, decide on a budget for them and a few suggestions of possible presents and which shops you can buy these at. Then take the list with you to the shops with a pen and cross off as you go along. That way you won't end up buying random presents on sporadic shopping trips, end up get confused and have three types of bubble bath for your mother in law and nothing for your nephew.

2. The Christmas Dinner.
At the end of the day, it's only a dinner, so don't panic. There are a lot of trimmings involved with a Christmas dinner, why not assign your guests a vegetable and ask them to prepare some and bring along to the meal, that way all you have to do is cook them when they come. It is Christmas after all, a time for giving and sharing, people won't mind peeling a few potatoes for a delicious meal cooked by someone else!

3. Make sure your house is prepared.
There is nothing worse then when unannounced guests turn up and you aren't prepared. Always have some mince pies and sausage rolls in the cupboard ready to warm up and a selection of drinks on standby for any such emergencies. Another embarrassing incident is when you realise you have run out of seats and result to offering up the office swivel chair for a seat. To avoid this humiliation have a stock take of chairs and furniture in your house in the weeks leading up to Christmas and if anything is missing or looking a little worn check out your local quality furniture store, there are often pre-Christmas deals on offer so go have a look.

4. Keep Healthy
Christmas is a time of indulgence in good food and drink, what follows are weeks of turkey curries and a dread of the bathroom scales, so help yourself out a bit; plan some healthy meals in-between larger meals, try to snack on dried fruits and nuts instead of chocolate. Stock up some more interesting soft drinks and plan some non-alcohol days, and stick to them!

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