With less than a month to go until Christmas, you may already be having nightmares about the pending chaos, waking up in the middle of the night, and making to-do lists in your mind, only to forget them in the morning. If you’re anything like us, the seemingly impending chaos will be causing you some Christmas crazies.
So, how do you avoid a chaotic Christmas? Well, it’s really about being organised. It’s about making a list, checking it twice and doing what you can as early as possible.
Here are five things you can do now that will have you feeling zen for the holidays.
Spruce up the garden
Now is the perfect time to get into the garden and give it a good tidy, so it is ready for entertaining and backyard games.
Roll up your sleeves, get the tools out of the shed and start with pruning, weeding, and mulching. Give the lawn a mow and a good feed with fertiliser, and you’ll be rewarded with a lush green lawn, perfect for backyard cricket. It’s incredible the difference a couple of hours in the garden will make, and there’ll be no need for last-minute Christmas morning mowing or leaf blowing.
Don’t have a garden? Great, you’ve ticked something off your list. Well done!
Do your online shopping
If you detest Christmas crowds at the shops, now is the time to get your online Christmas shopping done. Online shopping is the ultimate Christmas convenience, but it is essential to get it done early to allow time for delivery. Australia’s delivery networks haven’t exactly shone in our times of need in recent years, so allow plenty of time. After all, you do not want to make a panicked trip to the shops on Christmas Eve because Aunty Jan’s fruit bowl didn’t arrive.
Avoid a Christmas budget blowout
Financial stress is top of the list for many at Christmas. So setting a Christmas budget early and sticking to it will reduce the risk of a Christmas budget blowout and force you to be organised.
The process of setting a budget will result in a set of very clear lists of presents, food, decorations, games, etc. With your lists in hand, you will know exactly what needs to be done, leading you towards a chaos-free Christmas.
Plan your menu and start stocking the pantry
Planning your menu has two advantages. First, it means you will be organised in terms of food for Christmas celebrations. Secondly, it can prevent you from overspending on impulse pantry purchases.
With your menu planned, you can start stocking up on long-life pantry items early and take advantage of specials in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Then, in the days leading up to Christmas, you only have to buy fresh food. Even better, order your fresh food from a supplier that will deliver it to your home, and you can avoid the pre-Christmas supermarket madness altogether.
Start untangling your Xmas lights
Maya Angelou once said, “you can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights”.
That’s right; it’s time to pack away the Halloween decorations and dust off that box labelled ‘Xmas decorations’. Throw out anything that’s looking a bit tired, replace them with new ones or, even better, get crafty and make some this year. Assemble the Christmas tree and start decorating the house now. Why not? It is Christmas, after all.
If you start untangling the lights now, you might just be finished in time for Christmas!