Three months before Christmas At this point, Christmas is only a faint glimmer in the horizon. Make like a wise man (or woman) looking at the star of Bethlehem – stay on track with some preparation. For the epic family gathering, make sure that orders are completed early for all of the condiments, sauces, wine, meats, cheese platters and so on. This can be ordered in advance from
food hampers specialists like Forman and Field, who can provide a deluxe spread on the big day with minimum hassle.
Two months before Christmas
At this point in time, it's too early to be thinking of presents. Unless you truly are a die-hard Christmas tragic, and simply must get into the shopping beforehand. The majority of the world will curse your resourcefulness, but you will be the winner come mid-December, when the rest of us poor sods will be stuck in massive queues. Another thing to think about now is making a Christmas card list. If you are one of the quaint and old-fashioned types who still do this – respect!
One month before Christmas Aside from an annual review, bonus, annual leave and various other non-festive things going on, it's time for the madness to begin. Sporting or social organisations have parties and so do workplaces. It seems every workday is filled with pub afternoons and dinners. When not getting plastered on company time, it's time to start noticing and making mental notes about what your nearest and dearest want for Christmas. This is also the appropriate time to treat yourself. It's been a tough year, so a massage, manicure, haircut or facial doesn't go amiss right now. Anybody who is single should embrace Christmas parties as the place to mingle and meet new people.
Just as important as the right outfit for a Christmas party is being a gracious guest and getting a fabulous gift for the host.
Christmas gift baskets can contain all sorts of decadent treasures: like smoked salmon, Prosecco and a selection of heavenly cheeses.
Less than one month until Christmas
'House and Garden' types will be pre-preparing shortcrust pastry, drying herbs from the garden and carrying out other impressive pursuits. Others will be busy ordering Indian and lamenting the lack of a tree. There are many ways to spend Christmas…
There are no hard and fast rules about when mince pies should magically appear, but they always should – regardless of their mode of delivery or origin. Just be sure to pay the poor Dickensian urchin who brought them to your home, with a few matches and a tinderbox.
Resources Preparing For Christmas Even more tips for organising in the lead-up to Christmas.
Holiday Decorating Country Living get all festive with ways to make the house look like a glimmering bauble.
Christmas Markets Find a nearby Christmas market to enjoy the Christmas cheer with loved ones.
Most people know that leaving their Christmas shopping until the last minute can result in frayed nerves, angry exchanges and a poorer selection of presents. According to loyalty-points company Nectar, it can also result in shoppers paying 50% more than their early-bird counterparts.
The further in advance yuletide gifts are bought, the more options that are available and the greater the savings that can be made. Here are five of the top sites for finding a pre-season bargain.
1. myvouchercodes.co.uk
This is the UK’s largest voucher site, providing more than 77 printable vouchers and 2,300 discount codes. The site works by searching the net for discount codes, which are mostly from large retailers. Keeping an eye on available vouchers can ensure big savings for those with specific presents in mind, particularly larger Christmas gifts such as sporting or electrical equipment. The site can be navigated alphabetically or section by section. The most popular deals are those highest in the list.
2. hotukdeals.com
This site provides pre-Christmas bargain hunters with a forum to share their discoveries. Visitors can search by category, or specify whether they want a voucher or a deal. Deals are rated by the site’s visitors, with the best appearing at the top of the list. The site is great for Christmas shoppers to slowly and cheaply build their yuletide stockpile.
3. groupon.co.uk
Groupon works on the basis of collective buying power. The company offers a daily deal in one of the participating cities. Inhabitants who are interested in the deal click ‘buy now’ and provide the company with their credit card details. If enough people commit in this way, Groupon takes their money and provides them with a redeemable voucher in return (known as a ‘Groupon’). Groupon is great for finding pre-Christmas deals from small and medium-sized local businesses.
4. voucherseeker.co.uk This is a lovely voucher site to use, with a clear interface and a useful ‘help’ button that explains how to get the most from it. It can be navigated by searching by shop, product or category. Just enter the Christmas gift of your choice in the ‘search’ box and see what’s available.
5. formanandfield.com Forman & Field are a food mail order company offering a fantastic selection of luxury gifts and hampers. Their Christmas hampers, filled with festive treats, are a great gift idea –
find gift hampers here. The site is very easy to navigate, clearly displaying each product. You simply click ‘add to basket’ and then select a delivery day convenient to you. There’s also a choice of gift vouchers.
Resources The London Word Guide to buying Christmas presents
Love Money 12 cheap Christmas gift ideas
I Want One of Those Huge range of Christmas gift ideas for all ages
_ Planning a fun, memorable and exciting Christmas holiday with the family can be a challenge. Making the most of your time with family over the holidays requires some preparation. Here are some ideas for family activities at Christmas.
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Creating Christmas decorations
Children love to make Christmas decorations. The simple process of creating festive decor gives the children focus and allows them to contribute to the home. Crafts are a great way to spend time with children, teach new skills and let them express their creativity.
Christmas tree
Involve children with decorating the Christmas tree, from buying the Christmas tree to putting the star, fairy or bow on the top. Head to your local craft store and pick up some Christmas craft kits. These include all the materials and instructions needed for easy and successful Christmas tree decorations.
Christmas gifts
Gather your Christmas spirit and allow the children to wrap Christmas presents (obviously if they don’t believe in Santa Claus). Help children create their own Christmas cards and gift tags - whether it’s on the computer or with card, glue and anything that sticks!
_ Family activities at Christmas
The festive season will have lots of activities for families to enjoy together. Grab your coat, hats, mitts and scarves and brave the cold.
Ice skating
Head to the local ice rink for some exhilarating fun on ice! The little kids enjoy the thrill, while they laugh at the big kids attempting to stay up-right!
_ Christmas shopping Giving children a budget to purchase gifts is a great way to get children involved. Many shopping centres and Christmas markets will hold Santa’s Grottos and events to enjoy. Christmas movie or production Catch the latest Christmas movie at the cinema or go to the theatres to watch a Christmas production – gather friends and family together for a Christmas outing. Christmas day Christmas day is incredibly exciting for children of any age. Ensure the children are attended to, even when the extended family arrive. Christmas dinner is an important tradition of Christmas; however, it is important not to focus too much on the details that you forget to enjoy the day. Make the children feel important on Christmas day with simple tasks: •Helping with Christmas dinner •Arranging the table •Greeting guestsTime to relax The Christmas holiday is a time where people reflect on their good fortune, health and family connections. Many of us are so busy with our professional lives, running to and from various activities, that we cannot spend quality time with the family.
Taking an extended Christmas break allows you to relax with the family, especially if children are home from a
boarding school England based or elsewhere. The school holidays are important times for children to feel comfortable, at home and connected to the family.
Preparation for boarding school includes ensuring the holidays are special, homely and memorable.
_ Resource Box: Service Parents’ Guide to Boarding Schools Useful information about starting boarding school, fees and choosing the right boarding school Boarding Schools Association Information for parents, students and teachers of boarding schools Ofsted Independent and impartial Office for Standards in Education