Christmas is a wonderful time to spend with friends and family; eating, drinking, and being merry. But that doesn’t mean the festive period is without its stresses.
While it can be great to catch up with loved ones you might not have seen for a while, there is often a pressure to see as many people as possible. Cramming in all the Christmas get-togethers can take its toll on even the hardiest of festive socialites.
And when it comes to the big day itself, there is a seemingly endless list of tasks that need to be sorted to ensure the perfect Christmas. In order to take a bit of the load off this year, the team at MyJobQuote.co.uk have joined forces with a whole host of experts to come up with the ultimate Christmas Eve checklist
From getting the rooms prepared in advance to making sure you get a good night’s sleep, read on to find out how you can make Christmas Day run more smoothly this year.
Plan things early
Billy Parker, director at GiftDelivery.co.uk, has urged people to get ahead of the game and make sure your big day is as stress-free as possible.
He says: “One of the best tips I can offer is to plan ahead. Start planning your Christmas Eve activities early to make sure everything is ready. Make a list of all the tasks that need to be done, such as wrapping presents, preparing food, and setting up decorations. This will help you stay organised and ensure that everything is done in time.”
Prepare as much food as possible in advance
The kitchen is possibly the most stressful room in the house on Christmas Day. Things can get heated when families are working together to cook the perfect meal – and we don’t just mean the oven temperatures.
Getting ahead of the game and prepping as much food as possible in the days leading up to Christmas can help ease the stresses when it comes to dinner time, speeding up the cooking and serving process.
Charlotte Wood, chief information at REI Insiders, says: “Prepare as much food as you can in advance. Desserts and cold dishes can be made and stored in the fridge. For the main meal, chop vegetables and set aside, ready to cook.”
Set the dinner table
The hard work for Christmas dinner takes place in the kitchen, but you need somewhere to eat it. When you are stressing over making sure the turkey is ready at the same time as the veg, it can be easy to forget about setting the table.
If you are hosting for a lot of people, it’s especially crucial to make sure getting the table ready doesn’t become a last-minute issue just before the food is served. Getting the tablecloth, cutlery, and festive decorations ready the day before can help you save time and gives you one less thing to worry about.
Michael James, owner of thegiftbags.co.uk, says: “Lay out the Christmas Day table the night before. It saves time and lets you focus on food and family in the morning.”
Get the entertainment ready
Some people dread the moment on Christmas Day when the board games are brought out, but for others it’s a crucial part of the day.
If playing games, taking part in quizzes, or listening to your favourite festive tunes form part of your Christmas, getting everything looked out the day before can help speed things up when people are getting restless.
Karina Newman, home expert at iBuyers, says: “Creating a playlist and having some entertainment ready is like setting the mood for a great time. Imagine a house filled with your favourite holiday tunes and maybe a few movies or games that everyone enjoys.
“It’s about making sure there’s something fun to do together. After all, Christmas is about joy and spending time with the people you care about.”
Charge your devices
Following on from getting the entertainment ready, you need to ensure that everything you will be using will actually work. Charge any gifts or devices that will be used and make sure you have a stash of batteries on hand.
On top of this, make sure your own phone is fully charged just in case of any emergencies.
REIInsider’s Charlotte Wood says: “Make sure cameras, phones, and toys that will be gifted are fully charged. You don’t want to miss capturing those special moments or deal with a disappointed child.”
Arrange the presents
Another thing that can, unfortunately, disappoint any kids in the household is if the gifts aren’t ready for them waking up. It is stressful to get the presents from Santa hidden away until they are asleep before sneaking them under the tree – but it can be crucial to keeping the Christmas magic going.
Nothing beats the joy of an excited child on Christmas morning seeing all the presents they have received – and confirming that Father Christmas thinks they have been nice this year.
Set alarms and reminders
There is so much to deal with on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that it is a good idea to set alarms and reminders on your phone to help keep track of everything that needs done. You don’t want to miss anything and have a last-minute panic, so it is important to be prepared.
Get a good night’s sleep
Speaking of alarms… no one wants to wake up knackered on Christmas Day. It can be hard to squeeze everything in on Christmas Eve before the madness of the big day – but it is important to make sure you are rested so that you can enjoy the fruits of all your hard work. It’s your Christmas Day too!
“A well-rested you is a calm and present you, ready to tackle Christmas Day with a smile. Bonus points for indulging in a relaxing bath or reading a calming book before lights out,” says Connor Ondriska, CEO of SpanishVIP.
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