Every year, Christmas seems to come around faster than ever. You may feel as though you’re slightly behind on your Christmas preparations, but fear not! We’re here to help you.
We’re going to be giving you an easy-to-follow checklist to use, so that you can ensure that you’re totally prepared to take on the festive season ahead.
Read on for our top tips on how to prepare for Christmas this year…
Our Christmas preparation checklist
Of course, how one person prepares for the festive season ahead will be different from the other. But, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, let us make it easier for you. Our list is in no particular order, so use it as you see fit!
Christmas cards
The first thing to start with is, make sure you have your Christmas card recipient list updated and ready to go.
It doesn’t matter how you choose to send out seasonal greetings, as long as you know who you want to wish a Merry Christmas. You may think that this is a no-brainer, however, it’s very easy to forget a few important people amongst the Christmas chaos!
Here are a few ways that you can spread the Christmas cheer this year:
- Send a good old-fashioned Christmas card. Purchase a multi-pack, and write them all out as soon as possible and post them by mid-December at the latest, to avoid them being delivered late. We all know what the postal service can be like throughout the festive season, so they should arrive earlier rather than later this way!
- Send out eCards, because why not? It’s time-effective, cost-effective and they’re way more eco-friendly than posting a traditional Christmas card. There’s also plenty of providers out there which allow for complete personalisation, so you’ll have full reign to make it look just how you want it to!
- Save time and use social media - most people use social media platforms nowadays, so you won’t have to address the message to a specific person. You can say something along the lines of “from mine to yours, have a Merry Christmas!”.
Put your Christmas decorations up
So, if we’re going off tradition, Christmas decorations should be up in their full glory four Sundays before Christmas day - which would have been Sunday the 28th of November this year.
This is a great time to make sure that your current Christmas decorations are still to your taste. If not, there’s plenty out there, and it’s not too late to start stocking up.
If you’re going to be sticking to traditional practices (the first day of Advent), ensure that you have everything ready.
Making sure that all of your Christmas decorations are up and placed where they’re supposed to be can usually end up turning into an all-day affair. This is especially true if it’s a family activity.
Here’s a little Christmas decoration checklist to ensure that you have everything you need this year:
- A Christmas tree (of course!). Depending on your preference, you can either pick up an artificial tree from most grocery stores, or visit a Christmas tree lot - there will be plenty of them popping up near you by now.
- Christmas tree decorations. This could be baubles, tinsel, lights, artificial snow and a star or angel for the top.
- A Christmas wreath for your front door.
- Mistletoe.
- Christmas-themed tableware.
- Little decorations and ornaments for placing around the house. This could be tinsel, Santa ornaments, elf ornaments, and so on.
- If you’re wanting to go all out, artificial fake snow that is specially made for outdoor use, or a frost version for your windows.
Stick a Christmas movie on
If you’re not feeling particularly festive this year, but you want to be, the quickest fix to that is to stick a Christmas film on of your choosing and press play.
If you’re not a fan of the classics, you can rest assured knowing that Netflix has already started releasing their infamous ever-so-cheesy Christmas specials.
They may be a little on the cringe side, but that’s all part of the fun. Christmas, and the festive season in general, is all about spending time with loved ones - and snuggling down to watch a feel-good film is a great way to do so. Get your popcorn and pizza at the ready!
Here are some Christmas movies that we’d wholeheartedly recommend sticking on your television tonight:
- Elf (2003).
- Last Christmas (2019).
- Holidate (2020).
- Love Actually (2003).
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000).
- The Grinch again, but the animated version! (2018).
- Home Alone (1990).
Take advantage of the bargains this time of year
It’s no secret that this time of year is a great time to purchase your Christmas gifts. There are tons of seasonal discounts happening across all industries. Including us! We’re always dishing out new discount codes, so keep your eyes peeled…
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Say yes to Christmas themed music
If a Christmas movie doesn’t do the job, start playing seasonal music around the house. We know that sometimes Christmas tunes can feel somewhat inescapable this time of year, however, there really are some feel-good songs that’ll help you to get excited about the festive season.
Here are some of our favourites that’ll ‘snow’ doubt get you in the Christmas spirit:
- Absolutely anything from the national treasure that is Michael Bublé. Even if he is from Canada.
- All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey.
- Last Christmas - Wham!.
- Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms.
- It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Andy Williams.
Alternatively, if you have a Spotify or Apple Music account, there are tons of ready-made Christmas playlists that you can listen to. You can also find a great selection for free on YouTube!
Have your kids write a note to Santa
Of course, if you don’t have kids, this will not apply (unless you’re the cool auntie or uncle), so feel free to move on to our next point in the checklist. However, if you do have little elves in your life - stick around.
Think back to your Christmases as a little one. These will likely be core memories for most of us, filled with magical nostalgia. Plus, there’s an advantage for the adults involved here.
If you want to know what the little ones want for Christmas, but you’re worried about making them suspicious and bursting the Santa bubble prematurely, having them write their notes and wish lists out to ‘Santa’ is a great way to ensure that they radiate joy on Christmas day.
Pre-order your food shop
If you prefer shopping online for food, we would recommend sorting out your Christmas shopping list early. It’s no secret that panic buyers will empty the shelves closer to Christmas time - skip the mayhem and ensure that you have what you need to whip up a storm in advance by scheduling your shopping online!
Decorate your home with seasonal colours
If Christmas decorations just aren’t enough for your household, consider purchasing new soft furnishings that align with Christmas colours.
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Think rich reds, or even emerald green tones. These colours will never go out of style, so you could either keep them up all year round or simply store them away for the next festive season. The choice is yours!
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Make sure you’re stocked up on cosy textiles
You can't go wrong with stocking up on super soft and warm textiles at Christmas time - and we might just have the perfect collection that you could purchase either for yourself or as a gift for a loved one! Introducing our gorgeous Reindeer Festive collection.
Our Reindeer Festive range includes gorgeous throws, beautiful cushions and the cutest stockings - all specially designed to match together perfectly. It’s the perfect collection for living rooms, bedrooms... pretty much anywhere! You really can’t go wrong with this collection.
There’s no doubt that they’ll help you to achieve the festive look in your home ahead of Christmas, thanks to the reindeer print throughout the entire collection.
Reindeer Christmas Stocking - shop now.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed discovering our top tips on how to prepare for Christmas this year. At The Mill Shop, we offer an extensive range of soft furnishings that we know you’ll love. Explore the rest of our website now for more.