It’s not long until the 25th December arrives and we get lost in a flurry of wrapping paper, well-wishers, greetings cards, monstrously large panettone and cheese boards. The more organised amongst us may have been preparing months in advance for Christmas but for everyone else (myself included) it’s a frantic last-minute dash to get everything done. ‘Have I left anyone off the Christmas card list?’, ‘when should I put the turkey in the oven?’, ‘how many people can we sit at the table?’ – the list of questions is endless. If you’re floundering in organisational limbo, we’ve put together a list of ideas to help you prepare for an enjoyable Christmas.
Cook and Freeze in Preparation
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without the lovingly prepared meal that we associate with this festive occasion. Seasoned Christmas dinner veterans know that the secret to making the process easier is to pre-prepare or freeze some of the food so that it simply needs re-heating on the day. Mince pies, soup starters, parsnips, gravy, stuffing and Christmas cake are all good candidates for the freezer, so if you can get away with preparing them a few days in advance, it’s well worth it if it means having a peas-ful Christmas morning.
Make Those Last-Minute Gifts
If you don’t have much money to spare but need to come up with some gifts in a pinch, Christmas crafts can come to the rescue. Festive iced biscuits are simple to make and will look lovely in clear decorative wrap, tied up with a ribbon for a boutique patisserie look. Christmas hampers can also be a relatively low-cost and quick to assemble gift by selecting some of the favourite things you know your recipient loves. It might be marmalade, Yorkshire tea and shortbread, or something a little more exotic like pasta, homemade pesto and bruschetta. Handmade Christmas cards are a lovely way of letting people know you care, but if you don’t have the time to rush out and get coloured paper, writing a personal letter to your loved ones is just as special.
Prepare Christmas Games & Activities
Energy-usage can spike over the festive season with a combination of fairy lights, Christmas television and the cold weather keeping us indoors. If you’d rather not park yourself in front of the TV, why not prepare a selection of Christmas games and activities you can enjoy with your family? If you’re willing to brave the cold outdoors, going on a brisk walk can help to wake everyone up, but if it’s just too chilly, jigsaws and board games are just as fun. You can even throw in some old favourites like charades or 20 questions to get the celebrations well under way – and save on your utility bills in the process. If you’ve purchased an electric heater from us in the previous months, we hope that you’ll be enjoying their energy-efficient features over the Christmas period. Their precision thermostats and 24/7 programmers will keep your running costs low whilst ensuring you’re kept cosy and warm during family game time.
Checklist for Perishables
Yes, this to-do list contains another to-do list – still, it’s one that can only be done in the final run up to Christmas. Perishables that won’t keep longer than a few days will need to be purchased as close as possible to the main event, so to avoid disappointment, it’s a good idea to write down everything you’ll need beforehand. The last thing anybody wants is to make the journey down to the supermarket only to realise they’ve forgotten something crucial on the way back home. Milk and bread are common staples that can slip our minds in the mad rush to get lady fingers for the trifle and prawns for the starter so be sure to check through your list carefully before leaving the house.
Get Ready for the Relatives
If you’re the host this year, now’s the time to start getting your home ready for any guests, so switch on the electric towel rail to get your bathroom nice and cosy and program your electric radiator to pre-heat the spare room. One of the biggest tasks when hosting family members for Christmas is making sure the house is spick and span. You may want to get all your cleaning done in one fell swoop, or stagger it over a few days, taking it room by room. Make sure fresh sheets are put on the beds, guest rooms are dusted, and that all communal spaces are tidied. Leave vacuuming the house and cleaning the bathroom the day before guests arrive to save you from having to re-clean.
Relax!
The most important thing we can forget to do at Christmas is to relax. It can be an overwhelming experience – especially if this is the first year you’ll be cooking for others – so don’t get wound up trying to create the ‘perfect’ atmosphere. This time of year is about sharing, charity and kindness rather than overspending on trinkets or food. Be kind to yourself and others and enjoy the time you have together with your family. Making an action plan can help to cut down on the stress of preparation, but if in doubt, adhere to the golden rule: delegate, delegate, delegate. Getting the whole family involved means that everyone contributes to the festivities, even if it’s something as simple as peeling carrots.
Merry Christmas from Electric Radiators Direct
Creating a to-do list before the 25th can help things to run smoothly so I hope that these tips come in handy and free up your time enough so you can sit back and relax with family and friends. If you’ve purchased a product from us, please take a look at our Christmas delivery and contact centre opening times. Items held at our central stocking location, such as our Haverland electric radiators, Ecostrad electric towel rails and panel heaters, will be picked and dispatched from the 27th December onwards. However, items dispatched from other locations will be processed from the 2nd January onwards. If you’re not sure where your product will be dispatched from, our delivery page will provide full details. On behalf of everyone at Electric Radiators Direct, we hope that you have a very pleasant Christmas and a happy new year.