Our Magical Christmas blog aims to give you some useful tips and reminders for planning a perfect Christmas. Speaking of which, the big day is only a couple of weeks away so we’ve got you covered with the top things you can still do to create a magical end to 2024.
WRITE/CRAFT CHRISTMAS CARDS
Buy your Christmas cards, write and post them well before the Christmas postal deadline. If you’re not sending postal cards, think about sending digital e-cards by email and create a list of who you’d like to send them to. You can also craft homemade cards using natural materials. Gather leaves, pinecones, or twigs and turn them into beautiful Christmas cards. Cut cardboard into card shapes, glue on your natural finds, and paint designs. Bonus: These can double as unique gift tags for presents. Sending cards are usually one of the things we rush at the very last moment and we don’t use this opportunity to share any family news or updates. Start writing your cards in advance, take time to include a magical message and knock it off your Christmas list asap!
SANTA LETTERS
Encourage and help the children in your life with writing their magical letters to Santa Claus saying how nice (or naughty) they’ve been all year! Think about what you’ve been up to this year, the highs and the lows and what memories come to mind. You can also teach your kids about the spirit of Christmas by giving back by encouraging them to donate the toys they don’t use, explaining how their gifts can brighten another child’s Christmas. It’s a great way of building up the anticipation towards Christmas and the perfect way to practice gratitude for all that we have.
FOOD AND DRINK BUDGETS
Create a budget for how much money you’re going to spend on food and drink and stick to it! It’s easy to get swept up with all the things we might need but it’s worth remembering Christmas we don’t always use everything we buy in food at Christmas. Consider how much waste you’ve thrown out in the years before and then make a plan to cut back everywhere you can. Also, if you’re shopping in person rather than online, take cash instead of credit cards. Cash is king! If you’re shopping online, don’t forget to keep an eye on the total and don’t go above your budget. Shop around to see if your items can be bought cheaper elsewhere. Who doesn’t love a bargain? It’s truly the thought that counts.
MAGICAL MEAL PLANNING
Do a meal plan for all the meals you’ll be to cooking and include in-between snacks and drinks. You also might want to consider that you might have the big and important meals such as Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, but you’ve also got quite a few other meals including breakfast, lunches and dinners (and the snacks) in between. You might find it helpful to use a calendar which covers the holiday season and go through your meals day by day, and creating a time on those days where you can prep.
SURPRISE GIFTS
Always have a little emergency stash of Christmas presents. This is useful in case you forget someone or you receive an unexpected gift and need something to return the favour with. I actually have a box in my home with all kinds of emergency gifts. This includes chocolate, wine, bath products, gift sets, and little toys that I buy throughout the year and keep safe, just in case I might need to give a gift that I hadn’t expected! It also comes in handy if I haven’t had time to run to the shops and I’ve forgotten a friend’s birthday! I also keep a few spare blank cards and plain gift wrap for the same reason!
GLORIOUS GIFTS
Make sure you have enough gift wrap, gifts bags, tags and plenty of tape! I often use different wrapping paper for each of my children and family. This way it reduces confusion on which present is for who and I don’t have to write too many gift tags! Get some spare cards and gift bags just in case. If you keep the colours neutral and without Christmas designs or patterns, then you can use them during the rest of the year too. This is also your reminder to set aside some time in the Christmas run up, to build any toys for the kids prior to the big day. This saves you staying up the whole night of Christmas Eve, like I did last year!
CHRISTMAS EVE, EVE
We tend to focus on Christmas Day, but for many people the day before is very special too. Christmas Eve is one of the most magical days of the year, with so much excitement in the air, particularly if you have young children. Think how you’re going to spend Christmas Eve and aim to be completely finished with as much as you can be on the 23rd. That means more time for your family to enjoy a traditional family walk, drive in movie or making time to arrange Christmas Eve boxes. We always have a selection of Christmas family movies ready to watch. Two classics for me are ‘It’s a wonderful life’ and ‘Home Alone’. Don’t forget some hot chocolate magic and have a wee treat or two ready for Santa and his reindeers!
THE MAGIC OF GRATITUDE
Keep a list of the Christmas gifts you received so you and the kids can write out your thank you letters. I’m not sure how many people actually write thank you letters these days, especially at Christmas time, but it’s one of our traditions that I’d like to keep up. It reminds myself and my children the power that gratitude holds and shows the sender of the gift how appreciative you are.
LIVE IN THE MOMENT
Finally, the last thing to mention is one of the most important of all. What if your “to do” list for December is to simply remain in the present moment? So often, Christmas is the only time of year that you can truly slow down, relax, spending time with those you love and remain completely in the moment. Theres nowhere else to be! If you think about it, every precious memory you’ve ever made was the result of you living in that moment. If we can commit to the notion of living in the moment this season, we’ll retain those special memories because they’ll stay with us forever.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful customers and our fantastic staff. Without you, none of this would be possible. We wish you all a very Merrry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
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