Here are my top ten tips on how to prepare for Christmas Day 2013!
What are your top tips? Comment below!
What are your top tips? Comment below!
#1
Young children can be impatient on Christmas Day, so before wrapping their gifts, I remove some of the excess packaging and remove those clips and ties securing the toy to the packaging. You then place the toy back in its box, and wrap ready for Santa!
Young children can be impatient on Christmas Day, so before wrapping their gifts, I remove some of the excess packaging and remove those clips and ties securing the toy to the packaging. You then place the toy back in its box, and wrap ready for Santa!
#2
Buy batteries, and lots of them! So many toys and gizmos are supplied without batteries or just demo batteries that won't last beyond Boxing Day.
#3
Don't forger to add bin bags, cling film, foil, toilet paper and kitchen paper to your next shopping trolley. Bin bags for all the extra rubbish from food, gifts etc. Cling film and foil to store all the Christmas lunch leftovers. Toilet paper for all the extra guests visiting your home. And kitchen paper for all the potential mess when cooking and entertaining.
#4
Don't buy biscuits in the fancy Christmas-themed tins. I find them so expensive for such little quantity. Instead, either buy normal packets of biscuits or make some easy biscuits yourself. And store them simply in a tupperware box, or find last year's empty tin of biscuits to re-use.
Don't buy biscuits in the fancy Christmas-themed tins. I find them so expensive for such little quantity. Instead, either buy normal packets of biscuits or make some easy biscuits yourself. And store them simply in a tupperware box, or find last year's empty tin of biscuits to re-use.
#5
Keep your camera charged in the run up to the big day, ready to capture everyone one of those festive family moments! And keep the charger in a convenient place so you don't forget to re-charge.
Keep your camera charged in the run up to the big day, ready to capture everyone one of those festive family moments! And keep the charger in a convenient place so you don't forget to re-charge.
#6
Purchase a TV guide magazine in mid-December so you can set up and record all the films and TV programs. We still have several classic children's films on our Sky+ box from last Christmas including Tangled, Cars, Valiant, Up, Princess & the Frog, Aladdin and Toy Story.
Purchase a TV guide magazine in mid-December so you can set up and record all the films and TV programs. We still have several classic children's films on our Sky+ box from last Christmas including Tangled, Cars, Valiant, Up, Princess & the Frog, Aladdin and Toy Story.
#7
If you have infants or toddlers, double-check your stocks of nappies, baby wipes, milk/formula, Calpol etc. You don't want an emergency trip to the supermarket on an extra busy Christmas Eve if you can avoid it!
If you have infants or toddlers, double-check your stocks of nappies, baby wipes, milk/formula, Calpol etc. You don't want an emergency trip to the supermarket on an extra busy Christmas Eve if you can avoid it!
#8
Family Howe all have Christmas Day outfits!
Daddy Howe has a green tee with Sesame Street's Oscar the Grouch saying 'I hate Christmas'.
Tristan has last year's red woolly jumper with Rudolph
Scarlett has two new red jumpers: a red long tunic jumper with little white hearts, and a red hi-lo hem Rudolph jumper
I have two - last year's white long-line vest with a Christmas Pudding picture, and the Reindeer tee I reviewed for Bonmarche!
Go on, treat the family to new outfits. Loads of supermarkets and high street shops have sales on, even on their Christmas lines!
Family Howe all have Christmas Day outfits!
Daddy Howe has a green tee with Sesame Street's Oscar the Grouch saying 'I hate Christmas'.
Tristan has last year's red woolly jumper with Rudolph
Scarlett has two new red jumpers: a red long tunic jumper with little white hearts, and a red hi-lo hem Rudolph jumper
I have two - last year's white long-line vest with a Christmas Pudding picture, and the Reindeer tee I reviewed for Bonmarche!
Go on, treat the family to new outfits. Loads of supermarkets and high street shops have sales on, even on their Christmas lines!
#9
Make a list of all those little bi-annual or random jobs that need doing before Christmas. Mine include washing the cushion covers and bean-bag cover, deep-cleaning the sofas, fixing the top drawer on the dresser, cleaning the oven etc.
Make a list of all those little bi-annual or random jobs that need doing before Christmas. Mine include washing the cushion covers and bean-bag cover, deep-cleaning the sofas, fixing the top drawer on the dresser, cleaning the oven etc.
#10
Sort out the children's current toys. Throw away broken toys, give outgrown toys to charity, change batteries on dead toys and clean dirty toys. These will give you more room for their 2013 stash!
Sort out the children's current toys. Throw away broken toys, give outgrown toys to charity, change batteries on dead toys and clean dirty toys. These will give you more room for their 2013 stash!
Have a Merry Christmas Everyone!
