The holiday season can be stressful at the best of times, but a Christmas day checklist is a great way to make sure things run smoothly on the big day.
By making a Christmas to do list, you can ensure nothing slips through the cracks and avoid a last minute rush for groceries and gifts.
So, here’s exactly how our team of professional housekeepers recommend you prepare for Christmas day.
Stay Ahead of the Game: A Comprehensive Guide to Christmas Planning
Christmas planning is key to staying sane over the festive season. It’s important to think about your holiday plans, and know what you need to bring, or what you’re expected to provide if you’re hosting.
Simplifying the Season: How to Create an Effective Christmas Day Checklist
To create a Christmas day checklist, you need to have a vision for how you want the day to flow.
Are you planning on decorating the house? Are you hosting lots of people? Do you have little kids who want to leave out milk and cookies for Santa?
And of course, have you got all the gifts ready? Are they wrapped? Will you be cooking? What food do you need?
Asking questions like these is a great way establish all the tasks that need to be executed before, and on Christmas day.
Effortless Festivities: Preparing Your Christmas To-Do List
When you’re preparing your Christmas day checklist, it’s also important to establish what items are the most important and what can be considered optional.
For example, presents might be more urgent than picking a Christmas playlist.
It’s also important to factor in a bit of extra time for any last minute disasters that occur – and there’s always at least one!
By buffering in more time, you’ll get the chance to relax, take the celebrations in, and problem solve to avert any crises.
Beating the Holiday Rush: What You Need to Buy for Christmas Day
If you want to beat the holiday rush, you need to be prepared and act fast!
Shops are always extra-crowded and out of stock this time of year, so it really pays to be prepared in your Christmas shopping.
For a smooth, seamless Christmas day, add these to your shopping list:
- Ingredients and supplies for a lovely Christmas meal
- Presents for your loved ones
- Wrapping paper, tape, ribbon, and scissors
- A festive Christmas tree and stand, of course!
- Extra cleaning supplies for cleaning up after guests
- Decorations and some festive touches for around the house
A Feast to Remember: Crafting Your Christmas Dinner Shopping List
If you signed up to host this year, you’ll need to get cracking on a Christmas dinner shopping list!
Make sure you have the essentials needed to prepare a roast, side dishes, appetisers, salads, deserts, and some snacks to keep around the house that guests can help themselves to.
You’ll also want to stock up napkins, paper towels, cleaning supplies, and cooking supplies to avoid any last-minute trips to the shops.
If you know your guests have food allergies, intolerances, or dietary requirements, it’s also a good idea to make sure you’ve provided the relevant options and alternatives for them. Or if you can’t accommodate them, let them know to bring their own so you’re not in a pickle.
And when in doubt, buy more than you need! It’s always better to have leftovers than to be caught short.
Holiday Must-Haves: Identifying Your Christmas Essentials
Your Christmas essentials are going to be unique and depend on your individual plans, your home, traditions, family, friends, and the way you choose to celebrate the holiday season.
There are a few basics that most people find necessary, like Christmas gifts, decorations, and food, but you’ll also have other essentials that go above and beyond this list.
Maybe you have an annual ugly sweater competition that you need to compete in? Or your family hosts fun games like an egg and spoon race?
Don’t let our list be the be all and end all of Christmas essentials – remember to add your own personal touches!
A Stress-Free Christmas: Final Tips for Early Preparations
The busy-ness of the holiday season is a recipe for stress, but being prepared will help you navigate even the most chaotic of family celebrations.
In the lead up to Christmas, make sure you’re consulting your handy Christmas day checklist and delegating to family members and friends who can help out.
It’s also important to take some time to breathe and take it all in. This is your Christmas too, and you deserve to enjoy it just as much as everyone else!
And if you need a helping hand getting ready for Christmas Day, you can always book a session with our local professional housekeepers who are well-versed in organisation. Think of it like a present to yourself!
