Hello again, how are you – good me too! I think it’s the first time in a while where I have missed a week of posting, if you did so happen to read my last blog, please don’t think all my posts are all doom & gloom, I just wanted to share that one because it mattered to me & now I have we can get onto the fun stuff!

So, its December, Christmas & the New Year are almost upon us & I cannot believe how quickly they have come around, it is kind of scary how quickly time flies – which relates to this post with regards to Christmas preparation’s. Anyone who knows me knows that I am highly organised & have everything pre-planned because having things not planned does give me anxiety & makes me feel like I am out of control. So anyway, if you do fall into the category of not buying presents till the day before Christmas Eve, I am here to help! (READ & YOU WILL SEE PICTURES BELOW)

Ok, firstly it’s presents – in the lead up to Christmas I think it is very important you know who your buying for & you tell them. For example, last year I bought quite a lot for my partner & my family because it was the first Christmas where I had more money with working full time so I kind of wanted to use it as a thank you. This year however due to circumstances my money is slightly tighter so for example, I am simply buying for my parents & step parent & my partner. Now if you do have a partner sometimes it is easier to let them buy for their family & you buy for yours & then letting them know that it’s from both of you – this way you don’t feel like you are going over budget & you are both sharing the costs instead of telling each other what the other needs to get for your family. Friends – I do think people spend a lot on their friends at Christmas when I really don’t think that matters – you’re all in the same position most of the time with money so I always make it clear not to get me a present because in all honesty I can’t afford to get you one back (this is with regards to expensive gifts, little trinkets or a picture frame I think are sweet & still shows that you appreciate them). Next step – buying the presents, for me this was the best idea this year because after getting the list from my parents & partner I have literally ordered everything off Amazon & it has saved me! I love the idea of Christmas shopping & actually being out, admiring all the Christmas decorations, but honestly, I find it really stressful! The busy crowds, the noise, shops never having anything in stock – I’d rather just order from the comfort of my own room & that truly has saved me a lot of stress & I ordered them around the middle of November!

When is it acceptable to get the Christmas decorations out? – I personally am one of those 1^st of December people, I don’t really get excited until that day hits & then it’s all go go go. Of course, when I have been living at home with my mum & step dad we have built up a pile of standard decorations that get stored away & come out every year to help say goodbye to the last one. This year however with my partner being moved out, it is our first Christmas with no decorations! Luckily where we live there are lots of cute garden centres which actually do lots of decorations – so we went last week & got everything we needed, we tried not to go too overboard because we had to bare in mind we don’t have enough space to keep lots, we decided to get a fake tree baring this in mind as they fold away easily, don’t take up to much room & last for years. The next thing was accessories, now the ball balls & what not to go on the tree were a little pricy so you could probably go to a Poundland (1-dollar store) & still get some nice Christmas decorations that aren’t as pricy, I would say certainly do this if you have kids or pets because items can easily get knocked over & break, so it saves you the money. Next would be fairy lights, I love love love fairy lights, I just think they save you from taking up room with lamps & they can just really warm a room up & of course you need some nice ones for the tree – these can be pricy but usually good quality ones do last long.

Lastly wrapping presents, my god I found this painful! My number one tip is seriously make sure you have some good Sellotape – my boyfriend went over to the garage to get some & the struggle I had with taping up the presents was not good – so they don’t look great. Also, don’t be fooled by expensive wrapping paper as I got 4 roles for £6.50, however 2 of the rolls were quite weak & teared easily so that was a nightmare in itself. Luckily, I didn’t have too much to wrap up, so I would definitely recommend getting a family member or friend to help if you find that kind of situation stressful. However once everything is out & the presents are under the tree I feel all the hard work was worthwhile. Also, please don’t forget that either Christmas music or a Christmas film is essential when doing these kind of activities – for me it has to be The Holiday, I know not everyone thinks this movie is great, but I saw it when I was a young teenager & just fell in love & I have watched it every year ever since.

Hope you enjoyed this blog & I will put some pictures below, so you can see some of what I have bought. Now if you haven’t already get prepping before its too late!

See you soon

x