Just 3 weeks to go until Christmas Day! The Xmas songs are on the radio and festive flair is popping up everywhere you turn.
Now is a great time to get organised! So, here is how to prepare for the perfect Christmas Dinner.
1. Who is on the list?
This list is not for Santa – this one is for you! Who is on your guest list this year? Knowing the numbers is the starting point for everything – from the size of the turkey to getting the right number of chairs.
2. Sort the Shopping List
What is on the menu? Decide on whether it will be traditional turkey, baked ham or nut roast as soon as possible. Consider whether you will ask guests to bring a dish.
How about starters and puddings? Create the menu and review what ingredients you need.
You will also need to plan your list. When can you buy everything? Can the turkey go in the freezer, and how long will it take to defrost?
Do you need to pre-order at the butcher? Can you get the vegetables in advance?
Give yourself plenty of time to organise the food shopping – or at least book your delivery slot.
3. Think about a theme
Tablescaping is a trend! How do you want to do yours? Check out Pinterest or Instagram for some inspiration.
A full tablescape includes a centre piece, charger plates, table mats, napkins and accessories like candles or foliage.
Go as big or as minimalist as you like though. A few simple candles with a scatter of pinecones would look as lovely as an extravagant display.
4. Organise the seating
On Christmas day we can have more people in the house than we would at any other time of the year. That means we might not have enough seats for everyone invited. Make a plan!
Do you need to go grab the garden chairs from storage? Or, ask people to bring a few stools? Make sure you have your options sorted.
You don’t need to have a formal seating plan, but if you want to you can set this out. Create your own place names to add to the table for a personal touch.
5. Clear the space
Christmas is a busy time of year. The house will be full of guests, gifts and stuff! It is therefore a good idea to have a clear-out prior to Christmas day.
Scan the communal spaces – are there some extra pieces of furniture or equipment that you can pack away for the festive season?
Will you need to prepare rooms for overnight guests – or, more specifically, turn your home office into a useable space for someone to sleep!
Start to prepare the space you need – or free up the space you need. Self-storage is really useful at this time of year as it gives you a place to move out some of your belongings, allowing you to streamline the house for Xmas.
6. Personal touches
Think about any personal touches you want to add to your Christmas table this year. We are big fans of home-made, reusable crackers.
Better for the environment and such a lovely idea. What other unique pieces do you want to include?
7. Do as much in as advance as possible
Our final tip is to do as much in advance as possible. Christmas day should be about enjoying time with family, so try to take the stress and chaos out of the day by preparing as much as possible in advance.
This can include laying the table, peeling the vegetables and cooking some of the food in the days before.
It is also an excellent idea idea to create a timetable for the day – so you know exactly when everything needs to be done and when.
Good luck! With plenty of preparation you can pull off the perfect Christmas dinner!
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