To ask your best tips to make Christmas easy and stres free?

All being well we’ll have an 8 week old baby at Christmas this year, so getting food from M&S, doing minimal meal prep and hosting.

Am buying and wrapping gifts now so eldest DS has most of his gifts sorted and away pre baby. Have also booked an advent day trip for DS and DH to London while baby and I stay here, and I’ve booked the local grotto tickets already which we can walk to. Other “activities” will be the school Christmas fayre and church services. We won’t travel to see family this Christmas but they’re welcome to come to us (if they cook 😂).

Start early. When I see something throughout the year that I think someone is be buying a gift for would like, I buy it at the time. This week I got the stocking stuffers and last bits for my DC. I’m taking DH shopping in a couple of weeks so will have an opportunity to grab something he may like and not buy himself. I get gifts for 2 friends as well - those were sorted a month or so ago too.

Don't give it any headspace until end of November

I’ve said the name wrong it’s actually The Organised Christmas Method created by the cleaning influencer ‘the organised mum’. It runs from September through to the end of November with specific tasks every week to tick off meaning that by the beginning of December you have done most of the heavy lifting and can enjoy the season. The only thing I don’t really do is wrap presents as I go because they can look a bit tatty by December.

Work out what you actually like about / at Christmas. Ditch what you think you have to do or feel obliged to do.

Take a child free day off work to finish shopping and wrap.
Dont do Christmas cards
Buy presents through the year
Plan a menu that's delicious but wont have you slaving for hours in the run up
Dont have family over 😭🤣🫣

Ignore it to the best of my ability.

Just do the bits you want to and have fun. I've bought reusable wrapping bags, stopped writing cards, stopped faffing with decorations other than a tree and will be doing a buffet of all our favourite foods on the day. I enjoy making pizza so it's no hassle and I'll buy some prepared lovely snacks. Stuff traditionally and make it your own. Dd and dh send me a shopping list with links so I just need a credit card and computer and that's sorted. Parents get tickets to a show. Ditch the stressful bits and keep it simple.

I plan and prepare things.

Buy presents throughout the year depending on sales. Start buying some food items early. I’ve bought Quality Street tubs this week because of the prices. Next month I’ll buy biscuits/crackers etc.

Then in November I start preparing food that can freeze.

You can look on Christmas threads, lots of tips from others.

I have followed the Organised Christmas programme for years now and find the whole season totally stress free.

I book a day off work about 1-2 weeks before to give me a chance to buy any last presents and do wrapping.
I also make sure DH is equally involved in the food shopping and planning.
I’ve also learnt not to arrange too much like Christmas events.