It might only be the end of October, but Christmas is on the way, and I for one could not be more excited. I am one of those people who LOVES the festive season. From the moment that Starbucks announces its selection of winter coffees and hot chocolates – the gingerbread latte is my favourite – I begin to feel festive.

 

There are less than eight weeks until Christmas, which means that if you haven’t already started preparing for the festive season, now is the time to do so. I always find that when I start getting organised, I begin to feel far more excited about the holidays. I often think that the preparation for the big day is actually more exciting than the day itself.

 

When it comes to preparing for the big day, we all have our own ways of doing things. So today I thought I would share how I like to prepare for the festive season, as well as what I do to feel more festive!

 

Write a gifts list

 

One of the first things that I like to do in the lead up to Christmas is make a gifts list of everything that I want to buy for different people. I usually make this list in my iPhone notes page as that way it’s easily accessible wherever I am and can be added to or amended quickly. I often find gifts I want to purchase when I’m out and about, so having my list on hand is extremely useful.

 

Plan the food

 

The next thing I like to do is think about the Christmas food that I’ll get this year. As I had food allergies this can often take a little longer than normal, as I have to research all of the ‘safe’ foods for me to eat.

 

Usually, The Gamer Bloke and I choose to get a Christmas hamper that includes turkey, stuffing, veggies, and all sorts of other Christmas dinner essentials. I usually order this from somewhere like Graig Farm in early November. I love the wide range of organic meats they have available, from traditional turkey or goose to beef or lamb, as well as the range of other produce options.

 

As for the nibbles – think cheese and biscuits, chocolates, biscuits, and other high tea essentials for the evening, I tend to buy this as and when I see items that I like. Where ever possible, I do prefer to shop locally or from a farm shop.

 

 

Get decor inspiration

 

When it comes to my Christmas decorations, I like to change things up each year. Although I usually stick to most of the same decorations, I do prefer to mix things up and swap around my festive decor style each year.

 

I always find that one of the best places to get inspiration for this is Pinterest. I love the range of creative ideas there are on there, so I often spend a lot of time browsing and create multiple mood boards. (If you’re yet to try Pinterest for Christmas inspiration, I urge you to give it a try – there are so many amazing ideas on there.)

 

Do some Christmas baking

 

For me, it doesn’t feel like Christmas until I’ve done some baking. What I like to do is set aside a couple of afternoons in the lead up to the big day to do some baking. Usually, I like to make mince pies, gingerbread, lemon curd, shortbread, and a traditional Christmas cake, but each year I also enjoy trying some new recipes. This year, I’m hoping to try and make a panettone and some Christmas tiffin.

 

For me, Christmas is all about the lead-up. Of course, I love the day itself but nothing beats an afternoon in early December baking gingerbread, putting up my Christmas tree, and sipping a glass of mulled cider.