How to Have a Stress Free Christmas: 8 Tips

Present buying. There’s no time like the present right? Find one or two online shops to buy all your gifts in, and by getting in early you can make the most of mid season sales. Simple can still be thoughtful, our bold print socks and cheekily named boxers are always a hit for the gents. Slippers, a dressing gown or a scarf for the ladies, novelty knitted accessories for the children, and toiletry gift sets and scented candles for the rest. Got the hardest friends and family in the world to buy for? There’s something for all ages on joules.com, send them a colourful e-voucher and let them pick themselves.

We’re not fans of paper cuts and sticky tape struggles; that’s why we have an updated range of our beautifully printed gift boxes to put all our Christmas pressies in. The flat pack boxes are ready in seconds and pretty enough to re-use. To make it extra fun, why not invite some good company over and prepare your gifts over a bottle of bubbly?

Christmas is pretty much guaranteed to bring extra people, food and gifts to the house, so make room now! Have a couple of cool bags ready to go in the garden for a stock pile of wine, spirits, mixers, and a slab or two of cheese. Clear any excess coats and shoes from your hallway or cloakroom so you can easily accommodate guests’ belongings. Ask your children to pick out toys they no longer use and take them to a charity shop to make way for Santa’s deliveries.

If you want to avoid having a to-do list as long as your arm come Christmas Eve then keep Christmas dinner ingredients to a minimum and take short cuts wherever possible. Buy ready chopped veg you can roast together in one big dish – even sprouts taste great roasted. Chef Jane Baxter suggests leaving the turkey out somewhere cool on Christmas Eve so it’s at room temperature when it’s time to stick it in the oven. She adds, “Cooking a turkey seems to worry a lot of people but thinking of it as just a large chicken tends to calm the nerves.” For supper time, stock up on finger food that doesn’t need to take up valuable fridge space. Nuts, crackers, hard cheese, jars of olives and pickles. If anyone has any space left, let them help themselves.

Don’t let dehydration, insomnia or colds hamper your festive season. Make sure you drink at least half a pint of water for every eggnog or prosecco, eat immune busting food and take supplements like echinacea. And most of all… RELAX! Take yourself away for a hot bath, a short country walk or ten minutes of yoga, to reset your brain and unwind.

In the Christmas mood? Learn how to make a stunning festive wreath with Joules and JenniBloom flowers. It really does need to be seen to be believed.