Christmas is one of the best times of the year, but it can also come with a lot of stress if you are hosting a lot of celebrations. If you have the added complication of a large family, it is pretty easy to find it overwhelming. Luckily, it doesn’t all have to be so stressful. With the right planning and mitigations in place, you can host without so much stress. Let’s find out how:
Prepare in Advance
To reduce the stress you need to start early. In some cases, starting at the end of summer is necessary, but in most cases, October is a good time to start. With enough of a head start, you will find it a lot easier to remember everything. A Christmas list should be the first thing you do. This is especially important if you are going to be hosting one or more parties. You are going to need to send out invites, with self-addressed envelopes for those RSVPs, bought all the presents, food, drink, decorations, etc. some people will require special dietary requirements, so when you send out those invites, remember a section for special dietary requirements. You will need the response in plenty of time to ensure you have everything covered.
Budget
Money is always a contentious issue, and with all the uncertainty in global economics at the moment, it is ever more uncertain. To combat this, you need to be strict with yourself. Set a Christmas expenses budget and stick to it. The last thing you want is to over-stretch your finances. This is one of the worst causes of stress out there. Worrying about paying the heating bill while the house has to be heated for your guest’ is not nice. A budget has the effect of focusing your mind. You will know what you can and cannot afford, where to shop, etc.
Practice
If you intend to show off your cooking expertise and have some new recipes, then you need to give it a practice run. Not only will practicing ensure you know how to cook the food without making mistakes on the day. It will give you an idea of the timings, where to buy the food, and what you can make in advance. You can also test things on your family to see if it is a winner or not. There is no point in making something beautiful if no one likes it.
Decorating
It is generally a good rule to decorate your home a few weeks ahead of Christmas. The Thanksgiving weekend is a good time. This gives you the time to ensure all your various Christmas decorations are in good working order. Find the best place for them it the house, where they are not trip hazards. If you have any guests who are disabled, then ensuring all gangways are clear is a good idea. It also gives you the catch to add to your decorations if you feel they are a bit sparse or lacking in that Christmas feel.
