We are into the final countdown and the big day is just around the corner. If you are panicking about all of the jobs that still need to be done, then take a step back and give yourself a moment. If you put the right preparation in place now, then you could have the calmest Christmas Day that you have ever had. We have created a Christmas checklist that will aim to help you when it comes to prioritising, so that you can be the most organised host ever.
This Christmas checklist covers the final five days in the run up the Christmas Day, arguably the busiest five days of the festive season. Hopefully, it will allow you a little more time to sit down and enjoy the festivities with your family, and avoid most, if not all, of those last-minute panics that come with hosting Christmas.
CHRISTMAS CHECKLIST – 5 DAYS TO GO
POSTAGE DAYS
The last first-class postage day this year with the Royal Mail is Tuesday 21st December, we would recommend doing this now to ensure delivery.
PRESENTS
You might think you have bought all of the presents, but it really doesn’t hurt to make one final check. Did everything you ordered arrive? If anything is missing you still have time to order a replacement Christmas gift.
BATTERIES
One of the most important items on any parents Christmas checklist is to check what batteries children need for any children’s toys that Santa will be bringing. If you don’t have any in, then add them to your final shopping list.
SELLOTAPE AND WRAPPING PAPER
Check that you have enough of both of these, Sellotape has a mysterious habit of going missing so you may need to buy some more.
CLEAN THE HOUSE
Now is a great time to do a deep clean of the whole house, grab your mop, pack away any clutter and get some cleaning music on. Its close enough to Christmas that things shouldn’t get too messy and will mean that all you need to do on Christmas eve is a quick clean which will make things much easier.
SORT THE FRIDGE
Don’t forget to clean your fridge out, as you will want to make sure that it is clean for your festive food shop. This is a good opportunity to have a clear out and make room as well. If anything can be vac packed for the freezer, this could be the best time to do it.
CHECK SEATING ARRANGEMENTS
By now you should know exactly who is coming to Christmas dinner so check you have enough chairs to seat everyone. If you don’t now is the time to ring someone and ask to borrow a couple of chairs. Ensure you’re complying with local COVID rules.
CHRISTMAS CHECKLIST – 4 DAYS TO GO
WRAP PRESENTS
There is still a little time before it gets hectic so wrap all your presents now. If there are presents that are not being opened at your house pop them in bags or boxes ready to take with you when you go visiting.
CHRISTMAS CHECKLIST – 3 DAYS TO GO
DEFROST THE TURKEY
The average Turkey is 15lbs so by now you should have moved it to the fridge to begin defrosting – check the weight of your Turkey. If it is heavier you will need to defrost it for longer and it must be fully defrosted before you start to cook it.
PENULTIMATE FOOD SHOP
Although you will have bought your main bits already, now is the time to do your final big Christmas shop. If you were fortunate enough to reserve a Christmas shopping slot with your preferred supermarket then make sure you go over your meal plans for the Christmas period carefully and add everything you will need. Be prepared to visit the supermarket if some of the items you need are out of stock online.
CHECK YOUR CROCKERY
If you have special plates that you only use a few times a year, then get them out and check you have enough plates for all your guests. Give them a wash and put them away ready for the big day. If you are missing place settings then see if you can borrow some from someone, otherwise you will need to go shopping.
CHRISTMAS CHECKLIST – 2 DAYS TO GO
LAST MINUTE WRAPPING
Do any last-minute present wrapping or card writing and hide them away ready to bring out on Christmas Eve.
FOOD PREPARATION
If there are any items on your menu that can be prepared now, then get them prepped and out of the way. If you have made a Christmas checklist for your recipes, then consult it to see what you can prepare ahead of time.
LAST FOOD SHOP
If you didn’t manage to get all the fresh food, you needed then today is probably the last day that you will have time to pop out and sort this.
CHRISTMAS CHECKLIST – ONE DAY TO GO
VEGETABLES
Prep any vegetables that you will need today, carrots, potatoes and parsnips can all be stored overnight in water and peeling them now will save a lot of work on Christmas Day.
PREP YOUR PUDDINGS
If you have planned your menu carefully then you will have opted for puddings that do not need any last-minute preparations. Spend time now preparing your puddings, cold puddings can go into the fridge and will be perfect tomorrow, puddings that will be served hot can be prepared ready for cooking.
FINAL CLEAN UP
Do a final tidy up of the house. Hoover the carpets, dust, or wipe over all surfaces, mop the floors and empty the bins. Find the black bin liners for all that wrapping paper that Christmas Day will create and put them somewhere you will be able to find them easily.
SET THE TABLE
Setting the table now will save you a lot of time and stress on Christmas Day. Think about how you will fit all of your serving dishes onto the table and make sure you have plenty of serving spoons. Don’t forget the napkins and crackers – you could enlist someone to help you with this.
PREPARE FOR SANTA
Everyone has their own traditions for Santa so if you like to leave out a little snack remember to do this with the kids before they go to bed.
CHRISTMAS DAY!
The big day is finally here and whether you were woken up by excited children at far too early an hour or were allowed a mini lie in by your loved ones then hopefully our Christmas checklist will have helped you to be the most organised you could possibly be. So, enjoy this wonderful celebration with your family and remember if you forgot something, you probably didn’t really need it anyway!
PHOTO CREDITS
- Cards Photo by Jonathan Borba from Pexels
- Wrapping Photo by Lucie Liz from Pexels
- Table setting Photo by Tara Winstead from Pexels