I adore the run-up to Christmas. It’s such a fun time of the year. There’s always lots going on, everyone gets time off together and that gives you the perfect excuse to meet up with family and friends. I love going along to Christmas markets, drinking mulled wine and making mince pies.
Each year I usually have an idea of what I want to treat people to by the time the end of November rolls ’round. I think that’s pretty organised but this year I plan on being well ahead of my usual schedule before the end of the month. December is always busy for us as we like to get away from Sheffield and spend Christmas in Cambridge. This means we have to see friends in the first few weeks of the month. So, I’m already on a roll with my Christmas shopping.
When it comes to Christmas gifts I love to shop from both indie brands and some of my high-street favourites. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you’ll know I’m a big fan on John Lewis. They have excellent customer service and stock lots of the indie brands I like.
You may not know, but they actually offer lots of useful services to make Christmas shopping easy; gift wrapping, gift receipts, extended returns policies, store collections and designated delivery dates. These things all make Christmas shopping with John Lewis a lot more streamlined. If you need to get in touch with John Lewis Contact Numbers have all the info and their number if you need to get in touch with the store.
If I haven’t had the chance to pop out to the shops I like to do a spot of online shopping and have everything delivered in-store. I can then pop in and pick up my packages on my lunch break. Very handy and perfect if you don’t fancy browsing the shops when they’re busy.
Today I’m sharing some of my top tips as part of the #OneLessWorry campaign to get prepared and organised with your Christmas shopping. It’s a fun time of the year and with a little organisation it doesn’t have to be stressful.
Posting dates
I always add the last posting dates into the calendar on my phone with a reminder a few days before. I have family and friends knocking about all over the UK and overseas so it’s essential to send off cards and gifts in a timely fashion.
Make lists
I tend to use the Wunderlist to-do app to keep track of gift ideas. It allows me to check them off the list once they’ve been purchased. If you’re someone who picks up gifts throughout the year it can be easy to forget what you’ve got for people. So keeping track of everything in an app or your notebook is perfect.
Practical gifts
I often try to opt for practical gifts. It depends on the person I’m buying for but something they can use daily, eat or wear usually goes down well. Some of the things I’ve got for people this year include; make-up, gin, PJs, tea and socks. The folk over at Supreme Shoe care have some fab Happy Socks gift sets, Boden do the cutest PJs and 31Dover have you sorted for alcohol inspired bundles. Keep an eye out for my gift guides next week.
Organised diary
I like to make a note of when I’ll be seeing my friends and family in the run-up to Christmas. That way I can hand over gifts and cards without having to worry about putting them in the post. I’ve just arranged to meet up with Gemma in the first week of December so I’ve made a note to have her and her little ones Christmas gifts wrapped and ready to go.
Online shopping
If you’ve got a busy schedule then there’s nothing wrong with kicking off your shopping online. It’s a good way of keeping control of your budget, avoiding the crowds and you can do it all with a mince pie in your hand.
Have fun
To me, Christmas is all about having fun. Arrange to meet up with friends for festive cocktails and a spot of shopping or bake mince pies for your evening of wrapping gifts.
What are your top tips for staying organised in the run-up to Christmas?
This post is in collaboration with Contact Numbers UK.