Christmas Tips 2011

Harvey in the snow last year. :)

Hey girls, I thought I'd put together a few tips that might help you out this Christmas. Of course, Christmas shouldn't be stressful, but it often can be if you leave present buying & decorating till the last minute. I'm not one of those people that does everything extremely early, but I do like to try to be organised.

So here's a few tips that will hopefully help you out this year. : )

1. Decide who you're buying presents & sending cards to. You might think this is a little obvious, but people who are on a limited budget for Christmas (like myself & half my friends) will find it very hard to buy for everyone. Best thing to do in this situation is discuss it. I've decided on giving cards to all my friends, but only a few are getting presents. ; ) I'm not mean! I'm budgeting. ; ) As long as you've discussed it with you're friends / family, there is no harm in saying no if you're both in agreement.

2. Make lists. This is probably something half of you do & half don't. I find it really helps me remember who to send cards too, who to buy for & what to buy for each person. Now, I'm probably a little more extreme than most of you. If I see a present during the year that I think would be suitable for someone at Christmas, I will either buy it at the time or make a note of the shop in my diary to help me remember where to purchase it from. But that is a little silly if you're more of a 'Christmas Eve' shopper, who will go out on the day & find everything you're after. (You lucky lucky people, how do you do it!?)

3. Struggling to afford presents? Let me start off by saying, there is nothing wrong with giving someone a hand-made Christmas present or card. Some of my most treasured presents are hand-made & I'd advise anyone to give your creative side an outing this year. If you want some DIY ideas, check Lauren's blog out, The Perfect Pear, her blog is amazing.

4. Get yourself in the mood for Christmas. There is nothing worse than going shopping when you are in a 'humbug' mood. Haha. I just never seem to find anything I'm looking for if I'm not in the right mind-set. So, the night before, run a hot bath, light a few Christmasy candles, pour yourself a glass of sherry, put a few Christmas tunes on & relax. Think about Christmas day & how excited you're family & friends will be when they open your gifts. (If that doesn't spur you on or relax you.. you're a heartless person. ; D)

5. Don't just buy any old thing & say "that'll do". You will regret it. Seriously. I always find my best friend the hardest to buy for. This is because she is completely the opposite to me - I mean, we appreciate each others style but would never chose what the other wears if we were buying it for ourselves. This of course, makes Christmas & birthdays very hard. So I always start to look for her present quite early. If I don't find something on the first day, it's ok because I'll be going again. I'll also make a note of anything that might be suitable, but won't buy it in case I find something better. I usually do. : )

6. Go Christmas shopping at least once by yourself. I always find going shopping with other people distracts me somewhat. Don't get me wrong, I love shopping with my friends if I'm just browsing or on a day out, but Christmas shopping is a mission & a half. You need to focus. I find if I'm with a friend I'll end up chatting about the latest Tool Academy or work etc & totally forget what I'm looking for & end up buying the wrong thing or something I don't want. So, for once, say you're busy & brave the shops alone. (I'm sure they won't mind if you mention you're buying their Christmas present. ; D)

So there we are girls. I hope something in this post has helped you in some way. : )

What are your tips for Christmas?