The cooking and cleaning, the late-night gift-wrapping, the uninvited gusts and the rude relatives, the lack of money.....Do you sometimes wonder how you make it through Christmas at all? Well, here's how you can manage....
Remember the Batteries
You're bound to need them, get rechargeable ones in several sizes, and a charger that works.
You're bound to need them, get rechargeable ones in several sizes, and a charger that works.
Large Gift in a Bag
For those larger Christmas presents, use pretty wallpaper, which you can buy cheap.
For those larger Christmas presents, use pretty wallpaper, which you can buy cheap.
Sticky Moments
Remove sticky price tags from presents with a hairdryer to soften the glue. Any glue left comes off with white spirit, job done!
Remove sticky price tags from presents with a hairdryer to soften the glue. Any glue left comes off with white spirit, job done!
Christmas Decorations
Pick your Christmas decorations from the garden, poppy heads, cardons, alliums thistles, grasses and pine cones, dry them out, spray them silver or gold.
Save any unwanted or broken pieces of jewellery through the year and recycle them into interesting decorations for the tree.
Pick your Christmas decorations from the garden, poppy heads, cardons, alliums thistles, grasses and pine cones, dry them out, spray them silver or gold.
Save any unwanted or broken pieces of jewellery through the year and recycle them into interesting decorations for the tree.
Christmas Colour Scheme
if you're trying a new colour scheme this Christmas and your old baubles don't match, spray paint them rather buying new ones. Car spray is great because it comes in loads of different colours and dries quickly. Add some glitter while they're still wet for a bit of sparkles, and hang them on the washing line to dry.
if you're trying a new colour scheme this Christmas and your old baubles don't match, spray paint them rather buying new ones. Car spray is great because it comes in loads of different colours and dries quickly. Add some glitter while they're still wet for a bit of sparkles, and hang them on the washing line to dry.
Gift in a Bag
Buy plain, cheap gift bags from the supermarket and let the children decorate them with pieces of felt, cotton wool and glitter. people love the unique bags, which could easily be a gift in themselves!.
Buy plain, cheap gift bags from the supermarket and let the children decorate them with pieces of felt, cotton wool and glitter. people love the unique bags, which could easily be a gift in themselves!.
Ban Stress
Two weeks before Christmas. Sit down and make a list of all the things that You're worried might go wrong. It's really good way of avoiding problems that might happen and making the hard things easier.
Two weeks before Christmas. Sit down and make a list of all the things that You're worried might go wrong. It's really good way of avoiding problems that might happen and making the hard things easier.
Don't Miss Out on Pics
When the family arrives, you put someone on drinks, a person on nibbles and another on table-laying...but the best idea is to put someone on photos. Now, you always have great pictures.
When the family arrives, you put someone on drinks, a person on nibbles and another on table-laying...but the best idea is to put someone on photos. Now, you always have great pictures.
A Good Nanny
If you're having a night out with friends over Christmas, organise a sleep over for all the children and share the cost of a babysitter.
If you're having a night out with friends over Christmas, organise a sleep over for all the children and share the cost of a babysitter.
Three Gifts in One
If you have family friends to buy gifts for, try to make one gift suitable for the whole family.
A carefully chose hamper ( gift baskets)will please everyone, sweets for the kids, brandy for dad and some delicious sauces for mum.
If you have family friends to buy gifts for, try to make one gift suitable for the whole family.
A carefully chose hamper ( gift baskets)will please everyone, sweets for the kids, brandy for dad and some delicious sauces for mum.
A Cracker of an Idea!
If you don't have the time to make your own Christmas crackers.
You do have the time to buy cheap ones, carefully open the end and put in your own.
If you don't have the time to make your own Christmas crackers.
You do have the time to buy cheap ones, carefully open the end and put in your own.
Home Chemist
Filling the medicine cabinet is number on a Christmas checklist. Stock up on indigestion tablets,cold remedies, arnica for bruises, ibuprofen and paracetamol. No matter what someone comes down with on Christmas day, You can get them through until the doctor's surgery opens again.
Filling the medicine cabinet is number on a Christmas checklist. Stock up on indigestion tablets,cold remedies, arnica for bruises, ibuprofen and paracetamol. No matter what someone comes down with on Christmas day, You can get them through until the doctor's surgery opens again.
Pretty Cover-ups
If your tablecloth has stains from last Christmas, create some pretty cover-ups by cutting out some festive shapes in felt or a lovely Christmas fabric, then use a glue called Bondaweb to iron on the shapes in a design that hides your stained areas.
If your tablecloth has stains from last Christmas, create some pretty cover-ups by cutting out some festive shapes in felt or a lovely Christmas fabric, then use a glue called Bondaweb to iron on the shapes in a design that hides your stained areas.
Hang some Christmas tree ornaments from the ceiling, be sure everyone will be able to walk under them. By using fishing line the will appear to be floating in mid air, narrow ribbon with a small bow will accent them.
Hang Them!
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Make Space for Santa
Take advantage of Santa's arrival by getting everyone to de clutter.
It's so much easier to persuade children to let go of old toys when they know new ones are on the way.
Take advantage of Santa's arrival by getting everyone to de clutter.
It's so much easier to persuade children to let go of old toys when they know new ones are on the way.
Decorating In and Out
Simple decorating can provide dramatic results. For subtle outdoor effects, consider using coloured floodlights directed toward the house or trees.
Easy to install and requiring little maintenance, these lamps can provide a festive look year-round.
Hang plastic Christmas ornaments by thin ribbon in a window you want decorated.
Hang with tape and hang at different heights. By using Plastic ornaments they won't break if they hit the window.
Simple decorating can provide dramatic results. For subtle outdoor effects, consider using coloured floodlights directed toward the house or trees.
Easy to install and requiring little maintenance, these lamps can provide a festive look year-round.
Hang plastic Christmas ornaments by thin ribbon in a window you want decorated.
Hang with tape and hang at different heights. By using Plastic ornaments they won't break if they hit the window.
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Easy Invite
If every year you have your friends round for a few drinks before Christmas. Invite everyone by sending them an e-card. You can click here and send your own Christmas invitation. There's enough going on at Christmas without having to phone everyone, or write and deliver a load of invitations.
If every year you have your friends round for a few drinks before Christmas. Invite everyone by sending them an e-card. You can click here and send your own Christmas invitation. There's enough going on at Christmas without having to phone everyone, or write and deliver a load of invitations.