I love the holiday season and look forward to decking out my house every year, but a lot of mums tell me they wish they could make Christmas less overwhelming.

It’s true that there’s a lot to do to make the festive season special – with gifts, meals, parties (ex-Corona times!), and decorations only part of the story ­– but with the right approach, you can make this time of year a lot less stressful and a lot more magical!

1. Decor

Don’t wait until you set up your tree to sort through those boxes of decorations that you haphazardly tossed everything into last January in your rush to put it all away.

Keep in mind that the more things you keep, the more things you’ll feel compelled to put up and take down each year, and that’s not counting the new Christmas decor you’ll likely acquire as gifts each year.

Once you’ve narrowed it down to the things you can’t live without, check that nothing is broken, and make sure your lights still work. Make a note if any decorations need batteries, and save this somewhere handy so you can be prepared every year. Then, group similar items together and label your boxes accordingly.

2. Gifts and cards

I’m convinced that it’s never too early to buy Christmas gifts and cards. You can easily do your cards in advance and leave them ready to mail (if you’re sending them by post), closer to the holidays. I like to buy the cards and get them ready well ahead of time, but at the very least, you could double check your list and plan to buy, or check that all the addresses for everyone on your list are current.

I keep a running list throughout the year in my phone of everything my kids, husband, family & friends have mentioned wanting so I can shop in advance and I’m not left trying to figure out what to get when December comes. Yes, you might be able to get some good deals on big-ticket items on Black Friday, but the prices on smaller items don’t fluctuate that much throughout the year.

Buying gifts early also helps spread those expenses out through the year so you don’t get hit all at once in December. And you might as well start wrapping them as soon as you bring them home – you’ll thank yourself later!

3. Simplify home events

This point counts more for the future than this current Christmas because of coronavirus, but this is good advice for every holiday season. My suggestion is to consider making events simpler to make Christmas less overwhelming.

You needn’t plan elaborate meals with fancy cutlery and handmade Pinterest-worthy favours. We organised a pyjama party movie afternoon last year at my house – and we had a blast! Other ideas such as a basic potluck or cookie exchange party cuts down on your time in the kitchen and expenses, which means you’ll be greeting your guests with a smile and will be able to actually relax and enjoy their company for a change!

4. Use a Christmas calendar

An advent calendar isn’t the only calendar that can make the season brighter. A Christmas calendar is a great way to organise all the special tasks that come up at this time of year, from your gift shopping list to your meal prepping and family activities.

It’s also a good idea to see if you can move anything on your regular calendar to later in January, like that dental check-up or car inspection, so you’re not running around all over the place in December.

5. Meal prep

Those last few days before Christmas have a way of getting hectic, even if you’re really organised. Try to find some time in late November or early December to make some freezer meals your family can eat in the days leading up to Christmas so you’ll have one less thing to do right when everything starts piling up.

Similarly, I like to start baking everything for the big holiday meals that is freezable well ahead of Christmas so I can check something else off my list and free my oven up for things that can’t be made in advance.

6. Ask your family what they want to do most this year

Again, this year is a different scene altogether, so take some of the following as future suggestions. If your family is anything like mine, you probably do a lot of activities together each holiday season, whether it’s going to Christmas markets, baking and decorating cookies, visiting cribs, going to Christmas concerts, or making ornaments or baubles together.

One night at dinner, ask each person in your family to write down the one seasonal thing they want to do most this year. This will help you prioritise your holiday-related activities so you don’t go crazy trying to fit in traditions that your family no longer enjoys.

As they say, Christmas isn’t just a day – it’s a frame of mind. Now is the time to start putting all the pieces in place to make Christmas less overwhelming so you can spread that holiday joy all season long!