A graphic of Santa's hands holding a Christmas list saying countdown to Christmas
Episode 10 – Preparing for a super organised Christmas

December is an incredibly busy time of year and there are so many things that need doing and organising. It's great idea to get stuff done in November so you can enjoy the run up to the holiday season as well. We want to give you some handy tips on preparing for Christmas.
Prefer to read rather than listen?
Transcript of this podcast episode
Intro  0:07  
Welcome to today's episode of The Declutter Hub Podcast, your channel for super easy, no nonsense advice on how to declutter and organise your home. Please welcome your host professional organisers, Ingrid Jansen, and Lesley Spellman.

Ingrid  0:22  
Hello, and welcome listeners to Episode 10 of the Declutter Hub Podcast. I'm Ingrid. And I'm Lesley, if you have clutter and want to sort it out, this is to show for you. In today's episode, Lesley and I are talking about getting ahead with your planning for a super organised Christmas. Now, I don't know about you, Lesley. But December gets is a really busy time of year. So I really always want to do some stuff in November. So to not have to do everything in December. How do you feel about it? 

Lesley  0:57  
Exactly. It's crazy. And, you know, it's a crazy time. But you know, the one thing that I've realised over the past few years, and I think it took me quite a while to work this out. It's actually the nice bit about Christmas is the run up to it. Obviously, Christmas Day is a lovely time as well. And you know, family time, but you know, the Nativity is even you know, thinking about the rap and think about what presidents you're gonna give all those kinds of things. Pantos you know, that's what makes Christmas really lovely. It's not just about that one day, is it really so and you want to be able to enjoy that really, don't you? So if you do more planning in November, it means that you're less frantic, that you're still going to be a bit frantic, to be fair in December because it just is a frantic time, isn't it? But the more planning we do in advance, the better and karma the December can be and the more we can enjoy it. Yeah,

Ingrid  1:39  
I know I am with you. I love decorating the house and I love writing my Christmas cards. It almost seems you know that these traditions have developed over the years when I do things and I really enjoy those moments, you know, at home running a couple of cars, you know, every evening and you know, thinking a holiday not I think about the people that I really love and that I love sending cards to it makes it special and it makes you you know, appreciate Christmas and the whole holiday season and the time around it.

Lesley  2:04  
Yeah, it's just a time I find that it's just a time to kind of reconnect and it is a busy time. It's time to reconnect when you sending cards when you you know when you're doing your wrapping when you're doing your you know, as you said, decorating your house for Christmas even that is it depends on how you do and when we've got a very traditional sort of Christmas tree situation and the kids love it. We've got ornaments that we've had from for donkey's years. And we love those coming out every year. And it's Oh, remember that time. And so yeah, it's just a nice time. So let's think about what kind of things we need to plan for in November, so that we can really enjoy this special time.

Ingrid  2:37  
Yeah, I mean, there's lots of stuff you can really plan ahead in November. So let's let's break it down for our listeners and give them some ideas of what they can do now to get some of these things out of the way. So I don't know how about you but I've had a reminder of my grocery store to book a Christmas slots delivery for my Christmas groceries. I don't have to do that. But I got a reminder, how about you?

Lesley  2:58  
I know. I mean, I go to the supermarket rather than get it delivered, but certainly a couple of weeks ago, I think it was so I think that ship may well have sailed and I think all those slots might be gone. So it might be a little bit too late without planning so people that are super efficient and organised will have got those book 10 But yeah, I mean it's really important to think about appointments and where things are going to be busy because you don't want to miss out so whether that's you know, nail appointments, get your nails done Christmas wait to get your head on to get any kind of pampering that you want to get done. You know they're busy everyone wants it in that same week, don't they? So you need to plan ahead to get those but I think you know now social media you know these salons are sending reminders out and saying yeah, but your Christmas slots and you know New New Year's slots as well cuz you got to think about I think a lot of people just think about up to Christmas day and you've got to think beyond that haven't you as well to the sort of New Year celebrations as well.

Ingrid  3:47  
Yeah, I I'm away over the holiday season so I don't have to do that but and I just I don't have my nails done, but I can imagine but I can imagine those appointments are getting really fully booked now. So make sure you reach out to your hairdresser or your your nail salon if you still want to book those in now's really the time to to get that all in the diary. And maybe you know if there are listeners who have pets, and maybe they want to send their dog to the groomers before Christmas. I think that's now also the time you want to check what your groom was if there's still room to have your pet nice and pampered and done up before Christmas. That would be lovely.

Lesley  4:29  
I think there's something really strange but I always find myself just before Christmas somehow you want everything to be perfect. So you try and get everything off your to do list only. I mean, I even get my car washed I don't I don't quite know why because my car doesn't really go anywhere over Christmas. But I feel like it's another thing that I need to get done so that there's something about just wanting to get everything to sort of wipe the slate clean with your to do list before Christmas so that you can relax and enjoy it. So yeah, there's loads and loads of things. I think other things and again, you might be lucky to get this because this is quite late but you know Thinking about pantomimes Christmas shows if you want to do that with the family over Christmas, you know there may be some last minute tickets available but you know it's not something that people are probably going to be able to do Christmas week. So that probably needs to be thought about now because that's a lovely thing to do. And I love I love pantomimes. I mean my kids were a little bit older now. So pantomimes kind of gone sadly for my life. But yeah, I'm sure it'll come back. But at least think about all those kinds of things as well.

Ingrid  5:26  
Yeah, well, I had never heard of a pantomime before I moved to this country. And that was 10 years ago. And at first I was very utterly confused about what a Panther was. But I've gotten right into that I absolutely love a Penta when we and we take my husband and I take the kids to a pencil every year now and actually, you know, we are involved with the whole behind you say we bring all the glittery light of things with us. It's absolutely fantastic.

Lesley  5:53  
I think it is just a British tradition really something there's lots of people around the world listening who probably like what's the panto way too long to go. And now, but it's a kind of crazy British slapstick comedy thing with lots of fun and enjoyment for the Christmas season just for Christmas room. And

Ingrid  6:11  
I know there are a theatres that do a pencil in January as well. So in case you have missed out on on booking the December ones, look around and see if there's some other things as well, that you can do in January,

Lesley  6:24  
I think the other thing talking about shows that it's important to talk about is to double check the dates that come out from schools. Because to make sure you can manage that with your work diary, you know, because then nativity plays and little cute Christmas shows that particularly Junior schools or even you know, at the date came out last night for my son's Christmas concert in secondary school. So it's important to make sure that you've got time in the diary, because it you know, it's a busy time. And there's lots of polls on your time and lots of people, let's do this, that let's do that day with works do's and things. So to sort of look at your diary and make sure that you've got all those things worked out and that you have got time off booked to make sure that you can make it to your child show if you've got one. Yeah, I

Ingrid  7:02  
agree. I had to swap around a client in my diary, because I've got the date for my daughter's nativity play. And they do it in the evening in the afternoon. So I had to make sure that I swapped some some things around in my diary so I could attend them. Also, I'm really waiting to date for my son's a Christmas show as well, or music concert or they're doing something. So yeah, that's really good to get those things sorted and organised and see if you can make it yourself. Maybe your family members can go and attend. Because it's so important for the kids to have somebody there.

Lesley  7:35  
Oh, yeah. And that's what memories are made of really isn't it sort of those little kids things. I mean, talking about family as well, we've not talked about the big thing that you've got to do, which is actually work out what you do. You know, so work out with your family, who's going where, and you look as different every year, and some people swap from one family to another at Christmas. And so I think it's important to get a feel of your host. And in particular, if you're likely to be hosting, to get a feel for who's going to be coming and what your numbers are going to be because it's gonna be very different if you're catering for four or five or 15, you know, to mean and you need to think differently, plan differently, buy in advance if you've got those big numbers and things like that. So I think it's important to have those discussions. But for us in our family, those discussions are kind of a September thing, you know, to kind of get that all worked out. So as soon as everyone comes back from the holiday, summer holidays, it's like, okay, what we're doing at Christmas. And that seems to be yes, we'll just come to you again. Mostly.

Ingrid  8:31  
You got a house full every year for Christmas.

Lesley  8:34  
We do our house well, and it's always good fun. And my son's birthday is on Boxing Day. So it turns into a into a kind of goes into boxing day thing. So it's yeah, it's it's a big day. So yeah, but it's a lovely day.

Ingrid  8:44  
Yeah, well, my poor sister is always we're there for Christmas. My family travels to Holland, just right before Christmas. And then we stay at my sister's for Christmas Day. And then we go to my in laws on Boxing Day. So that's a tradition I think we've had for for 10 or 15 years. And it makes it i really like it because it makes it easier. We don't have to reinvent the wheel every year to decide but I can imagine, you know, you want to keep it fair. So if you're all in the same country in the same area, you might say okay, we'll go to your family Christmas Day and the other is on Boxing Day and swapped around the year after but in my situation it's kind of the same every year and it's almost a tradition now to have it that way.

Lesley  9:23  
Yeah, exactly. You know, even if you are the host and you know I'm I'm happy to be the host every year no problem with that tool. Absolutely love it. But you know, you can talk about delegating, delegating tasks to who's gonna buy different bits of food you know, we do that every year, we sort of split up you know, who's gonna do one and things like who's gonna bring what and that eases? eases the pain a little bit, doesn't it of having to do it all yourself? Yeah,

Ingrid  9:45  
yeah. And I'll also start when you've mentioned work dues, I thought, oh, babysitters I thought. If you don't, you know, don't forget to book your babysitters and maybe already organised this now. Double check with your partner or your family. Memories your home. Are there any evenings that either of you are away or both of you are away, you actually need to book a babysitter. Plan that in now and check those diaries for the next couple of six weeks that are going to be quite frantic and hectic that you're not going to miss out and one of you has to stay home all of a sudden, because either one of you thought you were going to organise it. And in the end, nobody did.

Lesley  10:22  
Exactly, exactly. So are we all planned to within an inch of our life and in science, for all calm? We've got everything in the diary, it's all sorted out. So what else do we need to do then, to get ourselves super organised for Christmas?

Ingrid  10:36  
Well, I think the main thing as well in November is to start some of the shopping that needs to happen. Instead of having to go out two days before Christmas and buy all the presents and get a completely overwhelmed because you have no idea anymore what you want to need to buy for people, I think you can definitely start with your shopping in November, and maybe even use the Black Friday sales to buy a few of those bits that you've got in mind, for family or friends or people, whoever you buy for. But yeah, I think shopping is something that needs to happen already now.

Lesley  11:07  
Yeah, I think it depends on it. And again, I think it's a tradition isn't it, and what people like to do, you know, you've got particularly younger kids, you know, I've got my eldest son is 22. So he will definitely probably go out on Christmas Eve and do all of his shopping, then. You know, and I think the younger generation do that, and probably enjoy doing that. But the more people you've got to buy for, we've got to send things away, you know, postings, you know, buy for little kids plan, who's buying wha all those kinds of things. And those things take a little bit of planning a little bit of time to think about and then there's budget as well, you know, you need to sort of spread the load a little bit, don't you as well. But I think it's also important within the present buying before you even go out to work out who you're going to buy for because different families will have different families evolved, don't they? So there might be one point in your life where you're buying for the kids or not for the adults. And then once they get to a certain age, you might switch and you know, so I think you need to get all that nailed down as well. You know, and if people are struggling, then you know, there is this option of, well, I'm just going to buy a Secret Santa gift or something like that. So I think it's important to know who you're buying for and to write a list of who you're buying for. And to stick within a budget.

Ingrid  12:14  
Yeah, yeah, I know. Because, you know, you might say, I think also these days, you just don't know what to buy anymore for people. So make maybe chat to your family and say, are we actually doing gifts this year? Or are we going to make it a secret centre, to make it easier on everybody, instead of having to shop for everybody? Make it easier on the whole family and maybe pull out a name of a hat and say, Okay, this is the budget 10 pounds, this is the first or 25 pound or whatever you want to do, and then say, Okay, that's it, and you don't have to shop around so much.

Lesley  12:46  
I think, you know, it's an interesting one, really, because there's professional organisers and declutter, as you know, the kind of access and you could say waste and that goes on at Christmas is a whole nother podcast, whether we should even buy presents for people at all. But, you know, I still go down the route of, of doing that, certainly for my family, because I do think it's quite nice and quite special. But equally, I've got a little bit more careful with the kinds of things that I do by so when I still do stockings, actually, why am I still doing stockings when my kids are 22 and 20, and 15. But they love that and that's fine. But I definitely make sure that the things that are going in their stockings are things that they actually are going to use a need. So I think it's important to get that bit right, and not just to buy random things as well. There's so much waste out there really isn't Christmas. But yeah, so another podcast for another year, we'll actually talk about whether or not you should buy presents at all, or whether you can, you know, go down the kind of experience route,

Ingrid  13:43  
right. So that is kind of all the shopping for presents. But there's a few other bits as well that we need to make sure you already buy in November. And I was just thinking about, I need to do some card buying this weekend because I want to start writing my Christmas cards. Now I still am writing my Christmas cards to everyone because I absolutely love it. Do you send e cards less your Do you still write Christmas cards? And how do you need to buy them still as well? Is that a novel?

Lesley  14:12  
For you? Really torn with the Christmas card thing every year? It's like, oh, you know, they definitely is going down? Isn't it every year, you know, the volumes of cards that you get. But I do still think that it's a lovely thing to do. But it's an expensive thing to do. You know, it's like, what is it 50 P now or something for a stamp? You know, it's an expensive thing to do. But I think there are certain people that I'll only connect with via Christmas card. And particularly maybe the older generation, there's those traditions and, and so you know, I'm not buying any more Christmas cards for people that I'm seeing all the time, you know, to mean, but those people I just think it's a nice thing to do to connect once a year. What's The Harm dinner to mean? But you know, again, we've got to think about the environment and things like that. It's just loads and loads of different things to to. Again, that's it Another another podcasts really, isn't it? But yeah, I mean, the most important thing and what we're talking about here that isn't, I guess not whether or not to send those cards at all, but to make sure that you don't have loads and loads of cards that you're never going to use. So I think you know, because quite often when I'm decluttering people's houses, people gather cards, whether that's Christmas cards, birthday cards, get well cards, and you know, even NSA, right, we're gonna go through the card, and you're gonna tell me whether or not you actually would send that card. So you look at that card. Does that look like a card that you would send? People go? Oh, yeah, I'm just keeping it just because. But that's, you know, what you need to do what you need to think about whether or not you're going to, you would send that otherwise, it's clutter, it's just sitting there, and it's never going to be sent, it's just going to sit there till the end of time. Granted, it's not taken up loads, and loads and loads and loads and loads of space, of course. But equally is still clutter that you don't need. So yeah, I think it's really important when you're going out and buying equipment, your cards in the same for you wrapping and your tags and things like that, to look at what you've got first, you know, I know I've got loads left from lashes, because my husband went out and did a crazy kind of three for two at Sainsbury's after Christmas. So I've got loads and loads of that already. So I probably don't need to buy anything. But it's definitely one of those things that when you're going around the shops and picking things up, and it's sitting there at the tail, isn't it by me by me, you know that you kind of think well, I probably need that and just chuck it in your in your basket, and away you go. And then you've got things that you don't need, and that you don't need to be spending. So think is important, you know, to make sure that you pre plan your shopping trips, and work out exactly how many tags you need, etc.

Ingrid  16:33  
Yeah, I agree with you a rundown my Christmas card stock last year a lot. So I know I have to do quite a lot of Christmas card buying this year. And I also used a lot of my Christmas wrapping paper last year. So I'm low on that stock as well. So I already know, I have to do a little bit of buying for that. But it's good to take stock of what you still have in your home before you go out. And you know, if you know you, you, you will have to wrap less presents this year, you don't maybe not have to buy so much wrapping paper in this year, then you would have done in previous years. So be realistic and how much you use and how much you really are going to use. Right? Instead of just buying and buying and buying and half of this massive amount of stock in your

Lesley  17:18  
home. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And I think you know, while we're talking about shopping, I think now's also the time to possibly think about what you might wear. For these Christmas dues and things. You know, you've mentioned already, there's like Black Friday sales and things like that. Think sales are very different to the way they used to be aren't there because it used to be the Boxing Day sales here. And there was no sales in December. But the way that retail is at the moment, I think those sales are kind of pretty prevalent throughout November in December as well. So I think it's important to kind of pick up on those. And if you do want to buy a new outfit or something for Christmas, now's the time to do that. But again, double check that you've not already got something in your wardrobe before you go out and do that, you know, cuz I think it's one of the I've quite like a nice new outfit for Christmas Day. And actually, you look and think well, there is something hanging in my wardrobe that I've never worn before. So that effectively does become a new outfit. So it's important to just double check. There's kind of what I call precision shopping. Yeah,

Ingrid  18:15  
I know because maybe you've bought a dress in the in the in the stores in the January sale from last year, because I know that what might be nice for Christmas next year, and you haven't had a chance to wear it all over the year. So indeed have a look around a little rummage in your in your wardrobes to see what have I still left so I don't have to go out and buy it.

Lesley  18:36  
Exactly. So and sort of linked into that I think it's really important to before the shopping comes in to make space in your home for what's coming as well. So if we talk, particularly then about children, we know that there is going to be an influx of toys over the festive period. And so we need to make space for that. So I think November is a really important time to look at what your kids have got. See what the plane would see what kind of things they like, see whether there's any gaps which is doubtful to be fair, isn't it there's probably no gaps at all, but equally need to look and think you know that there is going to be this influx even if you don't buy loads and loads of things yourself or your kids, other people tend to do that. And so I think it's really important to take stock and do a good declutter of children's play rooms or bedrooms, just to make space for what's coming.

Ingrid  19:27  
Yeah, yeah, and also not only toys probably also some books in arts and crafts have a bit of a sword out because those are the things that people really like to give as presents for Christmas as well. And maybe maybe do a bit of a short out of Christmas pyjamas and Christmas jumpers because they're probably going to come in as well over Christmas. I know a lot of people like to get new Christmas pyjamas so have a bit of a sore talk with that. It makes him smile definitely

Lesley  19:53  
definitely. Food is also going to come into the house isn't it over Christmas? I think it's it's definitely a time for eat sitting and drinking isn't it. So I think it's really important to make space for that and to actually sit again to see what you've got. And to make sure that, you know, I always find it quite difficult because I tend to cater for kind of 16 people then on Christmas Day, and, you know, you need space in your fridge for things on the run up to that. And so you need to kind of, you know, to be fair, there's not much space for anything apart from Christmas dinner in my fridge, a couple days leading up to it, and the freezer exactly the same. So I think you need to go to the freezer, and start to eat, do that kind of eating out thing, go through the meals and start to use that. And again, it's gonna save you some money, it's an important thing to do really. So fridges, freezers, cupboards, you know, look at, I think what's going to come in, I need space for my Christmas biscuits, I need space for my Christmas notes and things like that. And just make sure that everything's decluttered and ready for the festive period.

Ingrid  20:54  
Yeah, especially in a fridge, you know, you've got always a shelf with sauces and things of that. When was the last time you actually checked those dates on those sources? Can they still serve that? Or has it been open or have even forgotten that it's there. And that's also a great way to make some space and indeed, doing a bit of meal planning and eating a couple of things from your freezer. That indeed, will create space and unique will save some money. So yeah, I think, excellent advice. I think the last thing we need to talk about is already having a look at your spare bedroom. If you know you're going to have guests over for Christmas, and they're going to stay at your house. You need to look now in November, at your spare bedroom and kind of decide is there anything that needs to you know, leave from here? Do we need to store it in another place? Can it be decluttered has something be parked there temporarily, but temporarily, it's been a bit longer than expected but doesn't have to go somewhere else. Have a look at it spare bedroom because you can't expect guests to kind of climb over things when they come and stay at your house.

Lesley  22:01  
Exactly. So a big full scale declutter of the spare bedroom is what you're proposing really, isn't it?

Ingrid  22:09  
Yes, yes, I do like that. Are you know that?

Lesley  22:14  
I should hope so.

Ingrid  22:16  
Well, listeners, I think that's it for this episode. We hope you've all enjoyed listening and are inspired to take action. We actually have an eight week countdown to Christmas checklists on the declutter Hub website under resources. So if you want to have a nice checklist and tick off some of your tasks, that's definitely the way to go. Thanks for taking the time to listen today. And if you'd like to get more tips and more advice, please follow us on social media. And if you don't want to miss the next episode of The declutter podcast, please subscribe to iTunes or Stitcher city. We'll see you next time. Thanks for listening.

Outro  22:51  
Thanks for listening to this week's episode of the Declutter Hub Podcast. Check out declutterhub.com For more inspiration, don't forget to tune in next week.
Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode
Listen on
Apple Podcasts
Listen on
Amazon Music
Listen on
Spotify
Watch on
YouTube
Prefer to watch rather than listen? Watch on YouTube