Lifestyle 20/12/2021

The top things almost everyone forgets before Christmas

The jolliest time of the year is just around the corner, and with all the festive cheer often comes the horror of forgetting those last-minute essentials. Whether you’ve signed up to cook Christmas dinner, about to start wrapping your loved one’s gifts, or prepping the house for guests, be sure to follow this checklist to ensure you’re prepared for any yuletide mishap.

Kitchen

Kitchen essentials are a must-have for the festive season, whether you’re cooking a mouth-watering dinner, setting a beautiful table, or creating the perfect ambience, having the basic essentials will ensure everything runs that little bit smoother.

Before the big day, ensure you have enough plates, bowls, knives and forks, serving spoons, napkins, and gravy boats to go around. If you have a limited amount of glasses, be sure to purchase some glass charms like these, or even make some yourself, so everyone can remember whose wine glass is whose, which ultimately saves you on the endless hours of washing up afterwards.

To save tears when cooking the turkey, be sure to purchase plenty of tin foil, as a dry piece of meat is enough to put anyone off their Christmas dinner.

Dining Room

While conversation heats up around the dinner table, ensure your guest’s drinks are kept cool with plenty of ice made well in advance. Did you know that you can create crystal clear ice cubes in just a few simple steps? To make them, simply boil water, let it cool, then boil it again. Once cool, poor the water into your ice cube tray and pop it in the freezer ready for serving on Christmas day.

For the table, nothing creates an atmosphere quite like music and candlelight. To ensure the atmospherics run without a hitch, charge your speakers in advance and have bought a pack of matches, ready for the big day.

Now for the fun part, crackers. Christmas dinner wouldn’t be the same without the traditional pulling of the cracker. To ensure you and your guests don’t miss out on jokes, party hats, and of course, the mini ruler you always somehow get, be sure to purchase enough crackers for the table well in advance.

After a busy day of opening presents, playing games and gorging on one too many mince pies, there’s nothing quite like getting into a soft and cosy bed at the end of the evening.

If you’re the hostess with the mostess this year and have guests staying over, be sure to stock the cupboards with plenty of soap, extra loo roll, fresh towels, shampoo and conditioner. Why not treat your guests to some fluffy socks to wear around the house? You can easily pick them up in most shops.

To ensure your spare beds look in tip-top condition, be sure to change the sheets so they look and feel fresh, plump the pillows for extra comfort, and for an extra special touch, use an assortment of cushions and lay a comfortable throw over your bed.

Living Room

If you’re not working away in the kitchen on Christmas day, then chances are you’re cuddled up in the living room with a mulled wine in hand and the Christmas tree twinkling.

There’s nothing quite like the picture of little faces opening presents on Christmas morning. But what strikes fear into the hearts of every homeowner at Christmas? The image of guests tripping over the endless amounts of wrapping paper strewn across the house for days on end. To avoid living room disarray, be sure to have plenty of bin liners in stock.

And on the topic of presents, avoid the disappointed looks on children’s faces when they realise that the gift they’ve wanted all year requires batteries, and they’re not included in the gift. To bring those smiles back to life, nip to the shops prior to Christmas day and buy a pack of AA and AAA batteries in advance.

No matter how you spend your Christmas day, we hope it’s filled with lots of happiness and laughter with loved ones.

Let us know your top Christmas tips by tagging us in your social posts or use the hashtag #KeepmoatHomes – we’d love to see them!