Which is why Christmas is the perfect time to focus on others and spread some festive goodwill. Don’t know where to start? Here are some pretty great ideas to help you give the gift of kindness this year.

Look out for the elderly

Make an extra roast dinner for an elderly neighbour, send them a Christmas card or invite them for dinner, if room allows. It can be a lonely time of year for the older generation, so just being mindful of your neighbours and making sure they know they’re not alone is a wonderful way to give back.

Grab a couple of extra items on your food shop

You can donate non-perishable food items directly to your local food banks and various collection points in supermarkets, churches and schools.

Or, why not give up a few hours of your time to volunteer, instead? The Food Collection is a partnership between Tesco, The Trussell Trust and FareShare. Each year in the lead up to Christmas, participating Trussell Trust foodbanks partner with local Tesco stores and volunteers to greet and encourage customers to collect an extra item or two when they shop instore. Get involved!

Here’s a list of typical food items collected in a food parcel

And here’s how to find your local food bank

Donate a small gift

The Salvation Army is a great charity to donate your gifts to. To find out where to donate your gift or for more information on the Christmas Present Appeal, contact your local Salvation Army church or centre.

Help out a furry friend

Donate food to animal shelters near you to help them prepare for the influx of unwanted pets this Christmas.

Take up a life-saving habit

It’s really easy to register and donate blood at your local centre and with Christmas falling on a weekend this year, it’s even more important that the NHS has enough of the good stuff for all the patients in need over the festive period.

Encourage your friends and family to do the same, spread the word – you’ll be saving lives, and what could be more important than that?

Buy charity Christmas cards

Kindness is on the cards this year! Sending charity Christmas cards is an easy and inexpensive way to support the organisations that mean the most to you.

Donate an hour’s pay to your favourite charity

Why not donate the cost of a couple of coffees, or an hour’s pay to your favourite charity However small, a little generosity goes a long way.

Give up your unwanted clothes

Donate your preloved clothes to TK Maxx – their Give Up Clothes For Good initiative helps transform the items you no longer need in to fund cancer research for children and young people.

Complete a random act of kindness

If you know someone around you or a friend of a friend who is struggling, go out of your way to show them they’re not alone this Christmas. Send a small bouquet of flowers in the post or a sweet treat – receiving an unexpected gesture of kindness in the post is sure to put a beaming smile on their face.

Get to know your community

Attend a local carol service to show your support of the community and get in the festive spirit.

Give up a few hours of your time to help the homeless

Volunteer at your local soup kitchen to help the homeless over the holidays. Have a conversation with them – it can make all the difference.

Support your local high street

Shop small and support your local independent businesses this year by remembering to buy your Christmas gifts from independent stores and family-run shops.

Whether you’re hosting Christmas Day dinner for the whole fam or plotting gift ideas, we hope these steps will help simplify the process & minimise stress. It’s your inner Monica Geller’s time to shine, gals.

Decide on a budget

Decide how much you can afford to spend on Christmas this year and stick to it. Everyone is working with different incomes which is why it’s a great idea to come up with a budget to suit all your guests. And it doesn’t just have to apply to food, if you’re buying gifts for one another you can put a £10 limit in place to make it fun and fair.

Make a to-do list

You can never have too many lists when it comes to planning Christmas and there’s nothing more satisfying than striking a pen through your notes and crossing off your to-dos.

If you don’t tend to carry an organiser with you, make use of the notes App on your phone to write your to-do lists and any reminders you might need. Where we go, our phones usually follow so if you’re out and have an opportunity to cross something off your list, you can open up your notes and edit on the go. Easy!

Plan ahead

Start your planning ahead of December to give yourself plenty of time to get everything organised. How are you contributing to Christmas this year, are you hosting at your house? How many guests will you be feeding?

Communicate with everyone involved to ensure the whole family are in the know. A quick WhatsApp group is all you need to get your guests up to speed.

Save inspiration ideas

If you spot anything on Instagram or Pinterest, simply save it to a collection or board and name it ‘Christmas Prep’ so all your ideas are collated in one place. You can save everything from recipes, décor inspiration and gift ideas.

Get your calendar in order

December is an abnormally busy month for everyone. If you’re planning on squeezing in some time with your friends over the holidays, it’s best to get in there early and organise activities and social engagements ahead of the rush and before restaurants, ice rinks and theatres get booked up. Avoid disappointment – the early bird catches the worm!

Do secret Santa

Use a site to draw names for your secret Santa – it’s a quick, easy and cost-effective way to sort your gift exchange, especially for big groups or families. No paper or hats necessary!  

Share food responsibilities

For most people, organising the whole shebang from prawn cocktail starters to pudding is too much to take on. Delegate dishes to everyone to make it an equal effort. Teamwork makes the dreamwork!

Get Linda to tackle nibbles, put Nigel on booze duty and, if you’re having meat this Christmas, divide the gammon, turkey and pigs in blankets between a few guests as it can be costly if left to one person.

Decide on how your menu will look and pencil in a date to do the food shop or organise your online delivery.

Make food in advance

Work out what you can freeze or make beforehand, too. Prepping all your gravy, pâté, sauces, chutneys, mincemeat for your homemade mince pies and mulled wine in advance is a real time-saver.

Declutter your home

Start to declutter and create space for your Christmas decorations. If you have guests staying over at Christmas, you may need to clear some space in the spare room and have a tidy up to make sure it’s cosy and inviting.

Most of us are guilty of using any spare space we have as a dumping ground for miscellaneous items and laundry, so this is a great opportunity to organise and give those odd bobs a home.

Label your decorations

Use clear, labelled boxes to make your decorations that little bit more organised. You’ll thank yourself next year when everything’s in order and you can see exactly where your fairy lights are.

Lay the table

You can get the table ready early and give yourself one less thing to do on the day. It’s a great way to see if you’re short on napkins or any tableware, and that way you still have time to make a last-minute dash to the shops or ask a guest to bring some extra plates with them.

Make a schedule for the day

Make a schedule for when each dish should go in and come out of the oven. It’s so easy to get distracted with present-opening and socialising and before you know it, you’ve burnt the bird. Timing is everything – get that right and you can put your feet up in-between the cooking and spend time with your guests.

You might want to create time slots throughout the day so everyone knows when it’s time to watch the Queen’s speech, play games or squeeze in a quick nap and dodge the washing up. It’s always Grandad but we’ll let him off, the jammy git.

What’s your go-to tip for getting organised for Christmas?

Now…Alexa, play Mariah Carey.

Maddie

Christmas decorations. I’m quite traditional in my choices though and I really like the whole bringing the outside in this time of year. Homesense or online shops like Amara and Not on the Highstreet are usually my go to place for some amazing unique bits.

*Amara Golden Mistletoe Crackers 

*Amara Red Currant Candle 

*Amara Glitter Berry Garland 

*Not On The High Street Name Bauble 

*Not On The High Street Twig Tree 

Zoe

I love styling up the mantle pieces in my home seasonally, and Christmas is my favourite time to do it. This year I’m going for a mixture of scandi, foliage and lots of candles! These are some of the bits i’ve already bought!

*H&M Star Candle Holder 

*H&M Metal Garland 

*H&M Pillar Candle 

*John Lewis Pinecone Garland 

*John Lewis Star Wreath

*John Lewis Sisal Trees 

Lauren

I’m all about the roasts and treats this time of year so I’ll be in the kitchen, using it as an excuse to buy MORE cute things to bake and roast in! You can’t beat a tea towel (many spillages will happen) and I’ve baked onto my trays too many times now, so this lovely pie dish will be great for cooking and serving on Christmas Day.

*Anthropologie Pie Dish 

*M&S Festive Spatulas 

*M&S House Print Tea Towel 

 

Danielle

A few little pieces for my living room, I don’t usually go corny or trad at Christmas, I try to select more minimal scandi pieces that will fit nicely with the rest of my home. I love this white company Stay with a bit of foliage as I don’t have too many plants come December. H&M is probably my favourite place for decorations and this little multipack is right up my street. The red cushion is just the hero piece my sofa needs!

*H&M Glass Bauble  

*White Company Large Nordic Star

*H&M Velvet Star Cushion

Holly

I absolutely love anything homemade and I’m trying my best to make most of my decorations this year. It gets me in the Christmassy Spirit and I love the idea of everyone I love making a bauble for the tree. Also means I get to go to HobbyCraft a LOT! So far I’ve brought baubles, garlands and I’m in the process of making my own angel. I think it’s going to take a few attempts though. I never said I was good at crafts!

Hobbycraft Ivy Garland

Hobbycraft Acrylic Paint Set

Hobbycraft Twine Set

 

Lareese

One of my favourite features in our home is the original fireplace. It’s our first Christmas there this year so I’m looking forward to decorating the mantlepiece with foliage, tall candlesticks and festive decor.

*White Company Marble Star Dinner Candle Holder 

*H&M Glittery Bunting 

*White Company Mini Nordic Star

Carrie

With not that much space to decorate I’ve found mixing up soft furnishings like cushions and blankets can make a big difference! I’d switch out any neutrals for reds, and add a few ‘statement’ prints or patterns, and adore these sweet little trees from John Lewis.

*John Lewis Tree Cushion 

*H&M Stag Cushion 

*H&M Velvet Cushion