Christmas. It may be early November, but the sleigh bells have started on the TV adverts, the stores are already heavily into their festive marketing strategy, and I’m getting messages from family asking what I would like as a gift.

For the last few years, Christmas has followed a similar pattern. I start the month of December with the concept that I want to make this year the best Christmas ever, and then I get slammed with work as everyone starts freaking out and needing ALL THE THINGS NOW NOW NOW as everyone, including myself, is taking a little bit of time off. Inevitably, by the time it gets to a few days before Christmas I’m fed up and exhausted, and I’m not in the mood.

Last year, it was so bad that I didn’t want to do Christmas at all. On top of the work nonsense, I knew that we had a house move coming up and there were half-packed boxes everywhere. If it hadn’t been for The Bloke, I wouldn’t have even bothered with the tree – the thought of having to spend several hours unpacking our ‘Old Faithful’ and decorating it with all of the mismatched, random ornaments that we have collected over the years, only to have to take it down a few days later seemed like a monumental task. I begrudgingly helped when he got all of the Christmas boxes out, but it felt like I was just going through the motions rather than getting into the festive spirit.

This year, I’m DETERMINED that it will be different. It isn’t going to be easy – I know that I have an extremely challenging 4 weeks ahead due to a situation that is beyond my control – but if I create a realistic plan and do everything bit by bit, then I should be able to actually celebrate the season properly this time.

Plus it gives me an excuse to make a monster list. And who doesn’t love a good list?

Have you got any Christmas plans? Have you started your prep yet?