It's less than a few weeks away, but as everyone knows, time flies and before you know it, Christmas panic will set in. There you are, rushing around for last minute gifts, fishing Christmas decorations out of boxes, wrapping mounds of presents and preparing your stomach for the onslaught of Aunt Agatha's unavoidable trifle.
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There are many things you can do now to prevent panic stations on the 24th of December.
Be a serial shopper. Now you can still find bargains in shops and craft markets. Come the middle of December, those will be gone and you will find yourself spending a fortune on buying present for everyone. If you see something nice now, buy two or three – you will gradually build up stash of presents.
Organise help. If you are having the extended family over, organise your support structure now. Cousins, chars and gardeners – who can do what when? Make a plan now, otherwise you will so exhausted when the day comes you won't enjoy it at all.
Finalise details. Where are you going to have Christmas lunch? Who will be there and what's going to be on the menu? Decide these things now, unless you feel like nasty surprises the day before Christmas.
Delegate, delegate, delegate. Once you have decided on a menu, parcel out cooking duties. One person can be responsible for salads, one for the main course, one for dessert, etc. Don't stress yourself out doing everything on your own.
Dilute the drama. If there are family tensions, dilute the possibility of a blowout by inviting friends to join you on this day. Family are much less likely to bicker about grandfather's will or Mark's pregnant girlfriend if there are others besides the family.
Buy now, rest later. Things like red candles and serviettes and specific types of foods get sold out in the week before Christmas. Sort out the things you can do now – you will be so grateful later.
Book now to avoid disappointment. If you are going out for lunch, do something about it now. If you are renting tables, cutlery, crockery or hiring caterers, don't leave it until December. Now is the time for action.
Limit spending on presents. Decide on an upper limit of how much people will be spending on presents, say R50. This avoids the situation where you give someone an expensive crystal vase and they give you a bar of soap.
One person in every twenty has an extra rib, but this happens three times as often in men as in women. Is this perhaps where the story of Adam and the creation came from?
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