As part of my Christmas planning, I think about how I can make my life easier. Yes, meal planning is a huge help, but equally as useful is to do some thinking around what else will help you, what will take the stress away, what will allow you to be able to enjoy time with your family.

Some things which might help are:

• Preparing and freezing some food in advance or buying some pre-prepared foods 
• Asking visitors to bring a dish, dessert or a bottle
• Delegating jobs – preparing vegetables, laying the table, doing the dishwasher and washing up, entertaining the children, preparing dinner one night
• Working out timings for the various things you need to cook and how you’ll fit everything in the oven
• Not taking on too much – a few things cooked well is better than a table full of inedible food! 

One really important task is to ensure you’ve planned time to sit down and relax, to have a peaceful shower and get dressed (even if that’s into clean pyjamas!).

What do you do to make life a ho ho ho load less stressful at Christmas?