Christmas is a very stressful time of the year but there are some easy ways to make it all that easier.

The big events like a the turkey are a given but often you can forget the details which help make Christmas magical. Making alist good to have things like that on standby. of all the details though is a good way non of the little things get forgotten.

List one: food
You’ll remember the big things like the turkey, sausages and mince pies, but don’t forgot to see how stocked up you are on potatoes for roasting, Brussels sprouts because even though no one really eats them they have to be there, and soft drinks because the kids need a drink too
Boxes of celebrations and quality streets are always a staple too
don’t forget gravy granules just in case you run out of the homemade stuff. It’s a really good idea to have things like that on standby.
Ice cream, pouring cream and custard are always good to have in, because there will always be someone who would rather have cream than ice creams because they have sensitive teeth or the difficult person who can’t stand custard.
Even though you may have all the food you need, do you have all the cutlery, crockery and roasting tins you need to cook and present the food? Make sure you do else you’ll be serving things rather unceremoniously out of the pan! Not very befitting of Christmas day!

List two: presents.
A bin bag is handy to collect all the plastic packing toys come in nowadays
Batteries in all variations are going to make you the most popular person too when everyone realises they cant use their toys till they have an energy source.
Other electrical like HDMI cables and controllers are good to have spare I case all the children decide to have a Wii competition.
Extra generic presents for unexpected guests or if you get an unexpected gift and need to reciprocate the gesture. Boxes of shortbread or luxury biscuits are a good choice because they are pretty versatile and pretty much anyone likes a biscuit.
Receipts. Keep them all. Chances are you’ll have present repeats so its best to keep them so you can return things you don’t need or want anymore.

List three: medical supplies
You don’t want anyone to get ill on Christmas day but its good to have your medical supplies topped up in case of an emergency.
Heartburn medicine- everybody’s guilty of overindulgence at Christmas
Plasters for when the kids get overzealous with their toys
Lemsips for those who are still a bit sniffly but keeping on a brave face because it’s Christmas
Paracetamol for the inevitable headache which will follow the family argument that happens every year

Have all this and you’re sure to have a cracking Christmas without anything forgotten!

Making your own jewellery can be exciting and fills you with a sense of accomplishment, especially if you have made something that would have cost you more than double the price in the shops. Making jewellery for family’s and friends’ birthday presents is an expensive yet thoughtful gesture, and you really can make someone’s day.  So why not help someone else learn the art of jewellery making, perhaps they will even craft something to make for you.

It’s easy to buy children countless plastic toys and video games and whatever else is the latest ‘must have’ item, but teaching them something as simple as making their own jewellery can add hours of entertainment as well as something to be proud of as a result. Available materials on the market make it near impossible to not find something that takes your fancy, and to get your children interested in jewellery making. From friendship bracelets to earrings, there are many things for you and your child to enjoy making together.

A popular style of jewellery for all ages at the moment is the charm bracelet,  but they can be rather expensive to buy, and that’s even without all the charms. By making your own charm bracelets, you can save hundreds of pounds, and make something that is really unique and stands out from the crowd, to keep for you, your child or to give to a friend, or family member. Incorporating ideas such as Swarovski beads and glass pearls can really make your, or your child’s jewellery piece unique.

The idea about getting children to craft their own jewellery gives them a skill like no other, they learn to be creative with their designs, figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Achieving different levels of complexity and development of patterning and matching are just a few of the accomplishments your child will gain in learning to design and make their own special pieces, for years to come.