How to Survive Christmas

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

We all know Christmas is the season of goodwill and joy to all but it can also become a very manic time; presents to buy, food to make, cards to write and all those mince pies to eat! Seriously though, it can be very stressful and emotions can run high, so we’ve come up with a little guide on how to survive Christmas. 

Expectations
Considering the Christmas adverts start in October, there’s no surprise there’s such a big build up to Christmas. The festive season doesn’t seem to have a start date, you can buy mince pies the same week as Halloween and adverts pushing you to buy Christmas presents as early as September! The pressure is most certainly on to have the ‘perfect Christmas’, as a result expectations can run a little high. 

The media often portrays the ‘perfect family’ having the ‘perfect Christmas’ which often puts unrealistic pressures on people. At this most magical time of year what we should aim for and expect from family members and friends is to just spend some time together.

Keep it Simple
Of course this is easier said than done. Try not to get caught up in the ‘keeping up with Joneses’ mentality - Christmas isn’t about having the best decorations or overpriced gifts and it definitely shouldn’t put you in debt for the next twelve months! Just like Father Christmas make a list and check it twice, should you really spend £50 on Aunty Maureen when all she got you last year is a pair of pyjamas? No, it’s not all about giving to receive but neither should you feel obligated to spend hundreds trying to people please because that’s also not what Christmas is about. 

This also applies to food, drink and hosting, if you are hosting a do keep it simple! You don’t need to cook potatoes four different ways because one person prefers mash to new potatoes and ask your guests to contribute! Each guest should really, at least bring a bottle to contribute and if it’s just all about the food they should bring a dish to add to the mix. On the other hand if you’re the guest rather than the host don’t feel obliged to go crazy and bring numerous bottles or all kinds of food one/two of each is definitely enough – mince pies and mulled wine anyone? 

Additional Christmas Thrifty Tips:

• Secret Santa -a tradition on it’s own really.
• Set a budget – and stick to it!
• Not seeing some friends/family till after boxing day? Hit the boxing day sales for their presents.
• Make sure no food goes to waste – it maybe the season but if you end up with a load of veg left over make a soup or donate any excess to food banks or homeless charities.
• Also, start buying food gradually make the most of cupboard and freezer space – ensures you avoid the ‘mad rush’ just before Christmas Day.
• Re-Gift – still not opened that toiletry set from your birthday but know your cousin would love it? If something hasn’t been opened/used or covered in dust there’s no harm in re-gifting. 

Don’t Lose Your Head
During the festive period it can be easy to get caught up in all the excitement, but this can also get a little overwhelming. We all know January is a long, hard month so you should try and be mindful not too go too crazy in December remember it’s six weeks till the next pay day! I know it sounds very #scrooge but seeing friends and family needn’t mean a five-course fancy restaurant meal that costs a fortune, especially if you’ve got four planned in already. You could go to some-one’s house and everyone contributes something or look for deals and vouchers or do something different like ice skating. 

Likewise, don’t forget about ‘me-time’ remember it’s ok to say no, if you want a weekend of sleep-ins and relaxing with films or however you want to spend it, then push back. On the other hand don’t close yourself off, Christmas can be stressful and overwhelming but it’s also a great time to get out of your comfort zone, speak to some-one new at the work Christmas do or tag along with a friend to a party. 

Of course a lot of these things are easy said then done, especially if Christmas is a difficult time of the year for you. If you are lucky enough to be surrounded by loved ones over the festive period just bear in mind others might not be. You may even know someone that would benefit from a phone call or visit. Mental health should be a high priority all year round but can sometimes be forgotten in all the pandemonium of the season. Mind is a mental health charity that can offer further advise about managing your mental health at Christmas. 

Christmas Day
The day is finally here and whilst not all of us celebrate it or have to celebrate at different times due to work commitments like those in the emergency services – there’s always that buzz in the air, the streets are empty and there may even be snow falling. The main event of the Christmas dinner is on the go and the house is full of excitement and condensation. 

Christmas day you always see the kitchen in full chaos – oven on, hobs on maybe even a microwave in the mix which is the perfect recipe for steam and condensation. Christmas day is the true testament of a kitchen extractor fan, the phrase if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen is very apt for a useless extractor fan. 

If your extractor fan is not up to the task of handling Christmas Day, maybe you should invest in one that won’t leave you steamy and stressed. Replace your extractor fan and improve the ventilation of a kitchen and reduce moisture and unwanted odours by installing a high-performance kitchen or bathroom extractor. Our range of extractor fans for bathrooms and kitchens consists of inline extractor fans, silent extractor fans, wall mounted extractor fans and axial fans.