I love this time of year. The holidays are just around the corner! Family, friends, gatherings and loads of fun, but it can turn into a frenzy of errands, shopping, activities and a general panic about too much to do!!

Our youngest daughter moved out at the beginning of 2018, which left my husband and I and our 2 dogs rattling around in our family home. We took the opportunity to do some minor changes to our extra space and now rent it out as a holiday flat. We have had lovely people come to stay, some for a few days and others just overnight. The one thing I notice is the amount of luggage they bring with them. Most of the time it seems like a lot!

Can you believe it?

Christmas is just 60 days away! Christmas jingles ring out in all the shopping malls. Baubles and tinsel and stars and trees adorn shop windows. Before you know it, the holidays will be here! Friends, family, festivities, outings and traditions; so much to look forward, but so much to plan and organise.

I love Christmas with old family traditions along with a whole lot of new ones created over the years while our girls were growing up. I love Christmas pudding, a Christmas tree and Christmas lights. I love family gatherings and get-togethers. I love Christmas day with our South African version of Christmas lunch – delicious cold salads, turkey on the weber, and a gammon waiting to be sliced followed by an ice cream bomb with Christmas spices, watermelon, Christmas pudding and custard! Light summer dresses and bathing suits, dips in the pool and a nap in the shade when it all gets too much! Most of all I love spending time with loved ones and friends.

I don’t like the chaos, the queues, the frenetic to-do list, the stress over menus and venues. I don’t like the stress, the panic that sets in when it’s not going according to plan. And so, I take time to prepare and organise well ahead of time so that it is truly a relaxing and wonderful time of the year!

Here is my 15-step checklist I work off every year starting now, and thought you might find it good to use.

1. START NOW!
2. Make a To Do list to take you through to the end of the year
3. Break it down into smaller lists - Food, gifts, cards, activities etc
4. Delegate tasks, and cheat where possible - buy your Christmas pudding, don't make it!
5. Set a budget. Know what you have to spend, allocate and stick to it.
6. Do half as much as you want to do.
7. How much is enough? Keep it simple
8. Spend twice the time and half the money
9. Resist the pressure of too many invitations, too many expectations
10. Schedule appointments and dates further apart to allow for holiday traffic
11. Set boundaries and say no sometimes
12. Think ahead
13. Take shortcuts, don't do too much
14. Remember one stunning dessert is better than a few average ones!
15. Take some ME time - small breaks just for you

I would love to hear about your tips for a more relaxed festive season…

So another year draws to a close!

And what a year it has been. We have had a wonderfully busy year helping families get sorted and organised. A large part of our work has been assisting with downsizing and moving house for older clients, which is so rewarding.

In fact, we have faced challenges and circumstances beyond our control and managed to find solutions. There have been times we have laughed and had fun, and times where our clients have struggled with the changes. Each client is unique, and with each assignment we have learned new things.

Along the way there have been dogs, and cats, and birds, pet rats and hamsters and even a bearded dragon! Small children, new babies, teenagers and grown up children coming home to sort their stuff!

As I reflect on our business year, I am grateful for all the experiences and challenges we have faced. I am grateful for all the wonderful people we have met, all the pets and all the lives we have been involved in.

I am grateful that I have the good fortune of doing something I love day in and day out. It is a wonderful thing to wake up in the morning and look forward to a working day!

So to all our clients, to all our readers, to all our friends out there, thank you!!

Wishing you and yours HAPPY HOLIDAYS!