There are now 32 days until Christmas, or four Fridays. Yes, I’m as horrified as you. I even downloaded a countdown app that also ticks off the hours, minutes and seconds. So I really have no excuse for not knowing exactly how long is left until Christmas Day.
Every year, no matter how ‘on it’ I think I am, there are times during the run-up when I inevitably get caught out by something. You're probably the same. However, this year you have it covered, thanks to this infallible countdown-to-Christmas planner.
I've listed all the jobs that your household might need to do in the run-up to Christmas, and a timeline of the optimum time to get them done. Bookmark this page to return to in the next few weeks, share it with partners and offspring, to get the satisfaction of ticking off the list rather than the stress of a last-minute panic.
This weekend
Book your supermarket delivery slot
Supermarkets have opened their delivery times and click-and-collect slots for Christmas week already. Add a few bottles of fizz to secure the slot if you need to, then go back and edit it nearer the time, when you know exactly what you need. Make sure you’re on it swiftly, as they’ll get booked up soon.
Enjoy stir-up Sunday
This Victorian tradition – when the Christmas pudding is made on the last Sunday before Advent – falls on Sunday 24 November 2024. Each member of the family gives it a stir and makes a wish. Make your Christmas cake and homemade mincemeat now too, to give flavours time to mature.
Order advent calendars
It’s up to you whether you pop a chocolate one in your trolley during the weekly shop or get more imaginative with the massive range available, from the best beauty advent calendars to gin and tea.
Or you can make your own. My daughter showed me a TikTok reel where someone made a book advent calendar – 24 numbered titles, beautifully wrapped and boxed. I’m hoping that’s what’s winging its way to me this year.
Price: £99
Number of products: 16
What’s included? You'll be treated to an indulgent assortment of hair and body care gems from the Harrods Beauty Hall, including the likes of Sol de Janeiro, Gisou, Living Proof, OUAI and more.
Total value of products included: £310
Price: £170
Number of products: 25
What’s included? A combination of cult favourites plus some newer and lesser-known products from the brand. Comes in reusable cotton packaging.
Price: £9.95
Number of products: 24
What’s included? 24 delicious individually wrapped mini Tony's chocolate bars in milk chocolate and milk caramel sea salt flavours.
Book your travel
Visiting relatives? You can save, on average, a whopping 61% if you’re going by train by booking your tickets this far in advance, according to travel website thetrainline.com.
Tickets are released around 12 weeks before departure, so Christmas and New Year's fares are already on sale.
Next week
Do a freezer audit
What’s lurking in those frosty depths? Can you use it for Christmas or eat it before the festivities to make room for your frozen fare? How about fish fingers and Viennetta for tonight’s dinner?
Sign up as a volunteer
Helping at a food bank, preparing Christmas dinner for the homeless or answering helpline calls are great ways to give something back to your community. Let a charity know now if you can help over Christmas when need may be the greatest, or make a donation to support their work.
Set a budget and start shopping
Don’t just pluck a figure out of the air: look at what you have to spend and work out what you need to buy so you can try to stick to it. Write a list of who you’re buying presents for and ideas, with a price limit, then estimate other costs, such as food, decorations and entertainment.
Start gift shopping now to spread time and cost, especially with Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales offering discounts on lots of popular items. If you're in need of inspiration, our Christmas gifts for friends and Christmas gifts for couples guides are a great place to start.
Make a Christmas playlist
Perfect for getting the whole family involved, Spotify has a ‘collaborative playlist’ feature where you send a link to others. No need to feel restricted to Christmas tracks – last year’s most downloaded tune of the season was Ed Sheeran’s Perfect, which has no link to Christmas.
First week of December
Order your turkey
If you’re buying your Christmas turkey from somewhere other than a supermarket, such as a farm supplier, place your order now. Check our turkey size guide to figure out which size turkey you need, depending on how many people it needs to feed.
This is also a good time to buy your Christmas drinks and non-perishable foods, such as cupboard and freezer snacks and treats, as part of your weekly shop, to save you grappling with the masses later on. You should also have acres of space for frozen foods if you followed the earlier advice and have spent the last five weeks eating your way through the contents of your freezer.
Don’t forget to pop a couple of items into the food bank donation basket, if you can.
Weight: 6-7kg | Price: £130 | Stockist: Abel & Cole
Crowned the best whole turkey in our woman&home Christmas Food Awards 2024, these turkeys are raised to high welfare standards, which shows in the flavoursome, tender meat. We tested this large version, which surprisingly cooked in two hours, but other sizes are available.
Order Christmas crackers
The last thing you want is to miss out on the fun of the best Christmas crackers on Christmas Day, and if you leave ordering these til the final Christmas shop, there's a chance they may have run out.
RRP: £19.99 No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: hat, joke| Recyclable? yes and plantable | Plastic-free? yes
The best thing about these crackers is that they’re crafted from special plantable paper that's embedded with wildflower seeds. Aside from enjoying the bang, joke, and hat on Christmas day, you'll get to watch your beautiful flowers bloom all year round.
RRP: £24.99| No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: hat, joke, gonk, racing track, storage bag | Recyclable? yes
This is the cracker for little ones and the big kids (I'm looking at you, grandpa) at the table. Each cracker comes with a wind-up gonk, ready to race down the recyclable cardboard track towards reach the finish line. Once the jokes are read, hats are on, and the races are over, all these can be neatly packed away into the handy storage bag too.
RRP: £5.95 each| No of crackers: 1 | Gift selection: 3 chocolates, hat, joke| Recyclable? yes
If I can eat any part of my Christmas cracker, you know I'll be having a jolly time. Hotel Chocolat's elegant alternative to single-use gifts offers a trio of delicious dark, milk, and white chocolate. They're alcohol-free and perfect for all the family. There is, of course, the obligatory joke and hat too.
Wrap presents as you buy them
But keep a list, so you don’t forget what you’ve wrapped.
Write Christmas cards and messages
In the UK, the last recommended posting date for cards to reach friends and family within the UK is Wednesday 18 December 2024 for 2nd class, and Friday 20 December for 1st class. That's if you're sending by Royal Mail.
For other postal services, including couriers and international services, make sure you look up the relevant deadline and allow plenty of time.
Decorate!
Always a massive debate in our house about when, exactly, the Christmas tree and decorations go up. You’ll have your own thoughts and fights about this one, but allow plenty of time to get everything out of storage, choose your theme, mull over your Christmas decorating ideas… and to buy new tree lights when you discover yours no longer work, having spent five hours wrestling them around the tree.
If you'd like some inspiration, we have plenty on this site, from Christmas tree decorating ideas and How to make your Christmas tree look expensive to How to style your hallway for Christmas. Top tip: plug your lights in to check they work as soon as you unpack them.
RRP: £20 | Part of Dunelm's fabulous affordable Christmas flooring collection, the jute material is what prevents this novelty rug from feeling too twee. It's grown up enough to be used in all spaces but sweet enough to delight a household with kids and grandkids too.
RRP: £20 | This statuesque runner is sure to make a statement as the first thing you see when you enter the house – perfect for decorative impact. Finished with an anti-slip backing, the Polypropylene design is easy care and durable, perfect for high traffic areas this Christmas.
RRP: £4 | Designed as a step mat, this outdoor coir mat is made to trap dirt, mud and moisture before entering the home – handy when you have a lot of guests arriving throughout the holidays. This step mat combines practicality with seasonal style.
Second week of December
Plan your final shop
This list will include most of the fresh fruit and veg, but some fresh foods, such as dairy and meat products, might have a later use-by date than you think. They can be bought a week before to save a bun fight at the supermarket on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th.
If you want to get your mouth watering with inspiration, check which items won the coveted woman&home Christmas Food Awards 2024, to ensure you're ordering the best Christmas food.
Pack size: 6 | Price: £4 | Stockist: Marks and Spencer
Crowned woman&home's best mince pie in our Christmas Food Awards 2024, these are worthy of a place in your basket. Nicola Roberts, freelance food writer said: “These have a really nice, well flavoured pastry with good colour. The filling has a delicious orange tang which works well with the plump fruit”.
Weight: 340g | Price: £6 | Stockist: Tesco
You can't go wrong with this pretty and delicious vegetarian main, our favourite of all the dishes tested for the woman&home Christmas Food Awards 2024. pastry filled with butternut squash, parsnips, chestnuts, cranberries and herbs
Weight: 2kg | Price: £80 | Stockist: DukesHill
Another woman&home Christmas Food Awards 2024 winner, this ham is ready to serve – whether you opt for this big one or a smaller joint. Food Editor Jess Meyer said it was “Delicious! Well balanced and seasoned. The glaze is subtle and adds a little sweetness which carries through the whole joint, not just at the top.”
Offer up help
Does an elderly neighbour or relative need help with shopping or cooking, or fancy a trip to the panto? Your support or company can be invaluable to some around this time. Inviting them along to a family Christmas show or picking up extras on your shop needn’t be too taxing for you, but could mean the world to them.
Deep-clean the house
Not a task we all relish, but if your household starts early, it will be so much easier to keep on top of over the festive period. Read our guides to How to deep clean your house and How to clean like a professional for tips.
I love the Swiffer duster as it's really light and ideal for dusting delicate items. It tackles dust and cleans skirting boards effectively and I'm always shocked at how much dust it collects.
Method's plant-based glass and surface cleaner leaves shower screens gleaming and cleans mirrors to leave them streak-free without the need for chemicals like ammonia. The mint scent leaves things smelling super fresh.
A damp, clean microfibre cloth removes bacteria with no need for cleaning products, and they're machine washable. Use different colours for different tasks to avoid cross-contamination, for example, "blue for loo, pink for sink".
Prep for visitors
If you haven't already, plan where all your Christmas visitors will sleep. Borrow camp beds and inflatable mattresses if needed, and make sure you've got your Christmas essentials. And if you want to treat yourself, it's not too late to order some beautiful Christmas bedding or some Christmas candles to add ambiance to your hosting.
Third week of December
Do your Christmas baking
Get ahead with mince pies, a Yule log or gingerbread shapes for the tree. Forgotten something? Visit the supermarket in the days before Christmas, going early or late in the day to avoid the busiest times.
Last-minute mop up
Presents to buy or wrap? Chores that slipped the net? Now’s your chance to nail it. Write a rough timetable It doesn't have to be military-style, but working out timing will give you a loose structure.
Christmas Eve
Prep Christmas dinner
Peel the veg, prepare the stuffing and set the table. A few well-placed chores now will free up more time for fun tomorrow.
Final clean
A flick of a duster and a once-over with the vacuum is all you’ll need after your previous deep-clean. Then it’s out with the presents, a mince pie for Father Christmas, and whatever Christmas Eve rituals you and your family enjoy.
And don’t forget to pour yourself a G&T, kick back and enjoy the festivities. Told you, you had it covered.
