With Halloween now done and duster for another year, the focus turns to Cara’s birthday at the end of the month, and of course, Christmas.
We have decided to stay put in London this year, and will surely miss the nice warm Dubai weather we enjoyed last Christmas. The good thing is, we’re a small family in the UK so do not have to deal with the complexities of who to visit and where to stay other larger familiar must face each Christmas. This year, we will be having a nice family roast dinner at home on Christmas Day, with another visit to the Ned on Boxing Day to try their Christmas spread.
Whilst looking for a birthday present for Cara, we ended up purchasing her Christmas present as well. Good timing as it coincided with Argos’ toy sale and a discount on Amazon. We have opted for a Rizmo, which is supposedly a ‘must have’ toy this season. We also took the opportunity to redeem some built-up Nectar points. After some browsing, we opted for a Barbie house. I originally thought it was the size of a large shoe box. However, when the box came down the conveyor belt at Argos, it was the size of a 40-inch television set. Hopefully Cara will have as much fun playing with it as I did carrying that awkward box home.
Countdown…
Christmas is about 5 weeks away now, so the tree and decorations will be up soon. Cara has already put up a lovely advent tree that she received from Grandma in Oz. Need to find some sweets to fill it up with.
Work will start winding down once the Christmas parties kick off. As I am obliged to take two weeks off from mid-December, I shall be enjoying some Dad and Daughter time with Cara over the Christmas break. We’ll be looking to visit the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and perhaps a visit to a toddler show like ‘A Tiger Who Came to Tea‘.
Tips for preparing for Christmas:
- Sales: Keep an eye out for sales, either online or in the shops. It’s never too early to start buying those gifts and squirrelling them away until the big day. Not only will you have less stress of last-minute shopping, you will probably get a better selection of goods. Although, with Amazon Prime and Next-day delivery, it’s never been easier to pick up a gift. Also, check sites like HotUKDeals to see if the ‘bargains’ are actually bargains and utilise cashback sites, like Quidco. If you’re going to spend money this Christmas, you may as well get some reward for it.
- Food: Be sure to order your meats and food, otherwise come Christmas Eve, the options are quite limiting. Most supermarkets are still taking orders online. Be sure to check the cut-off dates to ensure you have all the meats and trimmings!
- Recycle: Not only your refuse, but also any old gifts you haven’t used yet. If you have that unopened present or book you have yet to use since last Christmas, perhaps you could ‘re-gift’ it or donate it to charity. With all the rubbish that’s set to accumulate from wrapping paper, toy boxes, food packaging, and council collections going on break over Christmas, be sure to recycle and use the right bins so you don’t overfill your general waste one!
What are you plans for Christmas? Have you sorted all the gifts and food yet?