It’s official: Santa is left the North Pole and is on his way. With the countdown to Christmas at T Minus one day, hopefully you’re all ready to sit back, relax and put your feed up with a sneaky drink, an open tin of Roses and Home Alone on the TV. If you’re not quite there just yet though, check out the list of eight things you should have sorted by today. Don’t panic, you’ve still got time…
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Things to Buy
Emergency Presents
You’ve got gifts for every Tom and Dick wrapped and ready to go under the tree, but it’s all too easy to forget about the odd Harry. It’s very sensible to keep a non-specific gift like nice bottle of wine and box of chocolates in a gift bag under the tree so you can always react to an unexpected gift or a forgotten relative.
Batteries
Many a Christmas morning tantrum could be avoided if only everyone remembered to stock up on the toy juice before Santa has been and gone. Get a stash of every size and make sure the only tears on Christmas day come from that creepily realistic baby doll.
Candles
And not just to let weary travellers know your home is a safe place to rest a weary head (according to tradition – in practice we suspect that very few people mean it). No, the kind of candles you store with the torches for fear of a repeat of the Big Blackout of 1989. Never forget.
Medicine Must-Haves
Take a look at your medicine cabinet and consider if there is anything you might need over the coming days. Christmas headaches can be quite literal, and the off tipple or two can quickly mean the need for a painkiller. All that rich food, meanwhile, may mean you should have some indigestion remedies on hand. A quick trip to the pharmacy now for the necessities might spare you some panic in the coming days.
Things to Do
Prep the Plates
Do not put massive pressure on yourself for a Christmas feast to be prepared and served solo. If there is more than one person eating, more than one person should be cooking. Recruit vegetable peelers/choppers, stuffing makers and more from the sofa for an hour and set yourself up for a smooth operation tomorrow by timing out the various components and having a reference guide by the cooker. You can have the Christmas dinner table all set out the night before too.
Check the Car
The last thing you want over the holidays is car trouble. With station hours lax over the break, may sure you have a full tank and check the air and oil in the car. Check all lights and that wipers are working properly too, It can be a bad time of year on the roads so remember to be safe at all times.
Stock up on Fuel
If you’ve ever been the poor soul who ran out of home heating oil on Christmas Day, you’ll know the misery a cold Christmas can bring. Stock up on solid fuel, top up prepay systems or arrange a delivery now if you need it.
Charge Cameras
Irish families can become unbearably shy when a camera is produced, but at the one time of year many families are all together, you really should preserve the memories by capturing some moments on film. Charge all cameras or camcorders today, especially if you have young children. Their faces when they see Santa has arrived are priceless and you’ll treasure the memento forever.
