Christmas only comes around once a year, so make the most of this magical time and create some lasting Christmas memories for your family. Whether you have been around the mistletoe for many years already or fairly new to the scene, here are our tips to help you make Christmas memories that last.
Christmas can be a busy time of the year, particularly for those who are swept up in the last-minute hustle and bustle and what feels like endless preparations for Christmas Day. With all the rush, it can be easy to forget about (and take the time to relish in) the magic of Christmas itself. But with a few preparation tools, you too can be sitting back on Christmas Day and making beautiful and lasting Christmas memories.
From tips to being super organised, to fun Christmas activities with the family, our team have the low-down on what it takes to make lasting memories at Christmas time. Just like Santa’s team of little elves, we have pulled together some great tips for creating Christmas memories instead of Christmas nightmares.
Make lasting Christmas memories
The only Christmas memories a flustered and unorganised party host will create are generally those you would rather forget. Our top tip for creating lasting Christmas memories is to be well prepared for your Christmas Day festivities. Here are a few ideas to help ensure you are as ready as you’ll ever be.
#1 Organise your catering
Meal preparation
If you are in charge, or partially in charge, of catering for the clan on Christmas Day, organise as much of your catering as possible in advance. Many dishes can be prepared before the event and cooked or reheated on the day as needed. Dishes such as potato bake, baked desserts and preparing the vegetables and meat for your roast can all be started before the big day begins. There are plenty of other dishes that can also be prepared and cooked in advance, kept in the fridge or freezer and served cold (perfect for an Australian Christmas!). Crowd favourites like salad, quiche, slices and desserts can all be completed in the days before Christmas and then you’ve got them all ready and waiting to go.
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Remember that salads containing leafy greens like lettuce or spinach have a tendency to wilt, so they are best to be prepared on the day. But there’s no reason why you can have all the other ingredients ready to go and simply add the leafy greens just before it’s time to serve and eat.
When you are serving up your feast on the day, be sure to wear an apron. You don’t want to spill messy sauce or gravy on your meticulously planned Christmas outfit! That is a Christmas memory worthy of avoiding.
Purchase ahead of time
Buy as much of your Christmas feast ingredients as soon as you can and put them away in preparation for when you will need them. Obviously there are some fresh produce type items that will need to be purchased as closes as possible to Christmas Day, but gathering what you can in advance ensures that you will already have most of the items that you need ready at your fingertips when things start to really get busy. This will help to reduce the amount of time that you need to spend endlessly trolling the shops when you already have plenty to do and many precious Christmas memories to create!
Serve it up
Serving is collectively part of Christmas catering. As well as preparing for cooking your meals, consider how you plan to serve each of them as well. Do you need more tongs or servery tools, or other Christmas serveware such as more bowls or another platter? If you don’t have the budget to buy new items, you could ask your family or friends if they have something that you can borrow.
Leftovers
In the days following Christmas Day, a treasured Christmas memory in a lot of families is enjoying the yummy leftovers from the lovingly prepared feast. To make sure that no food is wasted you might like to arrange some take home containers for your guests. Remember to consider the environment too and opt for biodegradable containers and paper bags over plastic wherever you can.
While we are talking about managing waste, don’t forget to have plenty of rubbish bins, bags and recycling stations available for your guests to use too. If you can make easier for them to dispose of their own waste, or for you to quickly clean as you go throughout the day, that’s one less big job you have to deal with when it’s all over and more time to spend with your guests.
#2 Let me entertain you
A great way to create lasting Christmas memories is to set the mood with fun Christmas sights and sounds.
Christmas prop table/box
Arrange a few photo-worthy Christmas novelty items like a Santa hat, an elf hat or headband, Santa whiteboard with pen (so guests can write their own message), and some Christmas decorations onto a dedicated Christmas photo table. Encourage guests to make fun and joyful Christmas memories by snapping their own Christmas selfies using the items provided. You might even like to get Christmas crafty and create a cardboard photo frame for guests to hold. Or, decorate some Christmas craft baubles with quirky messages inside for guests to display and pose with too.
Christmas soundtrack
A good Christmas playlist or Christmas CD always helps to create great Christmas memories. Chose a collection of songs that everyone can sing along to when the mood strikes. There’s plenty of great Christmas albums and playlists that are just perfect for this purpose. Alternatively, you can create your very own Christmas playlist using services like Spotify or Google Play Music.
Having your Christmas soundtrack all sorted well before Christmas Day means you can start the day with lots of cheer and it’s one less thing to think about too. You might like to think about different types of music for different parts of the day – something softer for meal time and something more lively for before and after. Or simply set your list on repeat to keep the tunes coming. Then just set, forget and enjoy the festive atmosphere.
#3 Accept help
Our last tip for creating lasting Christmas memories is probably one of the most important – remember, you don’t have to do everything on your own.
Christmas is a time for sharing. If someone asks whether you need help, accept their offer. Whether it is bringing a plate of food along, helping with wrapping gifts or pulling down the Christmas tree and decorations post event. It is important not to burn yourself out. Accepting help will go a long way towards making sure your Christmas is memorable for all the right reasons this year.
Instead of spending time running around at Christmas, turn your effort to creating great Christmas memories instead. A little bit of forward planning will allow plenty of time for making beautiful Christmas memories that are sure to be treasured well after the big day is done.
The Christmas Cart has a wide range of Christmas gifts, keepsakes, and décor available online to help make your Christmas Day extra special. Explore the website and be sure to visit the blog and our Inspiration Gallery to inspire your Christmas memory making.