Getting organised for Christmas Day is the best way to ensure you'll have more festive cheer and less stress. This checklist will help you keep track of the important things that need to be done before the big day.

4 weeks before

Begin online shopping. This will give you time to return and replace any unsuitable items. Make sure you take advantage of any sales or special discount codes on offer. Wrap gifts as you buy them to save time.

Prepare for guests. Tidy up the spare bedroom and make sure you have enough bedding. Arrange to borrow extra chairs and plates from a neighbour or family member if needed.

3 weeks before

Decorate. It’s time to deck the halls! If you’re having a real tree, now is a good time to buy it so it stays fresh over the festive season.

Send out Christmas cards. Check the Royal Mail’s website for last posting dates.

Finalise menus. Make sure you know how many people are coming for Christmas dinner and whether they have any special preferences or dietary requirements.

1 week before

Tidy the house. Clean, hoover and tidy any clutter away. Make room in the fridge and cupboards for Christmas dishes and gifts brought by visitors.

Sort the batteries. You don’t want to miss the reaction on a little one’s face because the battery on your video camera ran out a few weeks ago. So charge it up! Bought toys that need batteries? Now’s a good time to go out and buy them. Then your child won’t have to wait until Boxing Day to play with their remote-controlled car.

Shop for fresh ingredients. Hit the shops for the last-minute vegetables or fruit you need for meals before they sell out.

Set the table. Dust off those gold-rimmed goblets from your cupboards and set the table. Make it even easier on Christmas day by putting a post-it note on each platter showing you what dish you will be serving on it.

Buy fresh flowers. Fresh flowers should always be purchased two days in advance so blooms have time to open up. So they’ll be really lush and fragrant on Christmas Day.

Start cooking. Now’s the time to prepare some main courses and make anything that can sit in the fridge for a couple of days.

Christmas Eve

Finish last-minute wrapping. And construct any presents that require assembly so Christmas Day is all about the playing and less about the gluing and putting stickers on.

Make a Christmas cooking timeline. Decide when your family will be feasting, then count backwards to determine when to begin cooking everything. This lets you prioritise when to put each dish in the oven and ensure you don’t forget anything!

Don’t forget Santa. Remember to leave a drink and a mince pie outside for the big guy… and a carrot for Rudolph!