Countdown to Christmas 2023

Your ultimate festive planner

As the festive season draws near, join us at Park HQ for a merry journey of Christmas preparations. We'll be sharing hints, tips, and ideas to transform this December into a winter wonderland. Our team will guide you every step of the way, helping you craft unforgettable, and stress-free, Christmas memories.

4 weeks to go

• Make any travel arrangements/book tickets if you’re going away – advance rail fares can be booked 12 weeks ahead of travel but may sell out.
• Make a list of the food and drink you’ll want and pin it up somewhere handy to add to it, or get started on the online list.
• If you haven’t bought them already, buy your Christmas cards at a charity shop or at cardsforcharity.co.uk. Or trim your budget and instead of sending cards this year, send a message to friends letting them know you’re thinking of them by making a small donation to charity.
• Book your hairdresser and mani appointments – slots will be filling up fast!

3 weeks to go

• Make all your socialising plans and pop them on the calendar so everyone can see at a glance who’s doing what, when – from parties to sleepovers. You don’t want to miss a minute of the fun times ahead.
• Clear out the fridge so it’s ready for the big shop. A cheap way to clean it is to use a sponge and 2tsp of bicarbonate of soda in water.
• Do an inventory of what you’ll need, from glasses, plates and cutlery to extra chairs. If needed, ask neighbours if you can borrow these to save costs.
• Start wrapping… go for eco chic and use old newspapers or magazines as wrapping paper.

2 weeks to go

• Send your cards/presents – the last posting dates are 18 December for second class and 20 December for first class and parcels.
• Check stocks of easily overlooked essentials – paracetamol, antacids, loo rolls, batteries, washing-up liquid – and finalise the big shopping list.
• Welcome to the house of fun… Organise the big declutter and tidy – get all the family involved and line up a reward, like homemade popcorn and your favourite Christmas movie.
• If you’ve got an outing to the panto planned, get the sweet treats from the supermarket rather than buying more expensive ones at the venue.

1 week to go

• Getting the big shop put away can be a mammoth task. If cupboards are filling up in the kitchen and you’ve got outdoor space, use it for non-perishables and root veg.
• Plan meal timings to help everything run like clockwork. Allocate each family member a responsibility, from veg prep to pouring drinks – it’ll help prevent squabbles or resentments and make them feel good.
• Make a festive music playlist and decide among you how the big day will unfold – check to see what’s unmissable on TV, who wants to watch the King’s speech, which games you want to play, etc.
• Relax, smile and enjoy – you’ve got this!