One month to Christmas: how to organize yourself so you don’t go crazy

Four weeks separate you from the eve of Christmas and, instead of leaving everything to the last minute and turning the celebration into a reason to freak out, how about taking advantage of these 30 days ahead and defining, right away, what your ceremony will be like?

From the menu to the gifts, passing through the decor, we prepare, in partnership with personal organizer Ana Ziccardia definitive guide to Christmas preparations that goes turn you into a real Holiday Monica Geller. Ready?

Where to start: 30 days until Christmas

A month in advance, it’s good to settle down the main details of the party, starting with the number of guests. Ana recommends that the list be made even before choosing the location – only after knowing how many people you intend to invite that the space should be defined – and not the other way around. The tip here is to make two separate lists: one for adults, and another for children, as this can make it easier when putting together the menu and buying gifts.

This is also the time to find out if any of your guests have any dietary restrictions, confirming the information well in advance – it is a fundamental part of your role as a hostess to serve everyone well.

Closed list? So, the next step is to define the celebration space. Ana explains that the ideal is to have two guests per free square meter, in addition to places so that at least 70 percent of them have somewhere to sit throughout the party. Whether it will be in your own home, in a ballroom or at the home of a friend or family member, you decide.

First, define who will be responsible for food and drinks – financially and in an operational sense. One option is to ask each guest to bring a drink or plate of food. If you want something more elaborate, it’s worth hiring a full buffet and sharing the expenses equally at the end of the party.

Now, if the intention is to hire external services, also consider these costs. Will your Christmas have waiters? Will there be a Santa Claus to cheer the kids up, or will someone in the family take care of it? And the secret friend? Who will participate? Very calm at this time. Start by turning all these questions into certainties – and don’t forget to make everything very clear in the invitation.

Time to think about supper. If the party is going to have a large number of guests, it is best to organize all the food on a sideboard or dining table, let everyone help themselves and choose their seats according to preference. Smaller ceremonies, just for family or close friends, combine with a traditional dinner at the table, more symbolic and cozy.

The last step of this first phase is the invitation. Despite all the technological practicality we have nowadays, for Ana, the best thing is to call each of the guests, not forgetting to pass on all the information about the party. It is also recommended that you already choose a deadline for everyone to confirm their presence: “If you have chosen a party where guests will participate with dishes and drinks, let them know that, after everyone has confirmed their presence, you will be in contact to arrange who will do it. what”, completes Ana.

25 days before Christmas: menu and gifts

With less than a month to go, it’s the food you should focus on. Start by making a very complete list – appetizers, starters, main courses, side dishes and desserts should be included in the package. If you are fully responsible for supper, take the time to prepare a food and beverage shopping list.

For a collaborative Christmas, it is essential that everyone is informed about the menu and, consequently, about what each one will bring. Oh! It’s good to ask people to bring their plates already assembled and decorated – this makes – and a lot – your life easier when serving them.

Consider the gifts: if you came up with the idea of ​​making a secret friend, already carry out the drawing and combine the values. Plan to go shopping with a list in hand – your free time and your pocket will thank you. Ana recommends the morning as the best time to walk around malls and shop windows, when stores tend to be less crowded.

20 days before Christmas – stay tuned for details

Take a look at the crockery at home: look at the state of your plates, glasses and cutlery and check that they are in proportion to the number of people you are going to receive. In the case of an American style dinner (with a fixed buffet, so that everyone can serve themselves as they prefer), provide support trays for the dishes. Think about the decor and flower arrangements, and whether you’ll need to purchase vases for them.

Set the napkins, whether disposable or fabric, choose the tablecloths and coasters – leave everything neat for the celebration. Stock the pantry with food and drinks for the day of the party. Fruits and vegetables are left for the day before the event.

It’s time to hire Santa Claus if that’s your choice, and also to make an appointment at the beauty salon if that’s in your plans.

Two weeks before Christmas – crossing the backlog!

Ok, we know you couldn’t buy all the gifts in one day – so cross that off your list now. Think about the complete look of the party and define, within the chosen space, where the dining table and drink service will be located.

Five days before Christmas – is there ice?

Buy ice in bulk or, if you don’t want to spend on it, start making ice at home. Fill the trays, place them in the refrigerator and, when the cubes are ready, leave them in a specific bag to Freezer🇧🇷 Ana teaches: “Do this three times a day for the next five days and you will have enough drinkable ice for your party”. You can also start putting the drinks to freeze – no one will risk drinking hot beer in the middle of summer.

Three days in advance…

Start preparing more complicated dishes, already season the roasts and go ahead with whatever is possible for supper. Clean the dishes: pass alcohol on the stainless steel cutlery and wash the silver ones, wash the glasses, bowls, plates and everything you are going to use.

On the day before:

Finish preparing food. If using natural flowers, buy them and leave them in buckets of water and ice – they will only be used in the decor on the day of the party. Arrange the space and the main table according to the layout you have planned.

Merry Christmas!

Ufa! Now that the heaviest has passed, it’s time to relax. Arrange the flowers and take some time to get ready – you deserve it, right?

Then assemble the appetizers and get the kitchen ready for celebration time. Don’t forget the most important thing: enjoy the night with your loved ones.