Christmas at Home Guide

If avoiding a Ramsay-style kitchen meltdown is the aim of the game this Christmas (let's not talk about last year, eh?), you're in the right place. We're grabbing Christmas by the baubles, starting from now, and this is your invitation to join us on a non-stop journey to Nigella style banquets, hotel-worthy hosting and decadent decor galore. Christmas at home? Sleighed it...

Get your home guest-ready

So you've taken the plunge and offered to host Christmas at your house this year? Which basically means you'll spend the big day making sure nobody's glass is empty and trying not to burn the pigs in blankets - and all with a great big smile on your face, of course. To give you one less thing to worry about, we’ve come up with a little checklist to help you get your home prepared for Christmas and for those impending guests.

Top tips to be the host with the most this Christmas...

Try not to sweat the small stuff. Easier said than done, we know, but as long as everyone has something to sit on (yes, even a camping chair), something to eat, and somewhere to sleep (yes, a blow-up bed counts), then you're doing just fine...

  • Lists, lists, lists!

    Lighten the load and avoid any last-minute supermarket dashes by making lists. We recommend one for the all-important food shop, one for guest bits and bobs, and a chore one for the pre-hosting deep clean. Ticking off tasks is oh-so-satisfying.

  • Roasting tins at the ready

    Tick off as much as you can the night before, so get all the tins, pans, and utensils you'll need out. Cut and wash your veggies and leave them overnight in acidulated water. Write out an oven timings plan and stick it above the oven.

  • Get your home in tip-top shape

    Got enough knives and forks and chairs to go around? How about cupboard and fridge space? Oh, and did you ever buy that spare duvet for the sofabed? Now's the time to tick off those annoying tasks, darling.

  • Don't forget to enjoy yourself

    The truth is nobody will remember your slightly overdone parsnips or Christmas dinner being 20 minutes late, so breathe, and don't be afraid to ask for help. What matters is everyone being together and having a laugh, not how moist your turkey is!

Try these eco-friendly wrapping and decor alternatives for a greener Christmas...

How to gift more sustainably this Christmas

We're all trying to do our bit to help reduce our environmental impact and it's no secret that single-use wrapping paper is a big waste offender. Here's our top tips on eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas...

  • Ditch plastic single-use bows and go au naturale with twine, cinnamon sticks, berries and sprigs from your Christmas tree.
  • Cut up and recycle old Christmas cards for this year's gift tags. Add a bit of ribbon and hey presto.
  • Enhancing the cleaning of our stores and sanitisation of our equipment
  • Swap out plastic sellotape for twine or paper tape (which can be recycled).
  • Throughout the year, save any tissue paper sheets that come in your packages and you've got yourself eco-friendly wrapping paper.

How to decorate more sustainably this Christmas

Looking for a more sustainable way to spruce up your Christmas decorations from last year? Here's our top tips on natural, zero-waste decorations you can create with nature and a bit of imagination...

  • Create a festive dried fruit garland for your TV stand or mantlepiece using oven-dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and string.
  • Using a metal coat hanger, pine cones, and foliage from a park/garden, design your own wreath of dreams for your front door.
  • Get fancy (but crafty) and make your own place settings for your dining table using twine, cinnamon sticks and sprigs snipped off your Christmas tree!

One last thing...

You didn't think we'd leave the actual gifting part out, did you?