The lead up to the Christmas holidays is crazy. Your kids start to become over excited while you are busy mulling over what you are going to feed everyone and when you are going to find the time to do the grocery shopping. Even when you think you’ve got everything sorted, your neighbour pops in and you realise you don’t have any drinks or nibbles to offer them. To help you through this hectic time, here are five tips that will help make the big Christmas grocery shop much easier.
-
Clear out and take stock
It is important to dedicate some time to forward thinking. The first place to start is your refrigerator and store cupboards. As there will be a mammoth amount of food coming into your home, it is a good idea to have a good clean out of your cupboards and fridge. Get rid of any out of date items and make room for all your Christmas groceries. Once you’ve done this, take stock of what is left and make a note of what can usefully be used up over the festive period.
-
Create a ‘master shopping’ list
Think about the meals you will be having on Christmas eve, Christmas day, boxing day, etc. then right down the ingredients you need for each. Having it all down on paper will help you identify where you need an ingredient for more than one meal and so will ensure you buy just the right amount. Once you have done this, create your master shopping list. You can find templates for this purpose online which will make this process quicker and easier. It is a good idea to group items that you can pick up from the same store. You may even find that you can get some of your Christmas gifts from groceries store, for example if you are making a foodie hamper for friends or family. Pin this list up somewhere visible so that you can tick off items easily and can see how you are getting on.
-
Shop online
It will make your life much easier and will save you money if you can buy items in advance online. Think about store cupboard items that can be bought well in advance. For example, chocolate treats can be bought from venchi.com and beer and wine can be purchased from Amazon. If possible, try and get all your fresh ingredients delivered to your door as well. This will save you time and will ensure you don’t arrive at the supermarket to find they have sold out of turkeys and cranberry sauce.
-
Unpack logically
When your shopping arrives, think carefully about how to store your items. Your fridge will no doubt be bursting at the seams, so reserve this space for items that must be refrigerated like the turkey and dairy items. Vegetables, for example, will be fine in a cool, dark cupboard over the holidays, rather than in the fridge.
-
Relax
The final, and most important, thing you must do is relax. You’ve done the clearing out, planning ahead, shopping and unpacking. Now you can relax in the knowledge that everything is organised, and you are prepared for whatever might happen. Now sit back, chill and have an early Christmas drink.
This post was provided by http://www.oddfamily.co.uk
