IF you’re currently feeling more like Scrooge than Santa and are just not feeling the Christmas spirit this year, then fear not.

Here are five easy peasy ways to help you get into the festive swing of things and experience some of that Christmas magic.

Watch a Christmas film

There’s nothing like watching a Christmas film to help you feel a little merrier, so this weekend as you nurse a killer hangover from one of your many Christmas parties, sit back, put your feet up, grab a mince pie and turn on the box to watch a good Christmas movie.

There are plenty to chose from but in my humble opinion the classics are generally the best. My favourites include Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually and Santa Claus The Movie and this year I am determined to get hold of a copy of The Wonderful Life, because – can you believe it?! – I have never watched it. I know, I know, I am suitably ashamed.

If you haven’t any to hand, fear not, just have a gander through your TV guide because you can bet your bottom dollar, there will plenty showing this weekend. So go and find them and enjoy.

Wrap your Christmas presents

If you think wrapping Christmas presents is more hellish than heavenly, then you’re doing it all wrong. Granted, wrapping a gazillion presents at once can be painful and seem like an endless task but, done properly, wrapping Christmas presents can really get you into the festive frame of mind.

The key to getting your Christmas wrapping done is to be organised. And, more importantly, to think of it as an event.

Don’t, whatever you do, leave all your gift wrapping until the last minute for this will kill your Christmas joy quicker than you can say ‘Santa doesn’t exist!’ Instead, either wrap presents in batches or schedule some time out in your diary and do it all at once, in one fail swoop.

When you’re ready to wrap, make sure you’ve got everything to hand. There’s nothing worse than scurrying around your house trying to find the Sellotape or the left over bows from last year. So get it all together – paper, bows, tags, ribbons- in one place and make sure you have plenty of the sticky stuff! (You can never have enough) Oh and a pen to write those pesky tags.

Make sure you’re comfortable (this could take you a while remember) and whilst you’re at it, take this opportunity to indulge in some festive treats too. Glug some mulled wine or enjoy a sweet cherry and tuck into gingerbread or chocolate as you start to tackle the present mountain. After all, this is thirsty/hungry work!

Finally, make sure your Christmas tree lights are on, light a few candles (just make sure they’re not too near) and then crank up the volume and blast out some christmas tunes. You may be tipsy, it may be noisy and you will most probably get messy, but trust me, if you do this way, it’ll be a whole lot more fun.

(P.S Get creative with your gift wrapping! This year – see pic – I’ve wrapped my presents for friends using pages out of fashion magazines, ribbons, feathers and tinsel snowflakes! I’m also using traditional brown paper and decorating it with glitter pens and chocolate goodies. So think outside the box and whatever you wrap, wrap with love.)

Wear some sparkle and lots of it!

Christmas is the one time of year when it is perfectly acceptable for your attire to be as sparkly and bedazzling as a Christmas tree so my advice to you is  indulge, indulge, indulge!

Personally, I need little excuse to crack open the bling or don a sequin, which is probably why this is my favourite time of year. (That and the fact that you can get away with having a tipple at relatively any hour throughout December, just because “it’s Chriiisssttmass!”)

It doesn’t matter who you are or how old you are, let’s face it, life is just much more fun – and festive – when you inject a bit of sparkle! So dust off your sequinned shoes, paint your nails a sparkly red, sweep glitter shadow across your lids and go out there and shine. It may not make you feel particularly Christmassy but at least you’ll take comfort knowing that you look it.

Do something wonderful for someone

If you’re not feeling the Christmas magic, then I have two little words for you – create it.

And not just for you, but for someone else. Christmas is a time of celebration but it’s also one of love, of giving, of forgiveness and compassion. This is where the real magic lies.

So get in touch with that friend whom you fell out years ago but think about often, visit your elderly neighbour and have a chat with them over a cup of tea, volunteer at your local soup kitchen, make an effort to spend more time with your children or treat someone who needs it to a turkey dinner with all the trimmings just because you can.

Do something wonderful. Do something selfless and make someone’s Christmas. Create some magic and feel your festive spirit soar.

Just make the most of it!

If you really do dislike Christmas – and I know there are many people for whom this is the case – then you’ve got two choices. You can either whinge about it and try and hide yourself away until it’s all over in a couple of weeks time or you can do your best to make the most of it and try and appreciate the good stuff that this time of year can bring.

Making the most out of Christmas doesn’t mean that you have to believe in it or mean that you have to start whopping it up every time you hear a Christmas song, but it does mean trying to keep your mouth shut every time you want to rant about it to others (no one likes a kill joy after all) and partaking in the festivities, as much as you can stand.

Making the most out of any situation is about acceptance and appreciation. About making the most out of life!

So this Christmas, instead of rolling your eyes about it and being utterly miserable, I beg you, try and find some enjoyment in it instead. It may not be easy, but I promise you that somewhere amongst the Christmas madness and mayhem you’ll find something to like and be appreciative of.

Failing that, you could always try donning some ridiculous festive eyewear like me in the pic above. Ridiculous I may look but it certainly made me smile :).

Till the next time, all together now…tis the season to be jolly, tra la la la la, la la la laaaaa!

Katie