CHRISTMAS is coming…the goose is getting fat.

(Or something like that).

But are you ready? And more importantly, is your home ready for the festive onslaught?

It might feel yonks away yet, but let’s face it, Christmas is almost upon us.

And so it’s time to get prepared.

I love this time of year – even if it does involve a lot of work – because, well, it’s just magical. Especially when you’re a mum I think.

And so, even though we aren’t even in December yet, I’ve been busy getting ready for Christmas with the help of one of our favourite retailers, John Lewis.

Whether you’re feeling stressed out about the impending festivities or excited about what’s coming, here are some of my tips on how to prepare your home for Christmas.

And if you like the sound of them, please do have a nosey at my Pinterest board which I’ve also created which is full of inspiration to make your home feel extra festive this year and was my starting point for these ideas!

HOW TO GET YOUR HOME, PREPARED FOR CHRISTMAS

(Blanket: Avoca Silken Throw)

GET COSY

The nights are dark, the weather can be miserable and it’s only getting to get chillier, so embrace it! Christmas is the perfect time of year to make your home super cosy, for you and your guests.

Think, could your home do with a little extra warmth and comfort?

I know ours did.

I’ve treated our dining room to a new plush multi coloured rug, perfect for in front of our log fire as well as a luxury blanket to make sure both guests and us, feel warm and snug over the next few weeks.

(Rug: Scandi Rug)

Soft furnishings like thick curtains or faux fur cushions go a long way to making your home feel inviting at this time of year so if you need to up the cosy stakes, do it!

Your guests will love you for it.

(Candle – Winter Spiced / Lamp – ZigZag Shell Table )

INJECT SOME LIGHT

The long dark nights are the perfect excuse to go wild with lighting. And at this time of year, really you can’t introduce enough to a room, I don’t think.

Our stunning shell table lamp is really helping to lighten up our evenings, together with our fairy lights. Don’t forget fairy lights can be used anywhere too!

Hung on a wall, draped across a mantelpiece or even popped inside a glass vase with flowers or pinecones. So pretty and so festive.

And of course, Christmas would not be Christmas without plenty of candles.

I love to group lots of glowing tea lights together all over the place at any time of year and I can’t wait to light our suitably scented Winter candle soon to help ramp up the festive feel.

(Cocktail shaker – Mason Jar Style / Cocktail Glasses – Lulu International Cocktail Glasses)

CHECK YOUR CUPBOARDS

Have you enough glasses to host a party? Could you do with some new crockery for Christmas Day? Have you a pretty enough dish to display your prize turkey on?!

If you’re planning on entertaining this Christmas (and let’s face it, who isn’t?!) don’t forget to have a nosey through your cupboards beforehand and check you’ve got everything you need.

Advance preparation equals an easy life! And nothing is more stressful than realising you haven’t got enough plates, cutlery or glasses for your excited guests.

This year I know I’m going to be having friends over for a many a festive champagne cocktail so I’ve gone and ordered these stunning cocktail glasses – a set of four different shaped glasses to suit all cocktail needs! I love this! – and a new mason jar style cocktail shaker.

Complete with some Pinterest recipe inspiration, these will be the perfect tools to help me serve a boozy tipple or two.

(Nativity Russian Dolls / Advent Calendar – Felt So Good Christmas Stocking Garland)

DECK THE HALLS

When it comes to getting ‘trimmed up’ for Christmas, you’ve probably got your tree and lights sorted. But what about everything else?

Could you do with a festive piece for outside? Could your hall do with a little injection of Christmas magic?

This year, I’ve decided I want to deck out our dining / family room out with Christmas goodies as it looked a little sparse last year, which is silly really as this is the room where we spend most of our time as a family because of the woodburner and close proximity to the kitchen!

Our dining room is very much about colour and fun and childhood, so I’m leaving ‘elegance’ for our lounge and will be going a little bright and quirky with the decorations in here.

I’ve got some giant paper snowflake decorations to hang above our dining table (after being inspired by a Christmas tea party I went to last year), some multicoloured mini fairy lights to pop in a glass jar with disco ball baubles for the table and some fabulous nativity Russian dolls to display, which I know Elsie will love to play with!

(Pompom Stocking )

Continuing with the colourful theme, I’ve also got Elsie a stunning advent sock garland which I will hang on the wall and fill with treats when it comes to the first of December as well as a vibrant pompom stocking for the big day which suits our pompom garland perfectly!

Roll on December. I can’t wait to get cracking!

The ideas are endless…

(If you need more inspiration, don’t forget to check out my Pinterest board!)

I know Christmas can often feel like a lot of hard work, but really if we’re going to do it, we may as well go all out and do it properly right!

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this so do let me know of your plans for preparing the home for Christmas!

With love,

Kate

Disclaimer – this post was created in collaboration with John Lewis.