Christmas at home: plan ahead to make this year’s festivities extra special

Christmas is undoubtedly going to look a little different this year, but I’m staying optimistic and remaining hopeful that we will be allowed to spend some time with our loved ones over the festive period.

With that in mind, I’m getting organised early on and I’m determined to make it a Christmas to remember. I usually wait until December to do my Christmas shopping and have been known to be panic buying until the big day, but this year I have started early because a) I need a distraction and something fun to focus on, and b) I want to enjoy the Christmas buildup and not be panicking about last-minute items. So Christmas is very much on in my mind, and I’m relying on John Lewis & Partners to have me covered.

Before I start on presents for the actual day, there are a few things I like to buy in the run-up to Christmas to build excitement. With all the uncertainty and change this year, I’ve been doing my best to make home feel as safe and as special as possible for the children, and Christmas is the perfect time to create some extra magic.

This year, I’m planning to go big with a large tree and plenty of decorations, but I also want to create a sense of cosiness with lots of soft textures. I’m thinking blankets, lamps and scented candles for that warm, fuzzy feeling within our own four walls. I love the Neom Wellbeing Pod, which releases scents of aromatherapy essential oils and can reflect the mood you want to create at home – whether uplifting, or time to wind down.

One tradition we have is to buy the children matching Christmas pyjamas, which I give to them on the first day of the holidays. This year has definitely been the one when the virtues of loungewear have truly come into their own, and I’m going to treat my husband and myself to new pyjamas as well, so we’re all kitted out for our family Christmas movie nights. The question is, can I persuade him to go for matching tartan? If not, John Lewis & Partners’ beautiful silk pyjamas will be perfect for me. If he’s reading this, the Faux Fur Mule Slippers have also caught my eye – and they’d go well with my new pyjamas.

Our usual pre-Christmas drinks and social events are likely to be on hold this year, so I’m on the lookout for more family activities we can do at home together. Move over banana-bread baking from the first lockdown, step forward the gingerbread man. The kids have got into The Great British Bake Off this year, so the Decorate Your Own Gingerbread Men set is sure to keep them busy during the holidays.

I’m not much of a baker myself, so I can’t wait to get my hands on the Lego Gingerbread House (never mind the kids!), which can be built and played with over the festive period, then dismantled and brought back out the following year. I can definitely see it becoming a new Christmas tradition for us. If they start to bicker over it, I’ll call it a day and pop the TV on for some time out. We’ve decided to look into buying a new TV for Christmas as ours is on its last legs. I’d like a Samsung Frame, because I love the idea of the TV blending in with your walls.

Now for the gifts – starting with the trickiest person in the house to buy for: my husband. It’s not that he’s a diva, it’s more that he doesn’t have a wishlist. However, one thing he always appreciates is fresh coffee, especially now that he’s working from home, so a smart coffee machine should go down very well. I recently gave up coffee but I still love the smell of it filling the house. His other great love is running and he is constantly pinching my earphones, so a pair of Bose Sport Earbuds might be on the cards as well.

For the children’s gifts, my eight-year-old son has asked Father Christmas for a Nintendo Switch and my daughter, four, would like a bigger scooter. I’ll also definitely be purchasing the eeBoo Birds in Fern Jigsaw Puzzle for them to do together, as they both love a jigsaw.

We are midway through a major kitchen renovation at home, which has meant a lot of dust and cooking on a camping stove in the living room for the past few months, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it will be completed in time for Christmas. And that can only mean one thing: kitchen disco! Come New Year’s Eve, even if it is just the four of us, we’ll be donning our glad rags, firing up our Sonos Move Smart Speaker, and throwing some shapes to see out this very strange year.

For more great Christmas gift ideas, visit Johnlewis.com