Every year I have a hope. A hope that this will be the year where life is so organised that, for once, I’ll be able to sit down with a glass of mulled wine at 9pm on Christmas Eve and watch It’s a Wonderful Life instead of staying up until 2am wrapping presents, bits of Sellotape in my hair, writing cards to the neighbours as the last tealight sputters out (note: buy tealights).
It all begins so well. The list – or, rather, lists – are made and the cooking days planned in, but a few things usually get cast aside because work intervenes or because, well, life. But THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. Planning brings calm, but plans are made to be veered away from, so follow this calendar as much or as little as you see fit, in the knowledge that even doing half of it will make life easier. It’s all about the anticipation…