Getting ready for Christmas - 8 tips to really enjoy the pre-Christmas season this year

December has begun, and Christmas is fast approaching. To avoid getting stressed at the end, you may have already bought a few presents. The sooner the presents are bought and wrapped, the more relaxed the weeks leading up to Christmas are supposed to be. Nevertheless, the pre-Christmas period always passes far too quickly, and before we know it, Christmas is over. To ensure that December 24th doesn't arrive before you've even had a chance to fully enjoy the pre-Christmas season, we've compiled 8 tips to help make the Advent weeks a particularly relaxing, contemplative time this year.

Christmas tree, red balls and more - Christmas decorations

First and foremost, we believe that Christmas decorations are a must during Advent. Even if you're not a fan of kitschy Santa Claus figurines, a little decoration is essential to really get into the Christmas spirit. After all, what would Advent be without a beautiful Advent wreath and a decorated Christmas tree? Perhaps you'll even treat yourself to a homemade gingerbread house this year?

Must-Have Advent Calendar

What could be better than looking forward to a little surprise every day? Whether it's chocolate, makeup, tea, or spices, an Advent calendar is a wonderful thing! If you forgot to buy one this year, or simply didn't manage to buy one in time, you should keep your eyes open. Many stores offer discounted Advent calendars after December 1st, which also has the advantage of allowing you to open several doors at once.

Don't miss the MyBagFactory Advent Calendar on Instagram! We're giving away one of our products every day until December 24th. Have fun participating!

For the right mood - Christmas movies and cookies

Cuddling up on the couch with a cozy blanket and sweatpants and watching a classic like Cinderella or a fairy tale is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit and relax. Just set aside an Advent Sunday for it and have some cookies ready to snack on.

Because one thing that absolutely cannot be missed before Christmas is homemade cookies! Whether you're trying out new recipes or baking the same favorites as every year, this year especially enjoy the delicious smell of the sweet treats in the house and take enough time to really indulge yourself in decorating the cookies.

Special event – opera and theater visit

Especially before Christmas, there are many wonderful performances in the theater and opera that put us in the Christmas spirit. If you want to make the most of Advent, you should definitely treat yourself to an unforgettable experience. Go to the theater, the ballet, a Christmas exhibition, or even just the cinema and enjoy this wonderful way to escape from everyday life and the pre-Christmas stress, thus sweetening this most wonderful time of the year.

Relaxed gift shopping - Order online

A stroll through the beautifully decorated shops is definitely a must-do in the run-up to Christmas and should definitely be done with your best friend and a hot cup of mulled wine or hot chocolate. Nevertheless, buying gifts often presents us with challenges, and those who work during the week in particular have little time for hours of shopping trips through countless stores. Ordering a few things online can help. It's best to order from the websites of smaller retailers and avoid the larger providers, who are already heavily overloaded before Christmas. There may also be delays, and your order may not arrive until after the 24th. Smaller, regional shops, on the other hand, usually do their best to ensure your gifts arrive on time, and often even include a little extra with your order. So, make yourself comfortable with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and a few cookies and browse the online shops for lovely gifts for your loved ones!

What’s done is done – wrap gifts right away

It's best to wrap the presents immediately after you buy them or after they've been delivered by the mailman. While this may take some effort, it will help you avoid stress before Christmas Eve. Wrapping a single present doesn't take long, and it will certainly look nicer in the end than if you're under pressure to wrap them all at once.

Don't do everything alone - teamwork

Christmas is the festival of love. It represents spending time together with the people you care about. Yet, before Christmas, we often rush through the shops alone and forget the meaning of the season with so many tasks. Especially if you're the person in the house preparing for Christmas and have a thousand and one things on your to-do list, you should delegate a few of your tasks. This year, teamwork is required when preparing for Christmas. Achieving something together is so much more enjoyable anyway.

Don't let yourself get stressed!

Christmas stress will ruin your Christmas spirit, so don't let the little things get the better of you. Try to set your priorities daily and do everything as well as you can. Even if a gift isn't perfectly wrapped, what's inside matters, and the recipient will still be happy. Don't set your expectations too high for Christmas either; not everything has to be perfect to have a wonderful Christmas Eve. All that matters is that you spend Advent with your family and friends, do something good for yourself, and don't let stress spoil this wonderful, contemplative time.

We wish you a peaceful pre-Christmas season! 🎅

Your myBagFactory team