With the start of December comes the sometimes nail-biting reality that the Christmas season is here. Dust off that tree (or buy a new one) and set the household off on a tinsel spree to get everyone in the festive mood. Now’s a good time to start preparing anything that can be made ahead, like preserves and pickles. You can even pour these into jars and tag them, ready to gift. Mince pies also freeze well, so bake these up now and freeze in airtight containers. Give infused spirits a go this year, for a Christmas tipple with a twist. Use the season’s bounties as your flavour inspiration – try berries, stone fruits, elderflower, coconut, herbs such as mint and thyme, and spices such as cardamom or nutmeg. If you haven’t already, it’s a good time to finalise your online gift purchases and stock up on cards, wrapping paper and ribbon. Write a couple of cards each night until you can head to the post box, rather than constantly shying away from a mountain of work. Pick up Christmas cards as early as possible, like these festive ones from Woolworths, to ensure they get delivered in time.

It’s time to fill any present holes – warning: this may include (gasp) a trip to the shops. Write a list beforehand, ensuring you’ve covered off everyone from office secret Santas to any great aunts and neighbours you’re buying for. Wrap up as much as you can to make your tree look full – this always incites feelings of accomplishment. It’s also about now you should be thinking about purchasing your ham orders on your next shop (or or order one online, like this Woolworhts Select Ham Leg Half, min. 4.4kg, here). Then pour yourself a drink, grab some sticky notes and sit down to finalise your Christmas menu/s, including the most important job of all: delegating.

Sometimes it’s the little things that can spin Christmas day into chaos. Prepare batches of any sauces, stuffings, dips, bake-ahead desserts (cheesecakes keep well) and starters for freezing – ready for the big event. It’s also a good time to buy up everything on your grocery list, bar the fresh stuff, like bread, fruit and veg, soft cheeses, and flowers. That leaves crackers, aged cheeses, drinks, last-minute decorations, cleaning equipment and all your menu ingredients. Store prepared batches of goods in plastic containers for easy freezing, like these 1L food storage containers from Woolworths.

It’s time to bake up any biscuits, sweets and other perishables that will keep. While you’re on a roll, order your bread for pick-up on Christmas morning or eve. You’ve got this. Short on time? Pick up a pack of shortbread biscuits, like Walker’s Shortbread Pure Butter, 190g, available from Woolworths here.

This is the biggest day of your preparations, because tomorrow is, theoretically, all about final touches and kicking back to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Pre-make salad ingredients (like roasting nuts or vegies and preparing dressings), marinate meats, make any sandwich fillings, stuff your birds, score your ham and parboil any vegetables you’ll be roasting tomorrow. It’s a good idea to prepare the sweets, too, if you haven’t palmed these off already. Don’t forget to defrost any frozen goods in the fridge tonight before settling into some carols and a cheeky drink. Phew. Don’t forget your ham bag. Pick one up here, from Woolworths.