Which is why Christmas is the perfect time to focus on others and spread some festive goodwill. Don’t know where to start? Here are some pretty great ideas to help you give the gift of kindness this year.

Look out for the elderly

Make an extra roast dinner for an elderly neighbour, send them a Christmas card or invite them for dinner, if room allows. It can be a lonely time of year for the older generation, so just being mindful of your neighbours and making sure they know they’re not alone is a wonderful way to give back.

Grab a couple of extra items on your food shop

You can donate non-perishable food items directly to your local food banks and various collection points in supermarkets, churches and schools.

Or, why not give up a few hours of your time to volunteer, instead? The Food Collection is a partnership between Tesco, The Trussell Trust and FareShare. Each year in the lead up to Christmas, participating Trussell Trust foodbanks partner with local Tesco stores and volunteers to greet and encourage customers to collect an extra item or two when they shop instore. Get involved!

Here’s a list of typical food items collected in a food parcel

And here’s how to find your local food bank

Donate a small gift

The Salvation Army is a great charity to donate your gifts to. To find out where to donate your gift or for more information on the Christmas Present Appeal, contact your local Salvation Army church or centre.

Help out a furry friend

Donate food to animal shelters near you to help them prepare for the influx of unwanted pets this Christmas.

Take up a life-saving habit

It’s really easy to register and donate blood at your local centre and with Christmas falling on a weekend this year, it’s even more important that the NHS has enough of the good stuff for all the patients in need over the festive period.

Encourage your friends and family to do the same, spread the word – you’ll be saving lives, and what could be more important than that?

Buy charity Christmas cards

Kindness is on the cards this year! Sending charity Christmas cards is an easy and inexpensive way to support the organisations that mean the most to you.

Donate an hour’s pay to your favourite charity

Why not donate the cost of a couple of coffees, or an hour’s pay to your favourite charity However small, a little generosity goes a long way.

Give up your unwanted clothes

Donate your preloved clothes to TK Maxx – their Give Up Clothes For Good initiative helps transform the items you no longer need in to fund cancer research for children and young people.

Complete a random act of kindness

If you know someone around you or a friend of a friend who is struggling, go out of your way to show them they’re not alone this Christmas. Send a small bouquet of flowers in the post or a sweet treat – receiving an unexpected gesture of kindness in the post is sure to put a beaming smile on their face.

Get to know your community

Attend a local carol service to show your support of the community and get in the festive spirit.

Give up a few hours of your time to help the homeless

Volunteer at your local soup kitchen to help the homeless over the holidays. Have a conversation with them – it can make all the difference.

Support your local high street

Shop small and support your local independent businesses this year by remembering to buy your Christmas gifts from independent stores and family-run shops.

Whether you’re hosting Christmas Day dinner for the whole fam or plotting gift ideas, we hope these steps will help simplify the process & minimise stress. It’s your inner Monica Geller’s time to shine, gals.

Decide on a budget

Decide how much you can afford to spend on Christmas this year and stick to it. Everyone is working with different incomes which is why it’s a great idea to come up with a budget to suit all your guests. And it doesn’t just have to apply to food, if you’re buying gifts for one another you can put a £10 limit in place to make it fun and fair.

Make a to-do list

You can never have too many lists when it comes to planning Christmas and there’s nothing more satisfying than striking a pen through your notes and crossing off your to-dos.

If you don’t tend to carry an organiser with you, make use of the notes App on your phone to write your to-do lists and any reminders you might need. Where we go, our phones usually follow so if you’re out and have an opportunity to cross something off your list, you can open up your notes and edit on the go. Easy!

Plan ahead

Start your planning ahead of December to give yourself plenty of time to get everything organised. How are you contributing to Christmas this year, are you hosting at your house? How many guests will you be feeding?

Communicate with everyone involved to ensure the whole family are in the know. A quick WhatsApp group is all you need to get your guests up to speed.

Save inspiration ideas

If you spot anything on Instagram or Pinterest, simply save it to a collection or board and name it ‘Christmas Prep’ so all your ideas are collated in one place. You can save everything from recipes, décor inspiration and gift ideas.

Get your calendar in order

December is an abnormally busy month for everyone. If you’re planning on squeezing in some time with your friends over the holidays, it’s best to get in there early and organise activities and social engagements ahead of the rush and before restaurants, ice rinks and theatres get booked up. Avoid disappointment – the early bird catches the worm!

Do secret Santa

Use a site to draw names for your secret Santa – it’s a quick, easy and cost-effective way to sort your gift exchange, especially for big groups or families. No paper or hats necessary!  

Share food responsibilities

For most people, organising the whole shebang from prawn cocktail starters to pudding is too much to take on. Delegate dishes to everyone to make it an equal effort. Teamwork makes the dreamwork!

Get Linda to tackle nibbles, put Nigel on booze duty and, if you’re having meat this Christmas, divide the gammon, turkey and pigs in blankets between a few guests as it can be costly if left to one person.

Decide on how your menu will look and pencil in a date to do the food shop or organise your online delivery.

Make food in advance

Work out what you can freeze or make beforehand, too. Prepping all your gravy, pâté, sauces, chutneys, mincemeat for your homemade mince pies and mulled wine in advance is a real time-saver.

Declutter your home

Start to declutter and create space for your Christmas decorations. If you have guests staying over at Christmas, you may need to clear some space in the spare room and have a tidy up to make sure it’s cosy and inviting.

Most of us are guilty of using any spare space we have as a dumping ground for miscellaneous items and laundry, so this is a great opportunity to organise and give those odd bobs a home.

Label your decorations

Use clear, labelled boxes to make your decorations that little bit more organised. You’ll thank yourself next year when everything’s in order and you can see exactly where your fairy lights are.

Lay the table

You can get the table ready early and give yourself one less thing to do on the day. It’s a great way to see if you’re short on napkins or any tableware, and that way you still have time to make a last-minute dash to the shops or ask a guest to bring some extra plates with them.

Make a schedule for the day

Make a schedule for when each dish should go in and come out of the oven. It’s so easy to get distracted with present-opening and socialising and before you know it, you’ve burnt the bird. Timing is everything – get that right and you can put your feet up in-between the cooking and spend time with your guests.

You might want to create time slots throughout the day so everyone knows when it’s time to watch the Queen’s speech, play games or squeeze in a quick nap and dodge the washing up. It’s always Grandad but we’ll let him off, the jammy git.

What’s your go-to tip for getting organised for Christmas?

Now…Alexa, play Mariah Carey.

What are you decorating with this year?

Between eating Bratwurst and sippin’ on glühwein at the markets, the festive displays are a must-see if you’re in the city over Christmas.

We’ve rounded up our favourite locations so you’ll know exactly where to head to see London at its most sparkly.

Somerset House

One of London’s most magnificent ice rinks transforms into a festival of light and Winter wonder. Complete with a stunning 40ft Christmas tree decorated with mini Fortnum & Mason hampers, it’s a must-see in December.

Enjoy a steaming Bailey’s hot chocolate while you take in the dazzling icy scenes or slink off to do some seasonal shopping in Fortnum’s Christmas Arcade, surrounded by the beauty of Somerset House in all its festive glad rags.

Where to find it: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA

Leadenhall Market

With its 20ft Christmas tree, ornate painted ceiling and charming Victorian passageways, it’ll make you feel like you’ve stumbled into the magical world of Harry Potter.

Christmas returns to the cobbled streets of Leadenhall Market. Originally a meat, poultry and game market, it’s now home to a number of boutique retailers, cafes and award-winning pubs.

In fact, you might recognise it as it featured as an entrance to Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Hagrid and Harry walk through the market and enter the Leaky Cauldron Pub through a blue door.

Have a mooch around the picturesque pathways, enjoy a glass of mulled wine and get in the festive spirit at one of London’s most historic hidden gems.

Where to find it: Leadenhall Market, Gracechurch St, Langbourn, London, EC3V 1LT

Covent Garden

Ambling around Covent Garden at Christmas is like stepping back in time. Once home to a world-famous fruit and veg stall, the Apple Market is filled with crafts, speciality shops, handmade jewellery and mementos. Marvel at London’s biggest hand-picked Christmas tree festooned with 30,000 lights and make your way across the cobbled piazza to enjoy some 115,000 lights illuminating the main square. It’s a sight to behold.

Where to find it: The Apple Market, Covent Garden, WC2E 8RD

Natural History Museum

No trip to London is complete without feasting your eyes on the wintry scenes at the Natural History Museum. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the iconic South Kensington Museum and dripping in fairy lights, it is one of the most magical places to be this Winter.  

Ice skate around the giant Christmas tree and soak up the Christmassy atmosphere with your friends and family, right in the heart of London. It’ll put you in the holiday spirit in no time!

Where to find it: The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD

Annabel’s

Dubbed one of the most elegant clubs in the world, Annebel’s is a legendary members-only hangout right in the heart of Mayfair.

You’ve probably spotted the ladies powder room popping up all over Instagram, with its pink onyx basins carved into oyster shells, gilded swan taps and peony-adorned ceiling – we’d gladly eat our dinner in the loo.

We could talk about its gilt-trim, maximalist interiors and iconic bathroom décor forever  but it’s the beautiful exterior splendour of this Grade-I listed mansion that steals the limelight at this time of year.

Rather than following suit with a traditional red and green fir tree, this year Annabel’s have gone all out extra with an elaborate, white 42ft faux Christmas tree dusted with snow and dressed with gold baubles. Insta-bait at its best and we LOVE it.

Where to find it: 46 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London, W1J 5AT

Cartier

Dressed to the nines and wrapped up in a red bow stretching across the entire building, Cartier always goes all out with its Christmas window. Located in the heart of London’s Mayfair, you won’t be able to resist walking by without getting a snap of its show-stopping display.

Where to find it: 175-177, New Bond St, Mayfair, London, W1S 4RN

Isn’t Christmas in London just charming? Let us know your favourite festive spots in the city below!   

This year, there’s some absolute corkers out there. From reindeer embellished jumpers, festive Fair Isle sweaters and sequin candy canes, please be upstanding for the best Christmas jumpers 2019 has to offer.

So what if they can’t compete with the perennial Yuletide staples like Love Actually? Let us celebrate all the tip top happy and crappy Christmas movies out there anyway.

With their predictable and far-fetched storylines and corny characters, these are the best of the worst Christmas movies we can’t stop watching.

For your guilty pleasure viewing only

What’s your favourite crappy Christmas movie?

We made it our mission to devour the best turkey-laden baguettes and veggie festive offerings of the land, identifying the moist-makers from the barely-even-buttered Christmas sarnies so you don’t have to. Because that’s the kinda teammates we are.

Let us compare filling vs bread ratios forevermore thank you, please. Slap Christmas nibbles in and around our mouths until we smell more like pigs in blankets than pigs in blankets smell like pigs in blankets. Say pigs in blankets one more time.

Find out which Christmas sandwiches, toasties, subs and festive variants made it into our top 10 and prepare to salivate.

Pret: Veggie Christmas Lunch
£3.75
Score: 5/5

In short, dear reader: it deserves cult status.

Sainsbury’s: Turkey Feast With Sage And Onion Stuffing
£2.40
Score: 3.5/5

A textbook festive feast with generous chunks of turkey. What’s not to love?

Pret: Christmas Lunch
£3.95
Score: 4/5

One for the traditionalists. Layers of free-range turkey, complemented by just the right amount of port & orange cranberry sauce, herby stuffing and spinach. A solid stalwart sandwich, sir.

Sainsbury’s: The Christmas Market sandwich
£3
Score: 4.5/5

Gherkins in a Christmas sandwich, now that is WILD. Dubious though we were, it was a risk worth taking. Not a classic festive snack as we know it but top marks for originality and taste. Bravo, Sainsbury’s you win the award for best newcomer. Be proud.

Pret: Lobster Roll
£5.99
Score: 3.6/5

Those crustaceans are a spenny bunch, eh? Not the most festive of flavours but if you like your prawn posh and your fish fancy, this is your kinda luncheon.

Tesco: Turkey Trimmings Sage And Onion Stuffing
£2.50
Score: 4/5

If meat is what you came for, then you’ve lucked out on this triumphant trio of turkey, sausage and smoky bacon.

Pret: Brie Pistachio Cranberry Baguette
£3.50
Score: 3.5/5

A handful of peppery rocket cuts through the creaminess of rich brie and cranberry sauce. Topped with a toasted pistachio crumb – unfamiliar territory as Christmas sarnies go but if anyone can pull it off, it’s Pret.

Starbucks: Turkey Festive Feast Panini
£4.25
Score: 5/5

Sandwich sceptics, here’s one for you. Pulled turkey, hickory smoked bacon, Emmental cheese, chestnut stuffing and cranberry chutney spread over a rustic panini. It’s basically like poetry on the tongue.

Pret: Christmas Baguette
£3.99
Score: 3.7/5

Everything you’d want from a Christmas sandwich, wrapped up in baguette form. Herby, crunchy, moist – expect an explosion of festive euphoria as soon as it hits your lips. Merry Christmas indeed, you filthy animals.

Nero: Vegan Christmas Dinner Ciabatta
£4.55
Score: 3.6/5

2019 is the year plant-based Christmas sandwiches upped their game. Hand-stretched ciabatta, check. Butternut squash, check. Lashings of cranberry sauce, check. Our resident vegan digs it!

M&S: Made Without Wheat Turkey Feast
£3.50
Score: 4.5/5

This is not a drill: we found a moist gluten-free sandwich. Need we say more? The festive fomo is over, guys.

M&S: Brie And Grape Sandwich
£3.00
Score: 3.8/5

Grapes in a sarnie sounds pretty exotic but we can confirm it’s jammy and surprisingly good. We were shooketh.

Costa: Pigs & Blankets Mac & Cheese
£3.95
Score: 3.7/5

Ok, so by definition it’s not a sandwich (doh, technicality) but when you take a holiday staple like pigs in blankets and tuck them under a creamy sleeping bag of mac and cheese, it’s going to change the game. They knew what they were doing. Would have again. And again. And again.

Costa: British Turkey & Trimmings Toastie
£3.95
Score: 4.2/5

A perfectly crispy indulgent toasty loaded with cheese and all the Christmassy trimmings. You’re hired.

How many festive sandwiches have you tried and what’s your fave?

As we move into the new season, our skin can feel sensitive, dry, dehydrated and seriously lacklustre due to environmental changes and central heating. Whilst we habitually adapt our wardrobes with cable knit sweaters and winter coats, our skin and haircare routines often go unchanged when they too should benefit from a seasonal switch up.

It’s time to bid adieu to those lightweight oil-free Summer staples and make way for hardworking formulas that’ll promise to keep your skin happy right through to the festive period. We won’t rest until we have perfectly blushed and dewy cheeks to rival the merry man Santa himself.

From rich moisturisers, creamy cleansers and enriching body lotions – get ready to weather proof your pores with these Autumn beauty heroes!

1. Opt for a heavier moisturiser

It may seem obvious but upgrading your lightweight moisturiser for a seriously hydrating cream instead can work wonders for dry skin on both your face and body. Look for non-comedogenic products that contain ceramides for repairing the skin’s moisture barrier which is easily broken down in the Winter months.

2. Layer up right

Apply your face products from the thinnest consistency to the thickest. Start with your serums, then go in with your face oils and finish with creams and SPF. SPF should always be applied last in your skincare routine and before makeup.

3. Give it time to absorb

If you’re layering up several face products, allow enough time between applications for each product to absorb and work effectively. Patience is a virtue!

4. Apply in gentle upward sweeps

Apply your face and body moisturiser in upward strokes to help with circulation and lymphatic drainage.

5. Don’t forget your neck!

Along with your hands, your décolletage is one of the quickest areas to age. Taking the products you use on your face down your neck and chest will ensure you’re keeping your skin supple and hydrated.

6. Be gentle

Use your fingertips to apply your face moisturiser, taking particular care around the delicate eye area to prevent tugging. Use your ring finger to gently tap product in a figure of eight around your orbit bone.

7. Check your ingredients

It might not be necessary to completely overhaul your moisturising routine for Winter but tweaking some products will help keep your skin happy. Look for humectants such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin – these are ingredients that hydrate the skin by attracting water like a magnet.

8. Stick to gentle exfoliation

Without light exfoliation, skin will stay dry and dull no matter how many creams and oils you apply. Opt for a product with a gentle glycolic to buff away dead skin cells once a week to allow better penetration of your moisturiser.

What was one of your first amazing recipes?

Our original peanut butter millionaire slab! It inspired our Million Squares product range which we now sell in 3 yummy flavours.

Has food always been a passion of yours?

I’ve always had a sweet tooth and been interested in trying new things but I never thought I would end up working in the food industry.

What is a real pinch me moment in your career?

Seeing my products in supermarkets and spotting them when I’m doing food shopping! The excitement never gets old!

Where do you find inspiration for your products?

I honestly dream them up in my head!

How did you start your business?

I started by developing recipes in my parent’s kitchen and then got my first listing in Selfridge’s. I now have a team of 12 and 3 product ranges sold in major UK retailers such as Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Boots and more.

Did you always want to set up your own business?

Not at all. Until 2013 I had been studying Neuroscience at UCL and had completed a masters in Paediatric Neuropsychology. I was on route to pursue a career in academia but realised in the last few months of studying that it wasn’t as well suited to me as I first thought. I was then diagnosed with severe food intolerances and spotting that there was a gap in the market for really yummy desserts and treats made me think about starting my own business. I was passionate about neuroscience but I’m also hugely passionate about what I’m doing now and I love it.

What is the best thing about owning your own business?

When I can see that what I am doing is having a positive impact on others. I get so much satisfaction from seeing my team develop and grow and from seeing all our customers loving our products. The pride I feel when I am tagged in posts is so immense.

What’s been the hardest part of your career so far?

Not being able to switch off and recruiting the right people who believe in the same mission.

How do you stay motivated when you’re the one in charge?

I remind myself of the vision and keep going.

What advice would you give to somebody wanting to start their own business?

Don’t pretend to be an expert in everything, hire people who can do things better than you can. Delegation is the key to a successful business.

Do you have any role models?

My mum! I would never be where I am now without her endless support.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be?

Avocado pesto pasta. We have it every Friday in the office for team lunch.

What are you having for Christmas dinner?

Everything! Canapes, soup, nut roast, two different types of roast potatoes, tonnes of different roasted vegetables, gravy, and the most indulgent show stopper dessert.

Black Friday fear be gone, we’ve compiled a handy list of tips to help keep your head screwed on, as well as a list of deals we think are worth taking a look at! We’ll be updating our list of the best Black Friday deals all week so check back daily for an updates.

Lists Are Friends

Santa does it and so should you. Make a list of everyone you need to buy for along with a budget of how much you’d like to spend and make sure you stick to it. It’s so easy to be mesmerised by a deal and end up with more than you actually need, obviously a surplus of gifts means more for you but in the interest of only shopping for others stick to the list!

All About The Blanket

Blanket discounts are where brands take a set amount of every product on their site. This is great for the shopper as it’s usually for a short period of time and the products will go back to full price. It also means you can shop freely onsite knowing you’ll get the precious savings when you checkout.

Keep Your Eyes On The Prize

A lot of brands have already started the Black Friday fun and have varying discounts every day. If there’s a brand you love that’s switching things up, make sure to check back each morning to see the day’s discount.

It’s Just Stuff!

Always remember it’s just stuff, there’s no need to get stressed and we completely feel you if not getting involved at all is your bag. As our good friend Charlie Brown once said “It’s not what’s under the Christmas tree that matters, it’s the people gathered around it.”

Best of the Black Friday Deals:

Fashion Brands

*& Other Stories

20% off sitewide with code NOIR20

*Net A Porter

30% all items in seasonal edit. Discount applied at checkout

*Mytheresa UK

All products with this link have an extra 20% applied at checkout. Discount already applied. No code

*Selfridges

Up to 20% with the code: SELFCCE

*Farfetch

30% off selected lines. Code: FFX30

*Liberty

Up to 30% off, plus 15% off beauty

*Joanie

40% off everything

*Browns Fashion 

20% with code: CYBERSPACE at checkout.

*The Outnet

Up to 80% off

*Topshop

25% off sitewide PLUS Extra 10% off with code EXTRA10

*The White Company

20% off sitewide with code GIFT20

*Mango

30% off sitewide with code BLACK19, excluding items with a *

*New Look

25% off Winter Offers

*AllSaints

30% off everything

*ASOS

Up to 70% off everything

*Boden

30% off almost everything

*Gymshark

Up to 50% off sitewide

*Missguided

Up to 75% off everything, extra 20% code BALLER

*Boohoo

30% off everything. Deals changing throughout week

*Matalan

Up to 50% off selected lines

*In The Style

50% off winter essentials, 30% off everything

*Nasty Gal

50% off everything

*French Connection

30% off all full price with code BLACKOUT

*Whistles

30% off Everything

*River Island

20% off everything when you spend £75+ with code 20OFF

*H&M

20% off everything

*John Lewis

Black Friday Event

*Arket

20% off discounted Color Week products, different discount each day

*Aspinal of London

30% of selected styles 

*Kate Spade

30% off everything + 20% off handbags with code: HANDBAGS20

Beauty Brands

*MAC Cosmetics 

20% off all makeup and skincare orders

*Elemis
30% off full sizes and selected gift sets Use code: 2019BF

*Cult Beauty

Range of discounts

*Look Fantastic

Different codes each day per region

*Charlotte Tilbury

Selected items with great discounts

*Feel Unique

Up to 35% off on over 350 brands + free beauty bags and limited time steals

Home Brands

*Soak and Sleep

25% off everything when you spend over £90 using code BF25

*La Redoute

Up to 60% off everything

*MADE

20% off selected lines + free delivery

*Amazon

Multiple offers across the site

Jewellery Brands

*Astrid and Miyu

25% off sitewide

*Astley Clarke

20% off all jewellery with code BRILLIANT + free global delivery + free extended UK, US & EU returns

*Daisy London

Sign up for early access

*Missoma

25% off sitewide with early access code: VIP25

*Monica Vinader

30% off jewellery and up to 50% off daily flash sales

US Brands

*Nordstrom

Up to 40% off selected lines

*Shopbop

Up to 50% selected lines

*Neiman Marcus

Up to 50% selected lines

*This post contains affiliate links. For more information and to read our disclosure policy, please click here.