Christmas should be a wonderful time of year, when families come together, friends gather, meals are shared and a great time is to be had by all.

However, for some people Christmas is a lot of hard work, and a lot of hassle, which is sad because with a little preparation a great time really could be had by all, including those who do the hard work.

It is worth mentioning the Mums and Dads because Christmas is upon us and no doubt they will all be working extra hard in preparation for the big day. Also, let us not forget the people who will work for our general wellbeing throughout the Christmas and New Year’s period not least the emergency services, medical personnel, and the retail staff who will be selling the goodies to you in our local shops.

Here are a few ideas to ease the strain:

Plan early. It is December now, there is no time to waste, make sure all your food and drink is ordered. There are bargains to be had and the very best of customer care right here in our local shops. But, please, don’t leave it until the last minute! You can order your Christmas meat from Frasers Butchers

Christmas Cards. Post early, here is a list of ‘Post by dates’ from the Post Office. To get parcels or cards to loved ones on time, please, post early. Not only that, The Printing Inc can print your personalised Christmas Cards! Read more here

Gifts.Thebestof bolton members have a huge range of gift ideas for your loved ones. Including gift vouchers, cinema gift boxes, gift for the home and so many more. Tick off the list of loved ones you need to buy for as you do to save you the stress, and Don’t forget the batteries!

Family. Enjoy. Christmas is the perfect time for families to get together. Make sure that the true spirit of Christmas is shared within the family, kid’s look after Mums and Dads, they need a good time too.

Pets. Please, remember dogs are for life not just for Christmas, and they can become upset by large numbers of people descending upon their domain, some TLC is needed, because they’re part of the family too! Don’t forget, no chocolate for your pets.

Relax, have a ball enjoy the holiday, eat drink and be merry, we wish everybody a stress free Christmas.

Christmas is also a time for reaching out a hand of friendship to those who do not share Christmas for whatever reason, why not ease their stress with a friendly smile.