One month

Buy all the frozen foods and non-perishables to stock up your cupboards.

Don't forget the crackers, napkins and any other table decorations you would like.

Make sure you have enough alcohol, mixers and soft drinks - and make it your business to know what everybody likes.

Send off your cards on the first day of December - a few weeks earlier if you have any international post.

One week

Make this a team effort and give everyone jobs for the week. For example, one person buys the groceries, another collects the turkey, another the booze, the tree, etc.

Delegate for the actual day: someone to keep drinks topped up, another to change CDs regularly, a washing-up team, party games organiser and a kindly patient soul to look after Great Uncle George.

Put your Christmas tree up - it's great to do this with Christmas music and a glass of mulled wine to put you in the mood.

Wrap the presents and arrange under the Christmas tree.

One day

Prepare the vegetables and the gravy ready for cooking - these will be fine for the next day.

Make sure your dishwasher has done its job with all the dishes - you are going to need every little thing for tomorrow.

Set and decorate the Christmas dinner table.

Put a mince pie and a glass of sherry out for Santa.

Put out the Christmas stockings for the kids.

The Big Day

Well, the cooking has to start sometime! Get everything ready for the meal as early in the day as possible. Make sure that you leave plenty of time for the turkey to cook but not too long that it becomes dry.

Eat, drink and be merry because tomorrow you'll have to start the clean-up operation!