Baby it's warm outside

As soon as the weather pipes up a notch, crazy people start talking about Christmas. Usually I'm a little offended and totally uninterested in any form of Festive Talk until the holidays begin. However this year, I'm doing things a little differently. I'm starting early. Yes, I see how that makes me a crazy person. But when the holidays hit and you're sorted on all fronts and hammock-time stretches out all day (instead of the 3.5 minutes somewhere between shopping and cooking and wrapping and banging your head against a cool, blunt surface), you'll thank me. The crazy person.

Step 1. Shop like it's a competition. You want interesting gifts, you want them cheap (ish) and you want them delivered into your lap. The biggest waste of time in December is running around in your lunch break looking for the perfect gifts for 27 peeps. And then queuing for 45 minutes to pay for each. So get online NOW and buy a few gifts every week until you've nailed your list. These are my faves: hartandheim.com.au, milkandsugar.com.au, magshop.com.au, kitcosmetics.com.au, shop.until.com.au, dedeceplus.com, ebay.com.au, madeit.com.au, etsy.com, adorebeauty.com.au, mycatwalk.com.au, fishpond.com.au & booktopia.com.au

Step 2. Look for quirky wrapping and tagging ideas. It's been, like, forever since Christmas was red and green, so throw dated ideas out the window and look for bits around your house or in stationery shops that work. Put on your creative-coloured glasses and you'll be amazed at what you find. Thick cream paper with a pink bow is an instant card/tag, a stunning tea towel doubles as wrapping and a clever eco bag/basket becomes the base of a foodie/baby/beauty hamper.

Step 3. Fill up the pantry and the wine rack early, it'll save you SO much hassle later. I always have grissini, olives, artichokes and chick peas handy for guests... I buy them in bulkish and they never go to waste. (Why the chick peas? Good question. I whiz them into hommous with evo, lemon juice, salt, paprika and a bit of water. Such an easy fresh dip without the additives and general weirdness of supermarket brands.) Wine is always, ALWAYS, much cheaper by the case. With time on your side, you can test a few moderately priced bottles out over the next few BBQs and buy the most delish and affordable ones by the case. Win, win, win.

Step 4. Don't spend beyond your means and have a super relaxing, hammock-swinging enjoyable Christmas.