Five things you should be doing in November … to get ready for Christmas
If the thought of Christmas starts a twist of panic in your stomach, we have a few suggestions about what you can do now, in November, to ensure you’ll have a more relaxed December and truly be the ‘host with the most’ on the big day. Read on to find out how.
1. Buy gifts early
It’s a good idea to buy gifts early to avoid the stress of December shopping. If your local Hill Street has a Hill Street Home (that’s Hill Street West Hobart, Sandy Bay, Longford, Latrobe, and Devonport), try this: in the next few weeks, whenever you come in to do your regular grocery shopping, spend a little time at Hill Street Home and pick out a few gifts. Hill Street Home has a wide range of things to suit your loved ones – from cookbooks to stylish tea towels, cocktail sets to champagne and cocktail glasses, vases, platters and pretty cups and saucers, the choices are many. Better still, we’ll gift wrap while you wait. Then all you need to do is pop them under the tree.
Our range of Christmas hampers offers the perfect gift solution for those hard-to-buy for family, friends, or work colleagues. From $69 to $259, there’s a big range to choose from. You can also customise a hamper with any products you choose. Delivery anywhere around Australia make this the easiest way to send a little piece of Tassie to loved ones far away. Visit home.hillstreetgrocer.com to view the full 2023 Christmas Hamper range.
Lastly, a special bottle of Tasmanian wine, whisky or gin makes a great gift for the connoisseur in your family. Visit our licenced stores, Hill Street West Hobart, South Hobart, and Lauderdale to see the range.
2. Lock in the venue and confirm numbers
If your family takes turns each year hosting Christmas, work out now who’s hosting. If it’s you, confirm who’s attending and whether you have enough chairs, tables, cutlery, and crockery, and buy, borrow, or arrange hire as needed. Also ask about any dietary needs now.
3. Allocate tasks
Don’t be a martyr – delegate jobs like bringing a dessert, salad, a side dish, or a main dish, according to who’s good at what. Those who aren’t cooks can take responsibility for bringing the wine, soft drinks, spare glasses, folding chairs, or ice.
4. Get some inspiration and plan your menu
Pick up a copy of Hill Street’s 2023 Summer and Christmas magazine which is brimming full of recipes and ideas for everything from summer drinks and nibbles to a formal sit-down Christmas lunch. At the same time, go online and have a look at our 2023 Festive Order Form which lists our huge range of Christmas fare – from turkeys to mince pies and everything in between.
Don’t be afraid to break with tradition to make your life a little easier – a leg of lamb on the barbecue is a lot easier to prepare than a roast turkey, and an ice-cream cake topped with berries much less work than a Christmas pudding.
Seafood is a great choice as it is low-prep and can be served cold - your guests might enjoy it more than traditional hot food on a (hopefully warm) Tasmanian summer’s day.
Dishes that can be made ahead and then put into the oven to warm or brown will also make the day much easier. Hill Street’s Order Form has lots of options which only require you to warm them up and voilà – instant Christmas! Check out our rolled turkey breast, ready-made homestyle gravy, vegetable side dishes, cooked prawns, seafood pies and quiches.
Plan out the menu including drinks, nibbles and desserts and consider any dietary requirements. The magazine and order form have plenty of vegan and gluten free suggestions to help you with this.
5. Order early
Put your order in online as early as possible. While we will have large quantities of Christmas products available for pre-order, sometimes we have shortages due to weather events, or simply because we have received larger customer orders than expected for a particular product. In that case, products will be allocated according to order date. Orders officially close at 11.30pm on 17th December, but please order as early as possible to secure your products.
So, by the end of November if you can say “Gifts - bought, venue - sorted, jobs - allocated, menu - planned, Hill Street order – in!”, we can guarantee you will have a more enjoyable December and a calmer Christmas day. Your future self will indeed be merry.
