Christmas tips from our Director - Gregg Wilson

With Christmas just around the corner, many people have embraced the festivities much earlier than normal with most stores decorating as early as October. Christmas cheer is already in the air with the sounds of Michael Buble and Mariah Carey telling us what she wants for Christmas. Who could blame us for loving the silly season and the excitement right now? After all, we all need to become "unlocked" for a while. 
 
While the dangers still lurk it does not hurt to be optimistic and spread some cheer of your own.  
 
Get the kiddies to write to Santa Claus with their motivations on how good and helpful they were during the lockdown. Highlighting how they coped with homeschooling will score them some bonus points. Have fun when putting up the tree with the kids by setting them tasks in helping you with your home Christmas décor. Lovely Christmas decorations and twinkling festive lights will bring so much happiness into your homes.
 
Its never too early to start planning those scrumptious Christmas Day lunch and dinner menus. Go a bit further this year by introducing a few Christmas cocktails which are sure to impress your guests. Contact the family now and make sure you all know who is available for this special celebration. If you are not the host then it is the perfect time for everyone to decide where you are all gathering on Christmas day. 
 
2020 has been a financially tough year for many people. You can still share in the joy as there are many lovely ideas to make the day special. Instead of buying gifts for everyone in the family, do a 'Secret Santa' draw where all names go in a hat and family members choose one person to buy a special gift for. Set the monetary value of the gift to a reasonable amount that will suit everyone's pocket and delight in the surprise element of who will be buying your gift.
 
Another lovely idea could be that you all are tasked with the food contribution and share the Christmas spoils. You could choose David to do his famous prawn starters, Gran to do her crispy roast potatoes, Gregg to do his famous Christmas Gammon, Michele to do her speciality roast veggies, Sarah to do her decadent Death by Chocolate pudding with fresh fruits and cream, and so on. Splitting the cooking will mean that you have more time to enjoy the day together rather than having the chefs being stuck in the kitchen. After all, sharing is caring and when we share in the preparations of the celebration it brings us all together and magic happens.
 
Remember those less fortunate during this time of year. If you can help at least one person during this festive season consider it as a blessing to you and your family. Christmas is also a time for giving to the underprivileged. Get involved with some charity work if you have time. Many charitable organisations also have Christmas markets in your area in aid of helping others. Donations to these good causes are always appreciated. 
 
Go on, get going with the Christmas tree and have some good fun with your loved ones. Bring in the happiness and cheerfulness of Christmas a bit earlier into your home and lives. We at Seeff Hillcrest & Kloof wish you and your family a very prosperous festive season. May your goals for the new year be safely reached with the utmost of ease.