Mid November: decorations and sales are already hitting stores.

Beginning of December: is there a deserted island I can pack off to until well into January?

We all smile up at the sparkly lights and go ‘I love Christmas time’ … and then we look straight ahead at the crowded high streets, malls and shops and suddenly the happy feelings are wrenched from within and we’re back to the nightmare of the run up to Christmas.

Why do we put so much expectation on ourselves? We must have the best lights, the plumpest, fullest tree, the shiniest decorations, the biggest turkey – and the most presents.

I would love to avoid the miserable Christmas shoppers, pushing and shoving each other for sale items like the business of manufacturing has gone out of fashion.

Stop. One day, in one month, of one year. That is Christmas. Shouldn’t we be thinking about how lovely it is to be surrounded by family, eating good food and sharing in a memorable occasion?

Instead we suffer from stress, do last minute panic shopping (when we already have more than enough crammed into cupboards and under the tree) and suddenly Christmas is turned into a war of who can do it best and ‘we have GOT to get the house perfect before anyone arrives!’

Perhaps, for the first time, the recession might be a good thing. Maybe we will slow down, shop less and spend more time appreciating the gifts we’ve already got; family and friends.