It’s all too easy to let Christmas pass you by without feeling the real magic of Christmas.

The end of the year is finally here and you’re feeling tired and looking forward to your holidays and spending time with your family.

But before you can relax ….

You are running around trying to do that last minute shopping, stressing about what you are going to wear to the Christmas party, sending cards to family and friends, sorting the Christmas menu and getting all the bits and pieces for that all important Christmas day meal.

Instead of really enjoying Christmas, we end up living outside the moment, lost in doing the next important thing to prepare for the big day. The older we get the more difficult it becomes to rekindle that child-like magic at Christmas, to enjoy every step of the season.

No matter how old you are, Christmas is for everyone.

So as we lead up to the festive period, take time to rekindle that magic. Take a step back and get off that train that drags you through Christmas so fast you barely have time to sit down, take the weight off your feet and enjoy being a part of this wonderful season.

By doing small, simple, Christmassy things, you’ll create a snowball effect that quickly gathers speed and immerses you properly in the magic of Christmas – for the first time in years, I suspect.

Listen to your favourite Christmas songs.
Go for a stroll and look at the Christmas lights in your neighbourhood.
Kiss your partner under the Pohutukawa tree (“Kiwi Mistletoe”).
Sit back, relax – put your feet up and enjoy a cold drink or a hot chocolate.
Have a “Christmas snooze” in the afternoon.
Enjoy a glass of mulled wine with friends and family.
Go for a walk on the beach at sunset and just enjoy being in the moment.
Do something each year before Christmas and make it a family tradition – ours is making reindeer dust with the boys to sprinkle around our house on Christmas eve, so the reindeer can find our house.

Christmas isn’t just the 25th of December; the day you make everyone else smile and ensure it all goes smoothly. It is the whole lead up to Christmas, that special magical time where you can forget all the year’s stresses, ups and downs, fears, uncertainties and niggles.

Take a deep breath and enjoy Christmas to its fullest potential. And know this: everything will have a natural way of working itself out in the New Year, no matter how much you worry about it.

So let it all go, be in the moment and have a Merry Christmas!