Christmas Preparation made easy

Save with Park for a magical Christmas in 2007!

Park is the UK’s No 1 for Christmas Savings. Our new 154 page catalogue is here and it’s packed with everything you’ll need for a perfect Christmas in 2007. We have a great range of hampers, and drinks, plus a wide selection of toys, gifts, collectables and electrical items for you to choose from.

We also have a fantastic choice of gift vouchers available – including our very own High Street Gift Voucher – available to spend at over 19,000 top stores nationwide. So, you can have great spending power at your fingertips!

You can save for yourself or help others save too. You’ll be giving your friends and family the chance to have an amazing Christmas and can earn yourself some extra money too.


6 good reasons to save with Park

1. Plan, budget and save for Christmas
2. Spread the cost and have everything paid for in advance with no big bills
    in the New Year
3. Shop from home – at your convenience – online, over the phone or
    through the post
4. Easy to manage your account – online or over the phone
5. Free delivery to your door in plenty of time for Christmas
6. Chance to earn up to 25% commission too!


Our promise to you

We promise:

o That your satisfaction is our number one priority
o That our Customer Care team is dedicated to helping you every step of
   the way
o That all our of our products are of the highest quality
o To deliver all of your goods in perfect condition and in good time for
   Christmas

So, request a copy of our catalogue today and prepare yourself for a great Christmas in 2007!

“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”    Charles Dickens



On Christmas day make sure that everyone in the house understands that you all need to help each other out, rather than let one person do everything. 'Try not to have expectations that are too unrealistic and remember that if things go wrong, it's not the end of the world.'

Christmas often means eating a diet high in salt, sugar and stimulants, like alcohol and caffeine, which can make feelings of stress worse, if you watch your diet, you'll feel less anxious and have more energy.

Give yourself time to relax it’s important in avoiding Christmas stress. Instead of going out every night, curl up with a good book or pour soothing aromatherapy oils into a bath and have a long soak.

Exercise is a great stress reliever. Take a walk every day rather than staying indoors throughout Christmas, or book a pre-Christmas treat at a health farm.

Trying to juggle work deadlines and personal priorities at this hectic time of year can make you panic, however with a little bit of planning and forethought, you can sit back and enjoy a relatively stress free day.

We all love the festive season but every time it comes around there seems to be more pressure. Finding the perfect present, preparing the most delectable dishes, decorating the house with the trendiest baubles, being the life and soul of the party – how can we achieve all that and hold down a career at the same time? -Take time out in advance to work out an agenda for action. A bit of forethought will help to ensure that you arrive at December 25th feeling calm, in control – and ready to enjoy the best day ever.


How to plan

Planning is vital if you want to avoid those seasonal disasters – the cards that miss the final post, the last minute dash round the shops on Christmas Eve and the all night present-wrapping sessions.

Bring out the organiser and use it to plan your Christmas activities and your appointments – including appointments with yourself to meet essential work deadlines.

Don't forget that you may need to take time off to attend important family occasions like the school Christmas play or your partner's office party. Also factor in some time to cope with unexpected problems; Bad weather, equipment breakdowns, illness and staff holidays can play havoc with the best-laid plans at this time of year.


Prepare a basic schedule

Firstly, list all the tasks that need to be done and put them in a logical sequence – based on when they need to be done and how long each one should take. Then draw up a schedule, which shows:
The tasks preferably in order
Dates of deadlines
Who will be taking responsibility for each task?


Common Christmas hurdles and how to avoid them

Think about what you really want - to go out for Christmas lunch instead of cooking or help with present buying. All your wishes might not come true, but achieving even one will be a big boost.

Plan some activities that make the season fun for you. A champagne breakfast in bed or hanging up your own stocking are great ways to induce Christmas cheer.

Avoid arguments with your partner by finding a quiet, stress-free time to discuss your plans in advance.

List all jobs that need to be done and decide who will do what. Card writing, present wrapping and work on the day can all be shared.

Don't let underlying tensions spoil the celebrations. Speak out about how you feel and clear the air.

Rotate family visits each year. Decide well in advance which in-laws you will visit and who will come to you.

Admit when you need help. Keep people busy with cooking and table clearing duties or entertaining the children. See guests as extra pairs of hands, not just more people to slave over.


Why the Stress?

When we are under extra pressure, chemicals are released in the blood to enable us to 'rev up' for action. So we need some stress, but not too much. A whole host of things make life difficult for us at Christmas - for example juggling work and personal priorities generally wanting everything to be perfect.

Unless we take steps to manage stress we may react by tearing our hair out or yelling at people. Causing only further problems!

Try to see the funny side of any given situation.
Try some of these strategies instead:
Say no to things.
Take time out for yourself – relax, listen to music.
Be more realistic about what you can and cannot actually do in a day


Christmas is one of the most stressful times of the year, so it's a challenge to get through it without suffering any emotional or physical ill health. The problem is that if you don't keep things in balance you won't have any energy left to enjoy the festivities. But if you can get all the preparations out of the way with careful planning, you will have more time for the really important things – like pampering yourself and partying!


How best to deal with the stressors

Stressor: Being a perfectionist

How to deal with the stressor: Lower your standards. Set realistic goals for yourself. Prioritise your TO DO list. Don't measure your efforts against some imaginary idea of perfection. Relax and enjoy yourself.


Stressor: Following out-dated traditions

How to deal with the stressor: If it's no longer appropriate, don't do it.
Ask yourself why you are doing something. If it has outlived its reason or usefulness, drop it.


Stressor: Taking on too much

How to deal with the stressor: Do less. Don't do everything from scratch. It's OK to use timesaving devices. Ask other people for help. Maybe someone else can bring some dishes, do some shopping, set the table or do the cleaning up.


Stressor: Gift buying

How to deal with the stressor: Instead of gifts that might be returned or never used, you might consider donating money to the person's favourite charity. Give a gift certificate for their favourite store, (give a gift certificate) that's redeemable for baby-sitting, house-sitting, pet-sitting, Etc, if the person is a care-giver, offer to relieve them for a morning or an afternoon be creative.


Stressor: Unreasonable expectations of family members

How to deal with the stressor: Be realistic in your expectations
There's no reason to believe that family members who don't get along the rest of the year will become best friends over the festive season.


Furthermore for a less stressful Christmas

Pamper yourself
Meditate
Get a massage
Go for a walk
Read a novel
Take time for yourself
Rent a funny movie
Spend a night in a hotel
Recognize what's within your power and what isn't.


If you are so inclined, recite the "Serenity Prayer"

God grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change
The COURAGE to change the things I can
The WISDOM to know the difference.