Christmas is coming... Bring it on, says Sarah

When the first mention of this year's season of goodwill was made back in July I raised my eyebrows and laughed. When it reared its head in August I became a bit cross and remained aloof. In September, I lamented the end of summer, shrieked and then sulked. Now I am relenting.

Christmas may still be more than two months away but I am now allowing myself to get excited and imagine the candle-filled, tinsel-bedecked grotto my home will become when December comes.

In my mind's eye I am already spraying fir cones with gold paint, knocking back the mulled wine, and singing along to Little Drummer Boy.

Will I be peaking too soon? Is it not too early to be Christmassy?

Yes, yes, says my other half. The first pub sign for festive banquets saw him pale and the second brought him out in hives.

Part of me agrees. Mince pies are on sale so early now that they have sell-by dates in October, and I certainly don't want to be dazzled by lengths of fairy-lights before I've hollowed out my pumpkin.

It would be lovely if we could replicate life in Little House on the Prairie and drag home a spruce on Christmas Eve and save the excitement for the last minute, but this particular family gave each other hankerchiefs and potted ham so back off.

Sadly, it's really not realistic to try and hold off the magic these days. If you do you'll lose out altogether. By the time you allow yourself a pre-Christmas frisson you'll be burned out with all the arrangements so have a frisson while you can.

There is a lot to do. Whether you work long hours, have a busy family or are just caught up with general day-to-day chores, there is an argument for getting ahead to keep one step away from of desperation.

Not, I stress, to buy and wrap all your presents in June – that is just odd – but to take time over presents and cards and to lay down some lists.

Timing is vital.

Get it right and you'll feel serene and orderly, get it wrong and you'll be contributing to that self-propelled panic that sees cranberries and crackers – not to mention top-tipped toys sold out by the second week of November.

It probably IS a good idea to get to the shops while there is still room to move to the counter without breaking a leg and while there is still more than one pay-day left.

And what I would like to be doing is having wrapped, cooked or planned by Christmas Eve so I could take the whole family to a pantomime or just sink back with a satisfied grin and sup a well-earned bottle of Merlot.

Merry Christmas!