Christmas might be the happiest time of the year, but it's also one of the most stressful. With cooking dinner, seeing extended family, dealing with in-laws and somehow still having to look merry and somewhat well put-together it can be a tricky time. The Team here at LBD have pulled together this blog post to share with you 8 of our top tips for surviving this holiday season.

1. Schedule

We like to have a loose schedule for how we want the day to pan out, at least then you can have a vague idea of when you want to sit down to eat, plus you can leave yourself enough time to change into your Christmas dress! Make a mental note of what time people are likely to be arriving, what time the potatoes need to go in the oven and what time you'll probably fall asleep. Even if you're not cooking this year and don't need to have a cooking schedule, you can still help out! It might be a crowded kitchen, or it might all be dealt with, but the cook will only be thankful that you offered to carve the turkey!

2. Children

Imagine the best day of the year you could ever fathom, then add sugar and presents. They're awake before the sun, and they've been bubbling with excitement since they broke up from school. They'll be bouncing on the bed at 5am asking if he's been yet. Can you remember your excitement? Also, if you can't have a breakfast Baileys on Christmas day, when can you?

3. Ditch the Diet!

Diets are not for Christmas Day. Christmas Day is for indulgence and feeling uncomfortably full. Honestly, diets aren't for boxing day or any day before January 1st. Think of the leftovers! Think of the chocolate! Indulge, then spring back in the new year. Everyone over-caters for Christmas day so we might as well accept that we're going to be eating a left over cheese board until mid-March.

4. Team work makes the dream work!

If you're not hosting Christmas this year, you're likely to have a long list of relatives you need to visit before the day is over. Set a timeframe for each house, and work together to see everyone you need before the end of the day. Agree in advance how many cups of tea/glasses of brandy you'll accept and, come up with a strategy to get out of there when you need to! "Oh, I think we needed to see so-and-so before they put the little one to bed!" "Oh yes, that's right, thank you for reminding me!"

5. Relax

Take extra time to yourself. The next few days are going to be hectic, so take every second you can to zone out and relax. If it means announcing you're clocking off for an hour and taking an extra long bath, do it. The emails can wait, the ironing can wait, the people you live with can feed themselves for once! Clock off. Chill out. If you get out of the bath and your finger's don't look like prunes, we don't think you're relaxed enough! If you're too short on time to take a break, we like to treat ourselves to a large glass of red and some retail therapy. And remember, Monopoly is just a game. Come to terms with the fact that you'll never finish it. Accept it. Move on.

6. Shop Online

If there's still someone you need to buy for, online shopping is the way to go. The shops are going to be extremely busy now, but if you order with us before midday on December 21st and select "next day delivery," your order will get to you before Christmas! Even if you've done all your Christmas shopping, it's not too late to treat yourself to a new outfit to wear on Christmas day. If the Boxing Day sales are your thing, save yourself the stress of getting up at the crack of dawn to queue outside, by bookmarking the stores you want to shop on your computer. Then you can shop in bed with a cuppa!

7. Nap

If you don't fall asleep at some point during Christmas day, you're either super-human, or you haven't eaten enough turkey! Schedule in some down time and enjoy the quiet before everyone wakes up again.

8. Would you have it any other way?

Every year the dynamics of your family change, and you never know which new or old faces will be around the table at Christmas 2017. So just think, would you really spend Christmas with anyone else? Merry Christmas, we hope your day goes as smoothly as possible! Have a healthy and happy new year, too. Love from The Team at LBD x If you love our blog, you can now follow us on Bloglovin' as well as keeping up to date with all things Little Black Dress on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.