In her native England, Anthea Turner is a celebrity, with a 15-year career in media and a stint on Celebrity Big Brother. Chances are, however, that you've never heard of her; I certainly hadn't before phoning her in London. With her show Perfect Housewife becoming cult viewing in the U.K., I wasn't sure what to expect. Would she be a snooty upper-crust type? A dry, dull matron? Thankfully, I couldn't be more wrong. Turner is instantly charming, warm and laugh-out-loud funny, with a practical streak that proves why she's the "perfect housewife." Read below for Turner's top tips for surviving the holidays without going, as the British say, Absolutely bonkers.
If you have an organized home, Christmas is ten times easier. Actually, everything is easier when you're not encumbered by life's clutter. Do a kitchen pre-clean – throw out any dusty cans in your cupboard, get rid of spices that are out of date and half-bottles of things you'll never finish. Make sure your freezer works for its living, get rid of any meat over three months old, things gone past the sell date, ice cream with that fur all over it. In children's rooms, throw away broken toys they don't like anymore or give gently used toys to charity.
For wrapping at home, what I do is buy a box of 50 brown paper carrier bags to keep all year round, I use them for all sorts of things. I buy a lot of red, green or gold tissue paper and lovely stamps with holiday decorations. Sometimes my step-daughter will make stamps out of potato, it'll keep her busy for hours! I make sure I've got some nice Christmas ribbon or tie little bits of holly to the handle. It's so easy, unique and personal.
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