Many of us will have sworn to keep in touch with our nearest and dearest this year - but maintaining this resolution beyond the end of January can become a bit of a bind.
If you are about to hit the slopes for some high-speed downhill action, to practice your snowboarding skills or simply enjoy the off-piste activities, it's important to pack the right kit.
After the wrapping has been ripped open, the turkey digested and the best of what's on the box reduced to re-repeats from the last decade, maintaining the Christmas spirit in your abode could become an uphill struggle.
One of the more challenging gifts to buy at Christmas is the one that shouldn't really take a second thought, but when those secret Santa slips have been selected the pressure is on.
Despite my dislike for kick-starting Christmas celebrations too early - something which stems from those local authorities that stick up the lights just because they have a ladder in the area and a willing B-list celeb on hand to flick the switch - I always have an advent calendar ready and waiting for the first day of December.
Is the ugly metal monstrosity under your desk causing you more embarrassment than an elderly uncle at a wedding with no sense of rhythm? Does your box of bytes take up an unnecessary amount of space? Are you tied down by a weight, too heavy to shift even an inch?
Are the kids looking for a new addition to your household this Christmas? If the logistics of looking after a full-time pet make it an impossible purchase - and a goldfish just isn't interactive enough - you've no need to be phased by their fluttering eyelids.