Christmas is quite possibly the worst time of year for your hands. Whether it is lugging shopping bags in the freezing cold, wrapping presents, scrubbing endless vegetables or doing indelicate things to turkeys! That sparkly Christmas manicure can often look less than festive by the time the big day arrives.

So here are the 12 tips to avoid getting your hands dirty this Christmas:

1) Book a trip to the Caribbean and ignore Christmas entirely…failing that;

2) Wrangle an invitation to Christmas somewhere else, preferably a friend who absolutely loves cooking and wouldn’t dream of asking you to clear up.

3) If you must host Christmas book your food delivery slot early, preferably with Fortnums who will deliver pre-chilled champagne and put it in your fridge for you, but as I just found out Tesco do still have delivery slots left. It is perfectly possible to buy pre-prepared vegetables, sauces and birds already in their roasting tins so all you have to do is turn on the oven and pretend you have been slaving away for hours, your mother-in-law will never know.

4) Be very clear what you expect from others, delegation is everything. Your husband must understand his duties will include laying the fire, taking out the bins, collecting up wrapping paper, all toy packaging removal, assembly and battery handling.

5) Pre-Christmas your husband must also carry your shopping bags or better still give him the list, send him off and rest with a Christmas movie, it doesn’t matter if he gets it all wrong, the point is you haven’t had to do it!

6) Say a big YES to in-store gift wrapping. Rowan Atkinson in that scene from Love Actually is your friend. Yes you want a sprig of rosemary and the cinnamon stick and you don’t care how long it takes as long as you don’t have to lift a finger in the direction of any sellotape. Ordering online is even better, providing you have someone else to open the boxes for you.

7) If you are lucky enough  to have one, make sure the best gift you buy is for your cleaner, they make your home sparkle and have to be cherished.

8) On the big day, feign an injury. A sprained wrist should do the trick, just don’t forget which one it is when you’ve had a few glasses of wine. You can’t possibly take everything out of the oven, gracefully accept all offers of help and retreat to the sofa, you don’t want to be in anyone’s way.

9) Keep everyone liberally topped-up – they will be far more entertaining and they won’t notice how slovenly you are being.

10) Invite nieces and nephews and bribe them to do the washing up with hard cash.

11) If you have managed to survive the day with minimal effort, by all means celebrate with chocolate by the fire, but whatever you do avoid foil wrappers. Nothing is more likely to ruin a good manicure than a Ferrero Rocher or a chocolate coin.

12) Above all else remember to put SEAMS on your Christmas list and take every opportunity to slather it on all day.

Wishing you a beautiful Christmas

Karen J Gerrard