As Christmas Day approaches, it's time to acknowledge that there is one thing all the greats have in spades. And no, before you ask, I'm not talking about Michael Buble's Christmas album.
Your mum, your aunty, your grandma - all these strong independent women have one trusty weapon in their armory during the undeniable festive slog. Organisational skills. Skills that you can't possibly hope to match at such a tender age.
The perfect picture book Christmas is not a last minute rush to the shops and a slapdash tree - it's hours of meticulous menu planning, standing in long lines for the perfect turkey, shopping around for the perfect cheese board, and days of hard graft turning the house into a winter wonderland.
So how do the rest of us, a bunch of noel novices, hope to get out of the festive season totally unscathed? The answer is relatively simple... a handy site called Gumtree.
The home of classified adverts in the UK, Gumtree are on hand this Christmas to solve the yuletide hiccups that have become synonymous with Santa dropping off his presents. Whether it's grabbing that extra chair to make sure Great Aunt Edith isn't sitting on the floor, or hunting down some much needed kitchen utensils for the big Christmas lunch showdown, Gumtree can help you out. Oh yeah, and don't worry about the sleeping arrangements either, as it might even be able to sort you out with some last-minute airbeds for those guests who aren't built for sofa surfing.
Christmas doesn't have to be a stressful event, in fact, it could even be - whisper it - enjoyable! So as the big day gets nearer, try not to panic, and remember that there is always a helping hand on duty for those of us to whom organisation and planning don't come easy.