Got the family over this Christmas? Maxine Gordon suggests some ways to be the hostess with the mostess without going Christmas crackers.

MY favourite role at Christmas is as a guest. There's nothing I like more than going up to my mum's in Scotland and relaxing with a glass or two of bubbly while she produces a traditional Christmas lunch.

Dad does the washing up, so it really is a truly relaxing Christmas at the parentals.

I don't feel guilty, I just enjoy it. Which is just as well, because this year they are all coming to me.

I can't compete with mum when it comes to being the perfect Christmas hostess. I'm a lot less experienced at producing the Christmas dinner, so tend to swear and shout a bit in the process of getting it from fridge to festive table. I also rope in as many helpers as possible.

I have enough veg peelers so no one has an excuse not to peel a carrot or potato. And, listen up dad, all you need is a small knife to score the base of the Brussels sprouts.

We just pop open a bottle of bubbly, sling a cheesy Barry Manilow or Frank Sinatra sings Christmas CD on the boogie box and get on with it.

Forward planning is a must too. Christmas decorations go up early in December, ditto present buying and wrapping. Back in November, I made my own Christmas cake, and iced it mid-December.

A few days before the big day I write a list of all the food and drink I will need to get us through the holiday period then buy it in one big shop at the supermarket.

There's no getting away from the fact that hosting Christmas is a stressful role for anyone to take on, so anything that eases the tension has to be welcome.

Karen Barnes, associate editor of Good Housekeeping magazine, believes it is possible to become the perfect hostess without losing your cool.

She says it is okay to take a few shortcuts - and suggests a few simple and stylish touches to make it look like you've put more effort in than you have.

For example, the smell of fresh pine from a real tree immediately evokes the spirit of Christmas. Karen says the best choices are either a Nordman or Fraser Fir, both of which have good needle retention.

"However, if you can't face even a sprinkling of scruffy needles on the carpet, it's perfectly acceptable to buy an artificial tree. The best examples are so good it's hard to tell the difference - until you get within sniffing distance," she says, adding that Homebase and Tesco both stock excellent versions.

"When you're decorating the house in the lead-up to Christmas, create a festive first impression by hanging a beautiful Christmas wreath on the front door," she advises.

As you'll spend so long at the table, making it look impressive will add a sense of occasion, she suggests.

"If you're short of time, you can create an instant centrepiece by filling a glass bowl with beautiful baubles, following your chosen colour theme, and placing matching crackers by each place setting."

But there are some things which won't cut it.

"If you're having a Christmas drinks party, make sure you have enough glasses to go around - mugs for latecomers just won't do!" she says.

When it comes to Christmas cards, she advises against making your home look like a popularity contest by plastering them all over the hall.

"A tasteful arrangement around the mantelpiece is a better idea," she recommends.

"Also, don't feel you have to cook all three courses - it's perfectly acceptable to serve a bought Christmas pudding.

"However, if you really can't face cooking the Christmas lunch at all, believe it or not, you can now order in the whole thing, ready to pop in the oven and whip out as if it were your own creation."

Updated: 08:42 Tuesday, December 20, 2005