A Hamilton guide to a great last-minute Christmas

3 tips for singing Christmas carols better 1:53

So you're not one of those who starts prepping for Christmas in the middle of June. That's no reason to do without.

In the spirit of giving, CBC Hamilton is here to help you through the holidays. Step one? Wow them with your carol singing.

At the Christmas party this season, you can make the crowd perk up and take notice at your sweeter-than-usual carol singing. Just follow the advice of local voice coach Sue Crowe Connolly, of Hamilton Sings. Here's what you do:

Step 1: Be yourself (everybody else is taken). If you can speak you can sing.
Step 2: Do warm up exercises. Click on the video on this page to see which exercises can ready your voice for carol singing.
Step 3: Remember to breath. Have fun too.

Shane McCartney is the owner of McCartney & Sons on James Street North, and has cooked for the likes of Bob Dylan and Samuel L Jackson. (Adam Carter/CBC)

Here's a list of Christmas dinner tips guaranteed to help you make your holiday meal even better. They come to us from Shane McCartney, the owner of McCartney and Son, an old-school gourmet soup, salad bar and deli. Before he opened his shop on James Street North, McCartney was working as the head chef at Blazing Kitchens in Toronto — where he fed the likes of Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, folk icon Bob Dylan and actor Samuel L. Jackson.

So here's a list of six kitchen tips that will have your guests eating like A-list celebrities.

Make an ingredients list for easy shopping. Nothing worse than realizing too late you're out of nutmeg.
Do as much preparation as possible. "Cut and peel everything the day before."
Bring your turkey up to room temperature before cooking. It makes for a juicier bird.
Give yourself a one-hour buffer before serving dinner. Your turkey needs time to rest and so do you.
Use your oven to keep things warm, not just to cook. Drop the temperature to 180 C.
Give yourself plenty of time and ask for help from people around you.

So you're the type that waits to the last minute but likes to look like you've planned all year long? Our local expert, Sheila Jennings, general manager at Lime Ridge Mall, has some advice on how to get the right gift at the last minute.

Start early. If you're reading this, it may already be too late. If you do get to the mall, get there early. Foot traffic is much slower then.
Make a list, check it twice. Lists will keep you focused.
Ask questions. Recommendations from staff in stores can help you.
Buy local. Get out of the malls. There's less pressure.

"How The Grinch Stole Christmas" was the first of the Dr. Seuss books to become a film. (Warner Bros./Associated Press)

Christmas movie and television specials can really help get you into the Christmas spirit.

It's A Wonderful Life is the most popular film in our Christmas movie poll but there are plenty of holiday classics to choose from including A Christmas Story, A Charlie Brown Christmas, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Polar Express and more.

Here's a list of some favourites that you might not have considered for Christmas viewing this time out and there's just enough time to fit in a viewing before Boxing Day.

What's the best holiday movie of all time?

If you're looking to give the gift of music, why not buy local? Here are 10 Hamilton bands whose albums you can give to the music-lover on your list this holiday, including Furiosity by Monster Truck.

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