I love how He gives us sweet reminders of who we are and, more importantly, Who He is when stress takes a toll.
The other day my friend gave me a call to ask about the New Year’s Eve plans. Our families have always gotten together to celebrate, but honestly, as nice as it was to hear from her, my mind went completely haywire! Plans? Already! I was still prepping for Christmas, all the while feeling completely overwhelmed. Sadly, I must admit I did not respond to my dear friend with tact nor grace, but rather in a hasty response that eerily resembled the Grinch.
I felt horrible after I hung up the phone, yet still pouted for a bit, moping about how this year has flown by and relenting on how I was going to host both Christmas and now a New Year’s Eve party. Then God came to my rescue like He always does. I love how He gives us sweet reminders of who we are and, more importantly, Who He is when stress takes a toll.
I got back on the phone with my precious friend, profusely apologized for being such a grumpy bear, and told her I would pray about hosting (since it is our turn) and get back to her soon! Well, after that call I got a pep in my step, and while Christmas is still at the forefront of my mind, I am eager to tackle New Year’s, too.
Maybe you find that you are hosting a New Year’s Party as well. You either have a family gathering, bringing together both young and old, or you have a couple of friends who are ready to celebrate family style, and it is leaving you wanting to create a party that is enjoyable for everybody.
Well then, get those party hats ready, and let’s do this. Oh, and there is no need to fret or overcomplicate it; you can easily throw together a New Year’s party in four simple steps! Here’s how:
Pick a Theme
When you are hosting a New Year’s party, it’s always fun to have a theme so you know how to decorate and plan, but also so your guests know how to plan accordingly. You have the option to keep it simple or go all out! I generally tend to do something in the middle and keep the décor somewhat simple, but then hone in my inner Martha Stewart when it comes to the festive foods.
So, think of how you see this all going (can you picture it?), then pick your theme, and go from there. Are you one who really loves to dress up or are you a simple gal who enjoys more of a relaxed setting? If you are not even remotely sure where to begin, then check out some of the theme ideas below. They are all fantastic to do with kiddos, by the way!
Black and White Party. As the name implies, the color code is black and white. This classic theme will help you deck your halls and prep your place with simplicity. Have your guests also come in black and white attire and have a dessert bar that also fits the theme.
Pajama Party. This is a perfect fit if you have little ones. This cozy and comfy party allows for the flexibility to put little ones straight to bed after a long night. Have some smores, hot cocoa, and a bunch of books with blankets to set the mood.
Glow Party. This is a great one for older kids or teens. To pull this off you will need some neon décor and glow sticks which you can easily find at a party store (or online). Dress should be neon colors and you can serve up lots of colorful foods.
Decades Party. Everyone dresses up as their favorite decade and you pay tribute to various times with old-school music and décor ranging from retro to the awesome 80’s (my time era). Everyone can also bring a dish from their era, making it easy as well as fun!
Plan the Menu
Once you pick the theme, you will have a better idea of what to make, bake, and create for munchies and more. A few questions to ask yourself:
Will you do a light dinner, finger foods, appetizers, or dessert?
What kinds of beverages will you serve?
Will you have guests bring a dish or dessert?
Once you can answer these questions, you can get a better understanding of how this will play out. New Year’s is a great time to serve finger foods that fit your theme, as they can stay out and your guests can munch throughout the evening.
Asking guests to bring a side or dessert also gives them a way to contribute to the party, and helps you out as well, so ask that friend to bring the spinach artichoke dip that you love or the decadent chocolate torte. You can also have them bring their favorite beverages. Oh, and don’t forget to have the champagne as well as the sparkling apple cider for the kiddos to ring in the New Year!
Provide Kid-friendly Activities
Having some easy and simply fun activities for the kiddos to do will not only help the flow of the party, but it will also provide a way for the adults to converse while the kiddos are entertained. Have a table set aside with coloring pages of a party hat or festive New Year's motif. You can find many of these online and just print them out. Bingo, mazes, and word searches are also fun and readily available to print out. If all else fails, check out your local craft store, as they often have printables and fun festive activities for the littles to do.
Need more inspiration? Check out a few of the ideas below, you may even find some fun activities that will fit your theme as well:
Create a clock on the wall with balloons and pop one each hour leading up to the new year!
Party Hat Pom-pom Toss. Use the pom poms to try to toss at a friend holding a party hat and see if they collect it. This makes a fun game for all ages!
Make a festive paper plate countdown clock.
Create a New Year's noisemaker with two plastic cups filled with beads, beans, popcorn kernels, or leftover jingle bells. Tape them together and let them shake away. Yes, this gets a bit noisy, but it’s New Year's, it’s going to get loud anyway.
You can also provide some festive paper that allows children (and adults) to write down their reflections over the past year, as well as their New Year’s resolutions.
Have a Mock Countdown
Let’s be real and realize that if you have tiny tots, staying up until midnight may be a bit difficult and most likely will not happen. That’s okay. There is no need for a meltdown, this night is for celebrating, remember?
However, that also doesn’t mean that your little darling can’t partake in the festivities and still celebrate with a countdown. Thank goodness for YouTube and stations like PBS that now provide readily available New Year’s countdowns on a whim's notice. Yay!
If the littles are getting restless or tuckering out, it may be time to have a mock countdown. The adults could also agree on a standard time so you can prep ahead of time and know when it will take place. The best part is the little ones get to sleep and the adults still have a chance to celebrate (if you can make it to midnight that is). Ha!
Have Fun!
Lastly, don’t forget to have fun! With all this prepping, planning, and execution, we may often fail to relax and enjoy it all. So, this New Year’s, be sure to take a moment to pause and just watch your family, friends, and precious people have a good time.
There is so much to be grateful for as we reflect on the past year and step foot into the new. So, let your heart be filled with joy and cheer as you ring in the new year, precious friend!
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/simonapilolla
