What a busy but fun filled morning! Just finished my second radio segment of the day on Martha Stewart Living Radio where I spilled all my New Year’s tips & tricks! Christmas will soon be over and then it’s New Year’s! Below are some fun tips for your New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations!
New Year’s Eve Tips:
* BYOB! Tell guests to “Bring Your Own Bubbly” to split the cost of the shindig. You’ll be surprised with the variety of drinks you’ll have available for everyone to enjoy throughout the night and of course for the COUNTDOWN!
* Dress up those drinks! Nothing screams fabulous like a decked out drink. Think margarita salt but for mocktails. Use superfine sugar and a couple of drops of food coloring in a Ziploc bag. Seal and shake so that the food coloring distributes itself evenly. Use a lemon wedge to wet the rim of the glass and dip it in a shallow plate of colored sugar (or graham crackers, cinnamon-sugar, crushed candies, etc.)
* Don’t forget the DD. Nothing is worse than screaming “I’m the designated driver!” by requesting the only non-alcoholic beverage at the bar – bubble water with a twist. Offer your guests lots of non-alcoholic alternatives using interesting juices, flavors and mocktail combos they might never have thought of. Think passion fruit juice, real ginger soda, fizzy lemonade and sparkling peach juice.
* Play DJ. It is an absolute must to plan your party music ahead of time. Start things out mellow, but make sure the songs get a little bit faster and more fun through the night. Play hit songs decade by decade: Start with the sixties and work up to now. Burn the songs onto a CD — and don’t be surprised if your guests want a copy at the end of the night!”
* Accessorize! Provide fun party hats, boas, poppers and party horns for guests to play with during the night. It’ll make photo taking that much more fun and of course add to the excitement of the ball dropping!
* Get decorative. Use funky vinyl decals to trick out your walls with fun sayings and shapes like the NYE ball. Use your Christmas lights to brighten up the night and add disco balls for fun!
New Year’s Day Tips:
* Host a New Year’s Day Brunch. Invite your friends and family over for a New Year’s Day brunch. Keep it relaxed by using an “open house” format where attendees can come and go as they please. More and more people are staying home on New Year’s Eve, and would look forward to an event the next day.
* Toast to a New Year & a New Beginning! with a special drink like the Pomosa, 1 ounce pomegranate liqueur, 3 ounces champagne.
* Tournament of Roses! Gather around with your family & friends and enjoy watching the parade together as you eat or chitchat about the new upcoming year. As a fun activity have your guests each bring their own “float” centerpiece made of flowers and other natural items (just like the real Rose Parade) and make your own contest out of it! This can play double duty as an activity and décor for the gathering!
* Make it a game day. Turn on the TV & bring out the board games! Chances are the adults will want to watch the football game distraction free and children will want to be entertained as well. While the adults can make bets and do their own thing the children can too! Most likely your children received games as a gift in the past couple of weeks. Pull them out and check them out. The children will love spending the day playing their new games and everyone’s happy!
* Choose Your Resolutions! Sit everyone down and pick out what you would each like to improve on in the New Year. You could make a game out of it by gathering all the resolutions and taking them to a dartboard. See if you can get a bull’s eye on your resolution.
* Calendar Swap! Have your friends each buy a unique cute calendar, trade & take them home for the New Year! If the event was a success it’ll remind them of it throughout the whole year.
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