Celebrating New Year’s Eve With Children

Partying until midnight may not be in the cards for you come New Year’s Eve if you have small children.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time ringing in the New Year!  Kids can get in on the fun, too; you will just have to make your plans for earlier in the evening and modify them a bit for a young audience.

A Geography Lesson

Wherever you live, choose a location that celebrates New Year’s Eve earlier than you.  For people on the West Coast, this can simply mean celebrating along with those on the East Coast.  But if you are in New York and can’t wait for the ball to drop, consider celebrating along with the people of Brazil or Portugal instead; they will celebrate the New Year three to four hours before the East Coast of the United States.

Take some time to learn about the place you are choosing and ring in the New Year with some fun food and treats from that place.  Your adjusted New Year’s party can be educational and fun too!

Something Sparkling

Instead of champagne, pour some glasses of sparkling apple cider for your “midnight” toast!  Kids will love having this drink that seems grown up, but is free of alcohol and tastes like apple juice!  Buy some plastic disposable champagne cups, too, in order to add to the special nature of the treat.

Hats And Noisemakers

There’s nothing kids love more than dressing up and making a lot of noise!  Get out those paper New Year’s party hats and pass them around, and make sure everything has a noisemaker to blow in celebration.  Just don’t pass them out too early, or you might be tired of hearing them long before the party reaches its climax!  Everyone can join in the countdown together and make plenty of noise in celebration.

Once the kids are in bed, you can ring in the New Year with some real champagne if you like, but a little early celebration will turn this usually adult holiday into a fun occasion for your children as well.  With a few treats and the chance to make a lot of noise without reprimand, this is sure to be a favorite holiday tradition for any child!

 

How To Host A Fun And Safe New Year’s Party

New Year’s is a great time to host a party for friends and family.  The hectic holiday season is over and it is a time for new beginnings, but if you plan on having a party at your home or are hosting an event somewhere else there are a few things to keep in mind in order to ensure that everyone has a safe and fun time.  Here are a few tips that can help you plan an event to remember while also keeping your guests and yourself protected!

Serve Responsibly

If you are planning to serve alcohol at your New Year’s event, and likely you are, be sure you know how to serve responsibly.  You are responsible for the conduct of your guests, and if they drink on your property you can be held liable for their conduct once they leave.  Your best bet for making sure that your guests drink safely is to serve plenty of food along with the drinks.  It is also a good idea to stop serving drinks an hour or two before the party is over.  This way people have time to digest the alcohol and it will naturally limit the number of drinks your guests can have.  While it may seem obvious, also be sure that you do not serve alcohol to any underage guests or to those who will be driving home.

Designated Drivers

Again, if you are serving alcohol at the event, you can be held accountable if your guests drink and drive.  You can set up a designated driver program for your guests, or ask guests to leave their car keys at the door when they arrive so that you can monitor who might leave intoxicated.  Also encourage your guests to take a cab if at all possible, and be prepared to have overnight guests should the need arise.

Plan Ahead

Hosting a New Year’s party can be a lot of fun if you take all the necessary precautions.  Have plenty of food and activities planned for your guests.  This will not only keep them entertained, but will also limit the amount they may potentially drink.

 

The Right Christmas Wreath For Your Front Door

Choosing the perfect tree is part of any holiday decorating tradition, but finding the right wreath for your front door can really finish off your holiday look and can be a beautiful and elegant addition to your exterior décor.  Choosing the right wreath, however, can be complicated, so here are a few tips to consider for finding a holiday wreath that not only works for your door, but also coordinates with your other holiday decorations and the exterior of your home.

Size

The size of your wreath is an important consideration in making it look its best on your front door.  If you have a large, prominent front door then you’ll want to choose a wreath that matches it well.  A small wreath will get lost on the door and won’t look proportional.

Color

While you may select a wreath based on its appearance and whether it matches your other holiday décor, you will also want to choose a wreath that has colors that complement the color of your door.  If you have mostly red and green holiday decorations, but have a blue door, you may want to consider a blue and silver themed wreath, perhaps hung with white lights, to better complement your front door.

Materials

This is the area where you can really get creative.  From natural to synthetic, from pine to grapevine, there are a number of options from which you can choose.  Again, when selecting a wreath for your front door you’ll want to consider whether it matches not only the other decorations, but the door itself and the style of your home.  For example, if you live in a traditional or historic style home, using natural materials such as greenery and berries may look better than a more modern arrangement.

Decorating for the holidays should always be fun and reflect your personal style. But when selecting particular items for the exterior of your home, it is always a good idea to be sure they accent rather than detract.

 

Preparing Your Home For Holiday Guests

It’s wonderful having friends and family at your home to share the holidays, but it can also be a lot of work.  Hosting for the holidays comes with some challenges that are best met with preparation and an extra dose of patience.  Here are a few quick tips to get your home ready for your holiday visitors.

Overnight Company

Whether you are expecting guests to spend the night or a surprise visit leaves you scrambling to find bedding for everyone, the simplest way to deal with it is to keep an air bed on hand.  Today’s air beds are a lot more comfortable than they were in the past, and you can buy a quality raised air bed for less than a hundred dollars.  A raised air bed will keep guests off the floor and will feel more like a real bed.

A deflated air bed can be stored easily and blown up in a matter of minutes, so you can save space and still have a comfortable guest bed when you need it.  Having an extra in the house comes in handy for all sorts of holiday guests.

Anticipate Their Needs

Be prepared with things holiday guests may use up or simply forget to bring.  Stock up on things like toilet tissue.  Pick up a few extra toothbrushes and toothpaste. Add a few extra towels as well, to avoid having to do constant laundry.

Buying in bulk can save a lot of money on the household items you go through quickly when extra people are in the house—make a trip to your local warehouse store before your guests arrive.

Clear The Clutter

Nothing makes clutter more obvious, or more of a problem, than having extra people in the house.  When you are expecting guests, grab a few storage bins and put away some of the things that tend to clutter up counter tops.  Make a sweep through the house and grab anything that won’t be needed for a while.  The less general clutter you have, the more room you’ll have for guests and their luggage.

Getting through the holidays smoothly and with as few frustrations as possible can be done—even with holiday guests in your home.  Just be ready for their arrival and anticipate what will be needed ahead of time, so you aren’t running around in search of an extra towel.