Celebrating New Year’s Eve at home this year? There are lots of good reasons for that. I had planned to go to a New Year’s celebration but I’ve got a cough now and I think I’d better stay home this year. If you are planning to stay home, here are some ideas to make a memorable evening.
1 Decide how you would like to celebrate…
- Does a solitary night of self care and quiet reflection sound wonderful?
- Or celebrate with family or friends?
- Talking or texting loved ones and friends?
- Dressing up or dressing down?
- Turn in early? Or stay up until Midnight and watch the ball drop?
- Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, hosted by Ryan Secrest, airs on ABC starting at 8 p.m. It will stream live on YouTube TV, Hulu + TV, Fubo TV and DirectTV Stream.
- Fancy home-cooked dinner, snack tray or takeout? Fondue?
- S’mores around the fire pit outside and make wishes on the stars?
- Watch a movie? My favorites…
- New Year’s Eve (Amazon Prime video, $3 to rent).
- Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (Amazon Prime video, $3 to rent).
- Play music…radio stations often play countdowns.
- Or play games? Here are some free New Year’s coloring pages from Crayola.
2 For the shopping cart…
- A 2023 calendar or planner (or print one out online).
- Sparkling apple cider, sparkling wine, champagne, seltzer, soda or sparkling mineral water.
- A New Year’s cake is fun… or you could make one with the kids. My son and I used to do that every year.
- Bath and Body Works Champagne Toast fragrance mist, body wash and or body lotion. It smells like champagne with berries. I bought the trial size.
- Glade Champagne Cheers (small candle, about $4 in grocery stores). This candle really does smell like Champagne!
- New Year’s paper snack plates and cocktail napkins (also at the grocery store).
- Munchies! Crackers, cheese, veggies, dip, cut up fruit, a cake or any snack/dessert to make you feel festive.
- Traditional foods you eat on January 1 (such as pork and sauerkraut or black eyed peas and collard greens).
3 Tidy up and decorate your home or space.
- Put up some Christmas string lights and borrow some tinsel garland from your Christmas decorations. Or make a New Year’s wreath.
- Make your own decorations and 2023 sign.
- Or visit a party store for confetti, streamers, poppers, balloons and New Year novelties.
4 Take some time to remember the highlights of the year and also departed loved ones.
- Review your social media timeline or planner to remember and reflect on events of 2022.
- Post an optimistic Happy New Year greeting to your Facebook friends.
- Make a gratitude list about 2022 — the highlights, the lessons.
- Display framed photos of your departed loved ones. My cousin put out a little table on Christmas with some pictures of my mom and votive candles. That meant a lot to me.
5 Spiritually connect with the spirit of hope that a new year brings.
- Write your 2023 resolutions…or not! Or make a vision board. There are resolutions activity ideas and downloadable papers for writing down goals online (e.g., on Pinterest).
- Pick a word of the year for yourself.
- Read your 2023 Horoscope. There are many out there but the most comprehensive one that is online and free that I have found so far is Cafe Astrology. Be sure to read the Overview and the Love horoscopes for your sign (and maybe rising sign). The Love one has a lot of information besides romance. Cafe Astrology’s personal horoscope reports are also very reasonable in price.
- Read your Tarot cards with a New Year’s spread. Or visit Lotus Tarot for a free online reading.
- Make a wish for peace or pray for peace in the world.
- Make a donation, caring gesture or ritual of some kind that is personally meaningful to you.
- Ground and center yourself with meditation. Here is a guided New Year’s meditation to try.
Do you have plans? I hope you have a great night. Happy Almost New Year’s Eve!
Tagged: New Year's Eve
Cool Yule 
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