new year celebration ideas

Let the kids in on the fun of toasting the New Year. A milk and cookies toast will make them feel extra special.

Hit your local party store for noisemakers, balloons, blowers, poppers and some sparkly confetti. Package it up in a party bag and attach to a bottle of Martinellis. Instant fun.

A fun and easy kids craft that you can make with whatever you have lying around the house.

Photo props are a fun way to capture the excitement of the evening. We had photo props at our Christmas Party and it was a blast.

Gather up balloons, plastic cups, and mini marshmallows and make these really easy and inexpensive marshmallow launchers. Have a contest to see who can pop marshmallows the farthest or get the most into a bowl thats a few feet away.

Since youre not planning a sit down affair, you have room to adorn tables with funky hats, party poppers, tiaras, noisemakers and streamers. And since New Years is second only to Valentines Day in kisses, leave baskets of mints in your bathroom to get everybody ready for action.Start your party with a bang by putting a large bowl of party poppers by the front door. As they arrive, guests get a gift and a great conversation starter. Not only do they have to look for someone to open the popper with, theyre then armed with the corny joke and goofy party hat usually packed inside. Snack bowls placed strategically around your home are handy for keeping guests munching without having to fight the crowds at a snack table. Fill some bowls with confetti and place them within easy throwing reach for midnight.

As guests arrive, greet them from the cold with a room lit by candles. Blowing out the candles when its time to eat not only gives guests a clear signal to sit down at the table, it also hides any mess in that area. Set your table with shimmering black and silver accessories napkins, napkin holders, chargers, runners and vases. These set an elegant, old Hollywood tone and are easy to coordinate with your all white basics. Use a decorative clock as your centerpiece. This clever finishing touch is holiday appropriate and helps ensure that you dont miss the countdown. Get the group excited for the ball drop by artfully displaying party hats and noise makers around your TV area. Keep your guests comfortable with lots of floor pillows if there arent enough seats.

A fancy but low key brunch on New Years Day is a great way to welcome the brand new year. Tasteful, understated decorations in icy cool silver tones are a welcome break from the glitziness of the night before. Although sparkling wine is the signature drink of the previous evening, splurge on nice champagne glasses for your brunch (plastic is fine, especially if youve invited a lot of people). Whether you use them for mimosas or just straight juice, a nice glass makes everything taste better. Make your buffet table the focal point by dressing it with a silver tablecloth. A sprinkling of silver stars on the table or a tiara or horn incorporated into a flower arrangement are a nice, subtle reminder of the holiday.For visual interest, put your dishes in bowls and platters of varying heights. Not only will each dish stand out better, youll be able to fit more on the table, and guests will have an easier time reaching dishes simultaneously.

Decorate your home to set the tone for romance that still looks fancy and elegant for a New Years Eve celebration. It may just be you and your love but that doesnt mean you cant jazz up your home to look like its ready for 2015.

If you live in a region with cold temp it might not be feasible for you to trek out into the wintertime in your little black dress and high heels without freezing. Skip the big parties, clubs and crowds by staying in with your hunny and cooking up a romantic dinner to ring in the new year.Whip up sexy supper menu idea for food that will impress your cutie. Make this romantic dinner for New Years Eve that includes a delicious roast mandarin chicken, mixed green salad and berry romantic chocolate cupcakes for an indulgent dessert to enjoy after.