Old college friends moved here 10 years ago. At that time both of our youngest kids were in HS..so the kids did/still do their own thing. We have our friends over every year for an easy dinner (I think veggie chili this year)...sometimes we play games...just chat.....other hubby is usually dozing on our couch by ten then we wake him up to see the ball drop...lol....we might have a glass of champagne then they head home shortly after midnight. We haven't done a get dressed up go out for NYE in probably 30 years or more.

We have a large family New Year's Day celebration, so on NYE, I'm usually tired from preparations and we go to bed well before midnight. There are no kids in our household.

Since having kids, we've done a variety of things from dress up adult only parties, to family gatherings with friends who have kids similar ages, another year we had a progressive dinner with neighbors. I actually like just staying home and relaxing and seems that most of our friends now do the same!

If we don't have plans, we usually have a really nice dinner at home of surf and turf - we have filet mignon and lobster. Sometimes we will all watch a movie together or play a couple of board games. Sometimes the kids just want to go to bed.

This year we will be on a road trip to Charleston and Savannah. Looks like we will probably be in Savannah for New Years Eve but I haven't really done much research to see what all goes on in Savannah. I think they might have fireworks. Depending on what the kids are up for, we may just go out to dinner then head back to our hotel to bed. Or if there is some kind of First Night celebration or early fireworks show, we'll probably do that.

One thing I do know is that staying up until midnight is not of much interest to anyone. I typically AM still up at midnight b/c I'm a night owl, but usually everyone else has already headed to bed.

A couple of years ago, my neighbors started hosting a New Years Day brunch where everyone is supposed to come in their pajamas and bring a dish to share. That has always been fun but then last year the neighbor who hosts and another neighbor had a huge falling out and hosting neighbor didn't have the party. No one else decided to host which was a bummer. I will host it next year if we are home but this year we'll still be OOT.

We like to stay off the roads on New Years Eve, and after hosting our big annual Christmas Day dinner party, we prefer spending New Years Eve quietly at home here. DS is grown and living in Tucson now. DD is home from college and will most likely be spending it with us this year. Like Fourkids, we usually will celebrate it with a steak & lobster tail dinner and then watch a movie (DVD) together. We switch on the Rockin NYE show close to midnight and celebrate it with a chilled bottle of Prosecco, which I prefer over champagne. Nothing exciting, but comfy and cozy and together.
Lynn

DH has to work NYE, and sometimes it can even be a late day for him, so it's hard to make plans for dinner. I normally roast a duck and make brussell sprouts to mimic our local French restaurant. We'll have a nice bottle of pinot noir.

One year a favorite band did a live concert streaming PPV, so that was fun.

DH usually has a gig on NYE so we are in some rowdy venue until three or so in the morning. It's fun but sometimes I really wish we could just stay home.

I think NYE is a pretty darn poor excuse for a holiday! Nothin' to it, unless you like to get drunk and hit on, seems to me.

And then, when you have kids, even worse!

Since having kids, we either went to our lakehouse, where the focus was on skiiing NY day, or we travelled. The sale of lakehouse just closed last week, so no go. Tomorrow we are heading to Jackson Hole. On NY eve the ski school has a kids party, and NY day we are snowmobiling in Yellowstone. Night skiiing with fireworks is kinda cool, I think a lot of ski mountains do that.

I had friends who used to host a family boardgame night. I always thought that sounded like a good idea.

We also had a pretty vibrant first night celebration when we lived in Montclair.

Before kids, we used to go to the Met opera on NY eve. It was a nice excuse for DH to wear his tux.

Maybe your DD could have a sleepover??

Other than that, I got nothin'.

Oh, and Happy New Year!

Oh, I was just mainly curious about what people do when they don't do a "big" NYE. We made dinner reservations today for a casual but nice restaurant for an early dinner. Then I'm sure we will watch a movie at home, or that darn Three Stooges Marathon that DH and DD like.

Jackson Hole...love it. We went 5 years ago and it's the one place my DD keeps asking about revisiting. She was only 7 but loved it.

If we had friends who were home, I'm sure we'd do something more social, but all our usual peeps are going to be away skiing or sunning. This is DH's busiest time at work so we always have to stay close to home.

We aren't really big New Year's Eve celebrators. Our local historical society has a formal dance every other year that we attend sometimes, but usually it's just another night in for us. We don't have a tv so we never "watch the ball drop" or whatever it is people do when they watch television on the 31st., and no football the next day, either.

When we lived in Florida there was usually some charity ball / awards ceremony to attend, but DH hates those like poison and avoided them whenever possible. Here in the country life is quieter and people seem to need fewer awards and roasts :-)

Hi KSWL, Hi Sue, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

SueB, I am glad your 7yo liked JH. I am very intimidated by it since everyone I mention it to talks about how difficult the skiing is there! I don't even do black diamonds at our local mountains, let alone out West. I took up skiing very late and I am the world's slowwwwwwest skiier. Did you do the snowmobiling thing?

Did you ever notice we are each other's travel doppelganger, Sue? We have to do lunch sometime when I am in Maine!

Mtn, we were there in August...the only skiing I do is some rather lame x-country skiing not far from home.

I think you've been a lot more places than I have but yes, we should meet for lunch one of these days! Wonder who else is around there...my3dogs, I think?

Happy New Year to all! This past year has been fairly stressful and full of changes, both positive and not so positive, and I'm hoping for a little more peace and quiet in 2014!

Happy New Year from the frozen South... It was 32 degrees this morning, I am hoping the new year will bring back those 58 degree days!

I like x-country but DH and the kids think it's a total yawn. (what's so bad about that?)

To Peace and Quiet, SueB!

I honestly never cared for New Years. Even as a kid I remember being just a little sad about the changing year.

My in laws usually have a get together so we'll head there for a while. We'll probably watch a movie later.

For years we would have a quiet evening with the kids. We would go out for a steak dinner and then a movie. We were surprised at how many of our friends and neighbours we would see at either the steak house or the movie theater.

When our kids no longer wanted to do that we reconnected with some long time friends who were facing the same thing so now there are 6 couples who get together. We rotate homes and just have a potluck dinner and chat and play games. It's really casual and fun.

Wyoming! We gather at my parents Home. Tend to do backcountry skiing or hit targhee on ny to avoid jhr crowds. Big family dinner and relaxing, some play games, others just chill out after a long day of skiing.

Dinner out with friends, then a movie if the timing works.
We are also not ones to plan a big celebration.
My daughters who are both in their twenties always have interesting things to do.

For over 20 years we have been having a nice little party.

Started the first year we were married, and none of our friends were. All of us right out of school and no money to go out to the big scene. We used our silver wedding dishes and leftover napkins from the reception. Had a really fun time.

Then in our first house we would have the babies asleep, and people could bring their kids and playpens. Low key fun with friends.

Onto the house we raised our kids in. Everyone could bring their kids to the party, so no one had to pay for a babysitter. Somehow the kids all played together famously, and managed to stay up past midnight and be a delight. Everyone brought an appetizer to share, so it was a casual party and not much work since the house was already deep cleaned from the holidays.

This is the first year in our new (empty nest) house. Our kids are in college, and they are still coming to the party, except now they are all old enough to take part fully.
When we told our friends we were moving, usually the first thing they wanted to know was if we still planned to have our new years eve party.

It has become a really nice tradition. I think that us and all of our friends like to get together, not spend any money, and not shout over a loud bar scene. It is really a nice time.

Just wanted to put this out there in case anyone else might want to start a nice little tradition like this too.