With all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season winding down to a dull roar, my family and I are looking forward to our New Year celebration! Long gone are the fun late night dinners at the country club my husband and I enjoyed before kids. As exhausted parents we can barely make it to the stroke of midnight any more, and there is no way our kids can hang until the wee hours of a new day. So we have adjusted our celebration to accommodate our exhausted state of parenthood without having to leave home.
Here are some of our fun traditions:
Balloon Drop - before my husband and I go to bed on NYE we set up a balloon drop in our basement toy room. We have drop ceilings which makes it easy to tuck in the corners of a plastic table cloth. We blow up a dozen balloons and fill up the hanging tarp. We toss in a hand-full of confetti for good measure. Then we tie a ribbon at two of the corners for our rip cords. In the morning each kid grabs a ribbon to yank down the drop. They get so excited to count it down and stand under the falling pile of balloons.
Make A Noisy Parade - we leave noise makers, hats, beaded necklaces, masks and funny glasses on the table for the kids to find in the morning. Then we all get decked out in our New Year attire before lining up for our noisy procession to the balloon drop. Thankfully it's a short parade.
The First Breakfast - when I was a kid I used to look forward to eating the first breakfast at midnight with my parents and their friends at the local firehouse. It doesn't really matter what time you eat your breakfast, it is still the first one of the New Year. We celebrate with a big stack of pancakes and bacon. It's our favorite celebratory breakfast! Our table is decorated with fun Christmas crackers that pop open and reveal a joke, paper crown and other fun trinkets to play with while breakfast is cooking.
The First Activity- I really like to get us outside and moving for some part of our day. I feel like it sets the tone for the rest of our year. I prefer a hike, or nice long walk, but my kids usually settle for playing in the yard. After our breakfast, we head outside. I tell the kids to take their first fresh breath of the New Year and release all their worries from the past year.
Whatever fun thing you choose to do with your littles I wish you a very healthy and happy New Year ahead!
What are some of your fun family traditions to ring in the New Year?
The Whatever Mom is a full-time wife and twin mama living on coffee and wine. She enjoys the pure rush of cleaning the BIG potty between loads of laundry. It is her dream that moms everywhere accept and embrace the Whatever Mom philosophy which can be found here. You can also find her musings and popular shares on Facebook and Twitter. Stay up to date with her creative ideas and outings on Pinterest.
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