6 Things I do to ringing in the New Year
It’s that time of year. Time for the New Year’s Eve celebration! Time to say goodbye to the previous year and time to look forward to the hope of the new year to come. A lot of people celebrate in many different ways. Some like attending a grand celebration with hundreds of people, loud music, and dancing the night away. Others celebrate by still going to bed at 9:30 and toasting the new year with breakfast the next day.
I am somewhere in the middle. I love celebrating New Year’s Eve but hate going out. To me, a good New Year’s Eve celebration is spent and home and pampering myself.
For most of my life the holiday season, starting with Thanksgiving through Christmas, is a whirlwind tour of family and friends. Going here and doing that. It feels like I have no downtime. Until New Year’s Eve.
As a kid, I would occasionally go to a friend’s house for a New Year’s Eve celebration but even that was low-key, play some games, watch some movies, eat some food, count down to midnight, then go to bed.
As an adult, it’s been the one evening every year when I can just be myself. Do what I want to do. Eat what I want to eat. Just be at peace. While every year looks a little different, they all have the same themes. Pamper, Pamper, Pamper! New Year’s Eve is after all a time to celebrate.
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Celebration Agenda Item #1 – Pamper Me with Self-Care
One of my favorite New Year’s Eve Celebration activities is some self-care. I love having a fresh pedicure, manicure, and facial. I look at New Year’s Eve as a way to not only reflect on the last 365 days but want to set the right mood for the next 365 days. Nothing does that better than a little self-care.
Each year is a little different but it always includes things that make me feel good about myself.
This year I plan on giving myself a:
- Pedicure – complete with a foot soak, exfoliating socks, fresh nail polish, and a foot massage with Just Dandy Heel Balm.
- Manicure – with a nail trim, cuticle cleanup, sugar scrub, moisturizing oil, and fresh nail polish.
- Facial – using a bareMinerals charcoal mud treatment, guacamole face sheet mask, and hydrating Josie Maran Argan oil.
- Lip Treatment (If my cold sore goes away…) – including a Sara Happ lip scrub, lip mask, and lip slip night moisturizer
New Year’s Eve Celebration Agenda Item #2 – Indulge in Delicious Food
As a self-proclaimed foodie, a good New Year’s Eve celebration would not be complete without good food. I’m not sure where this started or why but ever since I was a kid, we had some kind of seafood on New Year’s Eve. Probably because it was the only time of the year seafood goes on sale. Or maybe because my Scandinavian heritage says we should eat lutefisk… (NO THANK YOU!!)
Whatever the reason is, I have had seafood on New Year’s Eve for most of my life so why change that now? Normally I keep it simple with shrimp scampi or crab legs but this year the menu is a bit more complicated; homemade sushi. It’s not the first time we have attempted to make sushi but I’m nowhere near the level of calling myself a sushi chef. We will see how it goes…
Celebration Agenda Item #3 – Toast with Bubbly Even when Alone
What New Year’s Eve Celebration would be complete without a toast at midnight?!?! Even if I’m spending New Year’s Eve alone, I still buy a bottle of bubbly stuff. Maybe someday I will justify spending a lot of money on a bottle of Champaign but most years I enjoy a bottle of Prosecco, even if it’s just me drinking.
Every year I tell myself I will enjoy sparking wine more and celebrate the little things in life but I hardly ever buy any unless it’s for mimosas at a brunch or for New Year’s Eve celebrations. Maybe next year I’ll buy more to celebrate the little things as well as the big things.
This year instead of my usual go-to, Prosecco, I will serve a sparkling Rose. Not just because it was in a mixed box of wine I received earlier this year, but because one of my guests this year likes sweeter drinks and I think will enjoy this one.
New Year’s Eve Celebration Agenda Item #3 – Enjoy Christmas Decorations
As I mentioned in a previous post; Christmas Decorations: Leave up or Take Down, the holiday season is; go, go, go. Part of my New Year’s Eve celebration is to truly enjoy my Christmas decorations. I turn the lights down or off, leaving only the Christmas lights to illuminate the room. There is something so peaceful and magical about the glow of Christmas lights. I feel so relaxed and at peace.
A perfect setting for the next agenda item…
New Year’s Eve Celebration Agenda Item #5 – Journal and Reflect
I try every year I plan to journal every day and every year I get a few days in and stop. Sound familiar? While I never seem to get into the rhythm of daily journaling, I do spend a couple of hours at the end of the year reflecting on the past year’s accomplishments and thinking about what I want to do in the year ahead.
We live in a world where we are always on the go and always comparing ourselves to the influencers we follow on social media. It’s easy to fall into a trap of “my life suck,” “everyone does cool stuff but me,” or “I’ll never be that successful.” I’m guilty of it too.
Taking some time to only focus on yourself and what you did, can really help put it into perspective. Don’t think about what others did, only what you did in the year. Even small things like reading a book, learning a new skill, going to a baseball game, or trying a new restaurant count.
The small things in life are what really matter. It’s easy to look past them but don’t. They add up to make an amazing life. Take time to write it down and celebrate with that bubbly!!
Celebration Agenda Item #6 – Set Goals
I’m not big on making New Year’s Resolutions. Instead, I set some goals. Nothing too fancy but I do write down a few goals for the next year. As part of my year-end reflection in agenda #5, I think about not only what I accomplished but also what I wanted to accomplish but didn’t finish. Not to get me down. What I do instead is think about how I feel about not completing a goal or task in the previous year.
What you do and what you don’t do is not important anyway. What is important is how you feel about those things. Think about what makes you feel energized and feel good about yourself. Use those things to set your goals for the next year.
The Most Important Agenda Item for your New Year’s Eve Celebration – DO WHATEVER YOU WANT
I’ve spent some of my New Year’s Eve Celebrations with family, with friends, or alone. I have to be honest; my favorite celebrations are with a small number of friends/family or alone. Yes, I enjoy being alone for New Year’s Eve.
Most people feel lonely or depressed alone on New Year’s Eve but not me. I don’t know why but I have never felt sad or depressed on New Year’s Eve. Maybe it’s because I’m comfortable with myself but I think it’s more likely the fact that on New Year’s Eve, I do whatever I want! You should too, be selfish, be proud of yourself, and be kind to yourself.
I don’t usually do all of these things on the same night. I actually do this over the course of a few days. Do them all on one night or split them up. The important part is to start the new year off on a good foot. Do what makes your heart sing!!!
What is your favorite thing to do for New Year’s Eve celebration?
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