Between busy work schedules, pregnancies, and babies, our New Years Eve have been quiet and spent at home the last few years. Although we are home, we have used this time to be intentional and make memories our kids (and us!) can look back on later.
We plan a fun family night in with appetizers, comfy clothes, movies, and board games!
The Food
It’s so much fun to make a festive board, and we usually try to get a tray or board long enough to write out the year in meats and cheeses (I’m kind of a charcuterie board hoarder at this point so I have lots of options for these in my kitchen but if you don’t, you can usually find an affordable long/large tray at Walmart or Home Goods!) Put nuts, grapes, cranberries, blueberries, pretzels and whatever else your fam likes munching on in between as filler!!! C wanted me to mention it’s a good idea to buy a container or two of rosemary – ‘it makes it that much more festive around the holidays and also it smells good too!’ – haha!!
I personally also like gathering crackers and smoked cheeses, and savory almonds because it feels like we’re adding something a little more special to bring in a new year of life!
We usually buy Gallo Salame® meats for the “numbers”. My kiddos love it and think it’s fun (especially because the older 3 all know their numbers now! 😉 I recently learned how to make salami flowers and it brings a ‘fancy’ flare to these NYE boards as well. There are two easy technique – I’ll try to do a video on them soon!!
The Entertainment
Because the kids aren’t old enough to stay up all the way until midnight, we usually start our snack boards early evening, eat and play a couple of family board games. Another fun idea is a family scavenger hunt. It doesn’t need to be intricate – Pinterest has a bunch of ideas on how to make it fun at home/in your neighborhood!
The Reflecting/Gratitude
We usually snack, eat and chat about our year and what our favorite parts were. It’s a great way to reflect and also remind ourselves on what we’re grateful for, and how we grew.
The Wrap Up
We do this for an hour or so, and then end the night snuggled up, streaming a new movie that’s been recently released.
This night isn’t hard to pull off, but I make it easier on myself by planning ahead. I grab what I need at the store and go over the plan a few times with my busy husband (to remind him when everything is happening!). If you’re looking for a fun night in with your kids/loved ones, try one or two of these ideas!
Happy New Year, friends!! Thank you for being in this space with us and supporting + encouraging our family through 2021! Cheers to 2022!!!
