Guru Goddess

The Meal - What are you serving that smells so good? Set up a table where everyone can serve themselves buffet-style. To avoid a messy rug or floor, place drinks in the kitchen on the counter along with cups and a bowl of ice. Using paper products makes clean up easy for the hosting family.

If you live in the south, no New Year’s meal would be complete without the traditional foods that may bring good fortune in the year to come. These include black-eyed peas (wealth), pork (prosperity) and cornbread (gold).

Dessert will put the finishing touches on your potluck meal. Each family can bring their own offering for the after-dinner treat to add variety. Anyone want ice cream and cake?

After Dinner - Before everyone gets away, try this activity. Go around the room and let each person tell one thing that they would like to accomplish in the New Year. Now, your family can help encourage you to meet that goal over the next twelve months.

Want to get the family together in one place? Plan a New Year’s Eve potluck dinner. Have some food, some laughs and make new memories. 

Get your family together for a dinner on New Year’s Eve. Each household can contribute something when you have a potluck dinner. That way, the responsibility of the food is not on just one person or family.

If you are fortunate enough to have other members of your family around, plan a potluck dinner to bring in the New Year. Begin by setting your plan in motion.

Planning the Gathering - Find a time when everyone can meet to hash out the details. You can come up with a menu together and then divide it into parts so that each household knows what they are bringing. Begin with what you may already have in your home. If anyone has paper goods, sodas or the makings of a dish, that will save money.

Set the time. Keep in mind that family members may have other activities planned for the evening. Usually earlier is better. Decide which family will host the dinner. You can rotate each year so that no one is missed.

Pre-Dinner Fun - Bring everyone together an hour or two ahead of time to spend quality time together. One activity that gets everyone up and on their feet is interactive video games. Anyone have a Wii in the house? Playing a game like Guitar Hero or Super Smash Bros. Brawl will fuel the appetite.

Don’t forget the card games. Families can have a great time playing Poker, Bid Whisk, and Spades. For the kids, there’s Old Maid, Go Fish and Uno to name a few. Make it interesting by playing for change or candy.

Why New Year’s? Have you watched the fireworks on television from around the world? Being in one of those places would be exciting for the whole family. Start planning now to be somewhere beautiful and bright when the next year rolls around.

4.      SeaWorld – This Florida animal theme park likes to have their fun at the end of the year. Get to see your favorite animals perform shows for the holiday event. Enjoy good music, food and other entertainment while you hopefully stay warmer than most. 

5.      New York City – Thousands of people pack into Times Square to watch the historic ball drop in the Big Apple. Go early and take in a Broadway show while you are in the city.

6.      Dixie Stampede – This attraction was started by Dolly Parton. You can find the Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Branson, Missouri. If you are looking for a stomping good time, you’ll enjoy a show featuring horses, stunt riders and a live camel nativity scene.

Spend your New Year with families all over the country. Find a destination that satisfies the entire family and head on out.  

1.      Disney World – If you live on the east coast, this will be the Disney resort closest to you. Mickey and his friends are always ready for a party at the end of the year. The Disney empire hosts a variety of activities including fireworks displays and parades at their various locations: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Find out about upcoming Disney events at http://disneyworld.disney.go.com.

2.      Disneyland – This is the west coast Disney destination. They like to party there as well. Make a vacation of it and visit the California theme park. On New Year’s Eve be prepared to see fireworks, holiday attractions, bands playing and other beautiful sights. Plan ahead so that everything is set for a hot time in the old town!

3.      Hershey, Pennsylvania – How much do you like chocolate? If you like it a lot, head to Hershey, the magic land of chocolate for a New Year’s Eve celebration. Kids will enjoy music, games and food. At midnight, instead of a ball dropping, see a giant Hershey’s kiss.

Instead of buying a lot of party favors and noisemakers this year, let the family make their own. When you decide to make crafts, it’s best to get everything you need ahead of time to avoid last minute runs to the store. They close early on New Year’s Eve so others get a chance to celebrate in their way.

You probably have items around the house that can help you with this project. If you have any paper towel or toilet paper rolls they would make the perfect beginnings for noisemakers. Empty plastic eggs (if you can find them or have some left over from Easter) are the right size for noisemakers.

Stuff one end with a piece of tissue paper and cover it with tape. Fill your roll with rice, corn kernels or dried beans. Seal the other end the same way. You can decorate the outside with glitter, streamers, and stickers. The Easter eggs can be filled with rice or dried beans and covered with glittery paints.

Celebration Masks

If you plan on attending a theme party later that evening or you are just staying home, create a decorative mask for your New Year’s celebration. Take a piece of construction paper and have someone trace your face, eyes, nose and mouth. Cut away the excess paper. You are now ready to decorate. Use a Popsicle stick to hold your mask up to your face.

As the final countdown sounds, be ready to celebrate. Use your above crafts to help you get into the spirit of the evening.