How to Have a Fun New Year's Eve at Home

New Year's Eve has never been a big holiday in my life. My family celebrates minimally, meaning we stay awake until midnight, say 'happy new year' to one another, then all file into our bedrooms and fall asleep. Some years are extra ordinary and I find myself being the only one awake at midnight. In college nothing really changed, and now living on my own I just don't have much excitement for the holiday.

Being in my early twenties and living in a major city means I am bombarded with posters and invites to New Year's Eve club events, parties and balls. While events like these are great for people who typically flock towards large crowds and long nights out, I just cannot justify spending eighty dollars to enter a bar that I can typically visit for free.

With all of my friends living across the country I've found ways to celebrate life's big moments without the feeling that comes along with being alone. Don't let a lack of people or fear of missing out pressure you into committing to a night you aren't 100% pumped for. New Year's Eve can be fun whether you're out till 2 or number of people are your party total 2. Pets included obviously.

Invite over your closest friends and family.

If you're lucky enough to have friends and family nearby, spend the night with them! A small get together is so much more fun when you actually care and know everyone there. Huddling up in someone's house and waiting for the clock to hit midnight feels like less of a wait with good company around.

Cook some comfort food.

Food makes everything better, always. Spending the time finding an awesome recipe, gathering up the ingredients and taking the time to prepare something not only distracts you from the feeling that you could be out doing something better (which is not true), it also feels great to sit down and eat something you worked hard on. Whether you want to put together a full meal or just a dessert you've pinned one too many times, cooking something is an awesome way to spend your night doing something off the couch.

Dress up no matter your plans.

True story: my sophomore year of college I spent New Year's Eve totally alone. I had actually been alone for two weeks by that point because I made the weird decision to not go home that winter break. Instead of wallowing in my loneliness I dressed up, made myself a great meal, and tuned into my favorite New Year's Eve countdown. Trust me, dressing up is an instant mood booster.

Watch your favorite films.

Television around the holidays is a hit or miss. You either have so many great options or there's nothing but cheesy Christmas movies that you've already seen three times this holiday season. With things like Netflix and On Demand, there's no reason you cant put together a movie marathon that will leave you entertained throughout the day.

Watch a televised countdown.

My absolute favorite thing about New Year's Eve is watching Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin interact on their live New Year's Eve show on CNN. I've been watching it since my senior year of high school and try to never miss it. Find one you will enjoy, usually you can catch one that shows artists performing on a local channel. If you rather laugh and stay up to date on celebrations around the world, I definitely recommend tuning in to CNN's countdown.

Set goals for next year.

Am I the only one who has scrambled to make New Year's resolutions the afternoon of January 1st? While they don't need to be anything major or life changing, setting a few goals will give you something to work towards throughout the year and something to reflect upon come next December. Whether you just want to spend less time online or save for a vacation, take some time to think about what you'd like to accomplish in the new year.

Reflect on the past year.

Because I typically spend this holiday on my own I always make sure to make time to reflect on the past year. Setting aside a few moments to think about the year's highs and lows is a good reminder of everything you accomplished and gives you ideas for goals to set for the next year.

Avoid comparing your plans to others.

It's easy to pick up your phone and feel like everyone is having more fun than you. While everyone posts perfectly filtered Instagram photos and bombards you with loud Snapchats, don't forget that people only choose to share the most flattering moments of their life. Just because someone is wearing a sparkly dress and holding a champagne bottle in the air doesn't mean they're having a better time than you. Chances are half of those couples are arguing about something in the corner of the club and everyone there is stressing about who they can convince to kiss them at midnight.



How do you celebrate New Year's Eve? Do you usually go big or have more low key plans for the night? Let me know how you celebrate the night in the comments below!