Ringing in the New Year is a fun tradition, and Simple Solutions Diva has a few simple ideas on how to bring in the New Year with a little style and not a lot of money! A BIG thank you to WTLV-TV’s First Coast Living (Weekdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m) for inviting Simple Solutions Diva on to share these ideas!

Choose To Make Nicer New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions don’t have to be about loosing weight or radically changing behaviors. Those types of resolutions are much harder to keep because they require drastic changes.  Try making nicer resolutions that are more like goals you work towards all year. Need some ideas? Print out this Nicer New Year’s Resolution Worksheet below; it includes prompts to help you get your creative juices flowing! (Be sure to print it out in landscape format!)

Plan a Giving 2014 New Year

This is a great idea for a family celebration! Each family member submits several family volunteering ideas for 2014; Use New Year’s Day to decide, as a group, what volunteer opportunities the family will commit to for 2014 and schedule them into your calendar. Giving back and helping others really makes life enjoyable!

Start A Memory Jar For 2014

Create a Decorative Jar filled with memories collected over 2014; near New Year’s 2014, open the jar and relive the fun memories from 2014!

 Supplies Needed:

• A Clean Glass Jar
• Small, blank tags, cards, or bookmarks (I used bookmarks)
• Chalkboard Self-Stick Labels (I got this little packet, including chalk, for $1.00 at Michaels!)
• Decorative Pen

Instructions: 

Clean the jar and remove all sticky price labels. Let dry. Apply the chalkboard label to the glass jar.  Write 2014 on the chalkboard label. Add blank bookmarks or cards and a pen. Place Jar in active place in the house (ours is in the kitchen). As fun events or memories happen, write them down on the blank cards and place them in the jar.  At the end of year, sit down with family and revisit all the fun times over 2014 by reading the cards aloud.  Wipe 2014 off with a slight damp cloth, and write the new year and start all over again!

Kids New Year’s Eve Party

Pick a time in the early evening to invite the kids over and toast the New Year early with DIY Noise Makers and a Cookies & Milk “Midnight” Toast!

DIY Noise Maker Supplies:

• Empty and clean water bottles, with labels removed.
• Craft Beads
• Variety of stickers

Instructions:

Add a handful of craft beads to the empty water bottles and secure the top. Lay out the stickers and let the kids decorate their own shaker.

Cookies & Milk “Midnight Toast Supplies:

• “Fancy” glasses (these can be champagne glasses, wine glasses or whatever works for you)
• Hot Fudge Sauce (I used Smucker’s brand)
• Colored Sprinkles
• Milk
• Chocolate Chip or M&M cookies (I bought mine pre-made from the grocery store)

Instructions:

Using a knife or back of a spoon, rim the top of the glasses with room-temperature hot fudge sauce. Pour sprinkles into a bowl or small plate. Roll the fudge covered rims of the glasses in the sprinkles, so sprinkles adhere to the glass & fudge. Fill with milk. Place a cookie on top of glass and serve.

Simple Party For The Adults

Try a Dessert & Champagne Party! Simple Solutions Diva featured a whole “how-to” video and outline to create a simple party.  Click Here to see the video and all of the suggestions to make a party easy for you!