I wanted that to change this year.
So, I hunted around and found some new ideas for New Year's... that are the beginning of traditions!
First off, when the kids went to sleep Friday night, I un-decorated the tree. The rest of the house was already un-decorated from Christmas and put away; I just needed to finish the tree.
After all of the ornaments were off and organized, I re-decorated it with a fun idea I saw on Our Best Bites.
This is our first ever New Year's Tree:
It looks pretty fun, up close.
Sparklers, horns, glasses, and silver balloons that were filled with fortunes hung on it.
However, when you back up, you see that it looks kinda ugly and top-heavy:
Just what you gotta do with a 2-year-old... couldn't let him get ahold of those balloons and sparklers.
The kids were SO excited when they woke up and saw the tree! Luckily, I left a few balloons on the ground for Josh, or he probably would have knocked that tree over to get to them. ;)
We got the house super-duper clean while Mike was at work. When he came home, we went out for one last meal.
I saw a fun idea to go out to a buffet on New Year's Eve; sort of a last meal before diets and resolutions begin. But, we decided that buffets in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve were not a good idea. So, we went to Chili's.
It's a little extra-significant, because we made the decision to not eat out at all this next year, so we can get outta debt and get a house.
Which means:
Not a burger on the way to school, when we run out of bread and Grace needs lunch.
Not a McDonald's ice cream cone in the summer.
Not a $5 pizza when the kids are sick all day, and I haven't made dinner.
Not Cafe Rio.
And not the sodas from convenience stores, that Mike is sooo addicted to.
Nada.
For reals.
So, we ate one last meal out, and said 'good-bye'.
Then we came home, got the kids ready for bed, and partied!
We blew horns:
Popped the balloons and laughed at our "fortunes" for 2012:
(I think the favorites were "You will eat broccoli for breakfast" and "You will pass gas unexpectedly".)
Then we lit some sparklers:
This picture below is really funny. Adam has been reading Harry Potter since... well, since I told him that his (slightly younger) cousin was finished with the second book, and he got jealous. ;) So, maybe a few months? Anyways, he has been reading Harry Potter like crazy, and has been putting spells on us ever since he began reading. Josh must have picked up on it, because he took his sparkler and chased Adam, yelling: "Leviosa! Leviosa!"
(As in "wingardium leviosa")
We all died laughing.
We counted down at 9:37 (who says you have to countdown at a certain time?) and put the kids to bed.
This is the first year ever that we all haven't stayed up until midnight, but we had early church in the morning, and I did not want grumpy kids. ;)
Mike and I stayed up to watch the awesome Las Vegas fireworks (on tv) and take down the tree.
I am LOVING the beginning of our new New Year's Eve traditions, and LOVED our fun family night together!!!
Happy New Year's, everyone!
3 comments:
No going out to eat?!?!?! That is a tough one FOR SURE! I'm pretty sure that if you can do that you can do anything!
I just started using a new 10 minute pizza crust. It is so yummy and literally no rising time. Perfect for quick dinners. Let me know if you want a copy. I love your no eating out. That is part of our homemade year also. I am going to miss 99 cent cones in the summer;(
Awesome goal to not eat out! we bend that same rule when we get a gift card for a present from someone else...and we can go over that 'limit' by $5. I love the New Year tree tradition! I think we'll have to start that one... :)
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