On one hand, it seems totally insane that it’s already time to ring in a brand new year. On the other, it feels like it’s taken about 5 times longer to get to this point than it normally does, because…2020.

Kate and Courtney here, and today we’re sharing 5 of our favorite ideas for a festive New Year’s Eve at home! Chances are most of us will be spending New Year’s at home this year, or at least somewhere or some way that’s almost guaranteed to look different than last year.

No matter what you’d usually be doing to ring in the new year, we’ve got five ideas for five different types of NYE celebrations to send 2020 off with a big fat “SEE YOU NEVER AGAIN" :

From Courtney:

For the one missing the big party…

There are those of us who love nothing more than cozying up in our jammies with a glass of wine and watching the ball drop from the comfort of home (even during non-pandemic times), and there are those of us who can’t get enough of the sparkle and swank of the party scene. Since the normal “party scene” energy is not an option this year, try to recreate the vibe at home if this is the pace you’re looking for.

In addition to firing up a killer playlist, party goers might consider dressing up a little and lining up some favorite games. My fiancé and I have gotten quite into games this year, and we’ve played everything from simple card games to different versions of beer pong. If you feel like kicking things up a notch to match the party vibes you’re missing, give your games a fun new years twist — a.k.a. — if you want to, you can turn any game into a drinking game. Our recent go-tos include Life (drink after every payday space), Kingdomino (drink when the other person creates a new territory), and Rat a Tat Cat (drink every time you get a rat).

Obviously, drinking doesn’t even have to be a part of it — most of the time, we play without any drinking, but if it’s’ a Saturday and you’ve got some cheap beer to drink, it can be a fun way to raise the stakes.

For the foodie who’s itching for a fancy dinner...

Many New Years Eves involve a fancy dinner or some boujee appetizers at the least. If you’re like me and love trying new restaurants, not being able to do that this year has probably felt disappointing. One way to continue to support restaurants on NYE is to choose a local fave, get take out, and set up a NYE-inspired tablescape at home. Light some candles, turn on some music, and you’ll feel a little more like you’re really out.

One of our favorite splurge restaurants is Sugarfish in NYC. To celebrate a special night this year, we got sushi takeout and set ourselves up a nice little dining experience right in our family room. The food tasted amazing and it really felt like we were out.

Another idea for foodies? Challenge yourself to recreate one of your favorite dishes from a restaurant at home. Although my renditions never quite turn out as delicious as the restaurant version, the experience of sourcing the ingredients and cooking at home makes up for it.

From Kate:

For the jetsetter who’s homebound…

Some of us are annual New Year’s Eve jetsetters, and Brett and I almost always fall into that category. We’ve celebrated the past 5 New Year’s Eves in Mexico with some of our closest friends, but we’re obviously having to take a raincheck this year.

Since we’ve been missing travel in general a ton during 2020, we’ve started some fun ‘armchair traveler’ traditions in our house that have really helped us get our travel fix from the couch while we wait out the lockdowns.

One of the fun things we’ve started doing is following new YouTube channels of creators in other countries who make inspiring content about their lives overseas. Two of our favorites this year have been Kylie Flavell’s channel (think dreamy Tuscan landscapes, beautiful cooking videos and cool DIYs) and Jay Swanson’s channel (think everyday life as an American living in Paris).

We also love to watch our favorite movies that take place somewhere far flung and make or order a food that goes with the theme. Whether it’s homemade pasta night + Eat Pray Love, or sushi takeout + Lost In Translation, it always gives us a momentary escape to far off destinations that we’re missing this year. If you’re also a typical NYE traveler, try finding a foreign film or fun movie or series that takes place somewhere inspiring to dive into this holiday!

For the craft cocktail aficionado…

In addition to jetsetting somewhere every New Year’s, one of our favorite things to do once we get to wherever we’re going is always to stake out the coolest craft cocktail bars. As I’ve gotten older I’ve definitely become more of a quality over quantity type of person when it comes to libations, so the thing I miss most about going to bars is definitely checking out (and testing out) all the complex creations on the craft cocktail menu.

Thankfully, my husband Brett has been perfecting his mixology skills for years now and can make a pretty mean craft cocktail of any kind. But even if you’re new to mixology, there are a zillion tutorials all over YouTube and elsewhere (if you’re a Masterclass member this mixology class is great!) that can help you fire up something that feels super fancy from your own kitchen.

For Christmas, I got Brett this cocktail smoker and we’ve been having fun watching tons of tutorials and making up our own concoctions (with crazy names to go with them, of course. Last week we created the “Achilles Talon”…recipe coming soon!)

I’ve also heard several people rave about some new non-alcoholic spirits on the market that are awesome for creating craft mocktails! We recently tried Kin Euphorics for nights when we don’t want actual boozy cocktails and it’s pretty cool.

If you also find yourself missing the art of a carefully crafted boujee cocktail this NYE, why not make a night of learning a couple new techniques or recipes? Or try one of our fave cocktail recipes - pineapple serrano margaritas or blueberry rosemary spritz, anyone?

For the lowkey NYE homebody...

Some of us are already chill-at-home NYE celebrators, so this year might not look much different if you typically like to spend your last night of the year creating intentions and burning your favorite candles or incense.

I don’t think I’ve ever honestly spent a New Year’s doing anything like this, and while I’ll probably be mixing a few of these ideas into our NYE celebration I really like the idea of incorporating this one.

So often I think I’ll take the time in January to really sit down and meditate and get my intentions for the year in order, and then life just gets busy and I never do it. Even though this January will probably be less busy in some ways than a typical year, I still anticipate getting caught up in work and everyday life to the point where I might miss the opportunity to really think on what I hope to create in 2021.

Since all of us will probably be living the NYE homebody life to some degree this year, try setting the vibe by diffusing some of your favorite essential oils or burning candles (this one in the above pic is my all time fave) or incense you love. Grab a journal (it’s always a fun time to start a new journal for me - I just bought this one and can’t wait to break it in) and let yourself dream freely about new possibilities for the coming year.

If you’re a bath person, soak in the tub with a luxe face mask, a glass of wine and some fancy bath oil or salts! Or if you’re into yoga or meditation, try incorporating it into your intention setting and see if it helps open your mind and heart to new intentions or ideas.

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Are you planning anything special this year to say goodbye to this absolute dumpster fire of a year?? This is also our last post of 2020, so we say with all the excitement and hope for good tidings to come - SEE YOU IN 2021! xo

5 Ideas for a Festive New Year's Eve at Home