DH and I have been together almost 11 years now - in all that time, we have NEVER gone out on NY Eve, mostly due to the fact that we are afraid to be on the roads in the New Orleans area, with all the drunk drivers out. We usually make some snack type food and hang out here, watching all the fireworks in the neighborhood.

Last night, a high school friend was in N.O, on her way home to Atlanta after visiting her kids in Dallas. We made reservations at a local Italian restaurant that had a New Years event planned, complete with party hats, horns, confetti, music, and a 4 course meal. That's what we did, and we stayed until 12:30.

We had a great time, were actually AWAKE for New Years, and got home safely!

By Rayelle on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 11:25 am:

In the 11 years my dh and I have been a couple we have never gone out for New Year's Eve either! So, this must have been a year for firsts already,lol! We were invited to a party and had a great time!

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 11:33 am:

Does going to my girlfriend's house every year, constitute going "out?" We used to do an event designed for the kids, sponsored by a big bank in town. When the kids decided that was too stupid to go to anymore, we started going to Edie's house for supper and games, on New Year's Eve. We've been doing that ever since. It was actually mostly my daughters and Edie and I, playing games and the guys were in the other room playing on the computer and talking, but it was still quite fun. At midnight, we bring in the new year, with the atomic clock, on the dining room table, sparkling apple juice and birthday cake (always chocolate mayonnaise cake with white frosting), since it's Ted's birthday on January 1st!

Edie and I thought we should have game nights, other times in the year, that aren't New Year's Eve! LOL! We had such a good time!

By Vicki on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 11:40 am:

We have stayed home for years! I just don't want to be out on the roads with that many people drinking and driving. A few years ago, we went to a neighbors party, but of course we just walked right next door. LOL

For the past 4 years, dd has had her friends over for a slumber party on New Years Eve. We make a big deal out of it and buy hats and noise makers etc and set out a little buffet of snack foods etc for them. They usually have a great time. There are 4 of them here right now that are leaving about noon!

By Colette on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 11:51 am:

I went snowshoeing and then out for some retail therapy and later Dh made a great dinner, curried scallop cakes, stir fried veggies, korean spiced steak, and we had a few drinks and watched The Big Lebowski, which I do believe is dh's favorite movie.

I was tossing the idea around of having a brunch today and inviting people, and I am so glad I nixed that idea because I woke up to water that is almost black it is so dark. Apparently a house up the street burned down last night so the hydrants dredged up the rusty water from the bottom of the wells and we will not have clean water til the end of the day. I can't believe I didn't know about the fire until this morning, it was about 5 houses around the corner from me.

By Jackie on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 12:02 pm:

I am the boring one in the bunch. I went to bed at 9:30. I just could not stay up any longer. My son spent the night at his friends house.He said he went to bed at 12:30...I know my husband came to bed before midnight, but not sure what time. We are just one boring family

By Bellajoe on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 01:19 pm:

We always either do something at my house or my mom's or brothers. My sister always comes up from cincy with her family. So last night we were at my mom's house with about 11 people in total and a bunch of food including cheese and chocolate fondues. My kids stayed up till midnight for the first time. We played Cranium and just hung out. We rang in the new year while sitting on the couch watching the ball drop. I think at the stroke of midnight my dd put her head on her aunts shoulder and was just about out! She's not my party kid, Joey (7) is my little party animal. LOL By 12:15 we were out the door on our way home. Dd was out by the time we got home (about 8 minutes later)

By My2girlygirls on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 02:17 pm:

We usually stay home but this year we took the kids and went to a friend's house and hung out, ate, played Guitar Hero until midnight and then shot off fireworks until 12:30 and then headed home. We are usually in bed at regular time but this year we thought the kids were definitely old enough to handle staying up late so we went and had a good time.

By Jelygu on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 02:18 pm:

Jackie, I am right there with you. My husband had to work last night, so I just went to bed at 10 as usual. He came home around 11:45 and tried to get me to get up but I was comfy in my warm bed!!!!

By Wandilu on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 02:27 pm:

In the bed,sick!!!!!!!

By Enchens on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 02:57 pm:

We stayed home also, especially since we once heard a stat that stated 1 out of 2 drivers on the road after 10pm are drunk drivers. We watched one of the Christmas movies we hadn't seen yet with the kids and then went to bed. I do believe we ended up going to bed about 9:30. Dh had the idea to play trivial pursuit on the PDA. We got too many answers wrong, it was just ridiculously painful. lol

By Conni on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 03:43 pm:

We went out for a late dinner, then to the late show. "Alvin and The Chipmunks" got home around 11, I read until midnight and we all hit the hay.

By Kaye on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 04:00 pm:

We do a progressive dinner with the neighbors. There are 6 couples and we travel to three places, all walking distance. The kids gather at a different house. We eat, drink, play games and chat. We had a great time. Each house had a different food and drink. I think i did my alcohol in the wrong order though, I sure didn't feel so well last night!

By Pamt on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 04:18 pm:

We partied like rock stars!! Okay, really DH, DS1, and I watched movies, ate junk food, and I quilted. I had had a little too much "hanging with other people" over the holidays though and I just wanted to be at home with my family. DS2 spent the night at a neighbor's house. Next year...party!

By Luvn29 on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 04:21 pm:

We always make a huge evening of it, just our little family here at home!

We have a huge spread of appetizers, play games, watch movies, and then watch Dick Clark's New Year's Eve Special. Last night, we also watched some guy break a world record on ESPN. An Australian was trying to jump the length of a football field in Las Vegas. He finally did it around 12:35. It was pretty cool!

We had hats, noise makers, poppers, and crackers (those things that you pop open that have paper crowns, a novelty toy, and a joke). We had a veggie tray, a meat and cheese tray with crackers, sausage balls, sweet cocktail weiners, tropical fruit salad, pickles, and we toasted in the new year with sparkling apple cider and grape juice! Tons of fun! And we have so much to celebrate because the new year brings a much anticipated move to the beach!

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 04:27 pm:

LOL! We didn't leave our friends' house until about 1:30am! I went to bed around 2am. We didn't start moving around our house, until 10am.

By Yjja123 on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 05:23 pm:

We had a nice dinner and set off our own fireworks. I didn't fall asleep until after 2:00 PM--though hubby crashed early

By Tink on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 06:20 pm:

We had a party. Our group loves NYE and we plan a big 40 person slumber party at someone's house each year. We hosted this year and had a great time. The kids all played on the Wii (I found Guitar Hero 3 in time for Christmas) and watched movies, the women played card games and gossiped and the men rode skateboards, played the Wii and we all ate too much. We brought in appetizers from Tahoe Joe's and they were amazing. This morning, one of the other husbands and I made a huge brunch for everyone. We had a great time and I think it was a great kick-off to the new year...for those that weren't too sick to enjoy it this morning.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 07:02 pm:

Wow, Tink, that sounds like fun!

By Annie2 on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 08:18 pm:

Dd and her friends took ds to a local parade event. She brought him home around 9:30, then went out with her boyfriend, then slept at her friend's house. Two dds babysat overnight for two little boys down the street. Ds and I watched Toy Story then Toy Story 2. I fell asleep around 10:30. Two dds called me at midnight to wish us a Happy New Year.
It was a quiet NYE but a nice one.

By Marcia on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 10:45 pm:

We never go out for NYE, with 5 kids at home. We always order in Chinese, and watch a movie or 2. Last night we watched Underdog and Shrek 2.

By Dandjmom on Wednesday, January 2, 2008 - 08:34 am:

Spent most of New Years Eve in the ER. Turns out what I thought was the flu was a kidney infection. But made it home in time to bring in the New Year with my kids at my side.

Hope all had a wonderful Happy New Year!!!

By Karen~admin on Wednesday, January 2, 2008 - 09:10 am:

UGH! Hope you're feeling better!

LOL @ Pam - *partied like rock stars*!

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, January 2, 2008 - 11:07 am:

Yikes! Dandjmom, I hope you are feeling better soon!

By Reds9298 on Thursday, January 3, 2008 - 11:48 am:

"rock stars" here, too!LOL Stayed home all night, like we always do. I went to bed around 12:30 and DH around 2, as usual. Really we have to watch the ball drop just because we've been doing it since birth. I've always thought New Year's is so overrated - the celebration makes no sense to me!

By Dramamamma on Thursday, January 3, 2008 - 02:20 pm:

I was supposed to be at work but not enough patients so I was put on call. I went to my mom's house and she, Brendan, my sister, and aunt had mexican food and played dance dance revolution. Very low key but very fun!

By Melanie on Thursday, January 3, 2008 - 09:38 pm:

We had a blast on New Years Eve. We started the evening at the home of a friend who is from Argentinia. We celebrated the Argentinian New Year at 8:00, which is great because there are a lot of young kids who attend who can actually be awake and have fun doing the countdown.

From there, we went back to our neighborhood. Since we also don't want to be on the road with potential drunk drivers, we keep the party local. We spent about an hour at each of six houses on our street. We added an extra feature this year of a "poker run" where we all put in $10 and got a card at each of five houses. The top two hands at the fifth house then entered a play-off, consisting of another hand of poker, a game of pool, and a round of shuffleboard (if needed). The winner ended up with $265 with the second place winner taking home $75! (Unfortunately, that wasn't me, LOL). The night wrapped up at about 2:30 for me...dh came home a couple hours later. LOL.

We love celebrating NYE with our friends...it's always a very fun event!

By Colette on Friday, January 4, 2008 - 05:41 am:

That sounds like a blast Melanie!