It’s New Year’s Eve! Chances are, you’re likely to be in one of two camps:
1. Woo! New Year’s Eve! Let’s reflect on the past 12 months, celebrate and make plans and resolutions for the coming year.
2. Meh. It’s all a load of hype. Why celebrate? It’s the biggest let down of the year. And I’m refusing to make any resolutions – I’ll only break them by 9th Jan (that’s the date most people break them, fact fans.)
If you’re a parent though, it’s likely you’ll be celebrating and seeing in the new year very differently to how you used to…. (unless you have a babysitter. In which case, you’re a jammy sod.)
Afternoon of NYE – Then
A nice bit of sales shopping and then while you paint your nails, you watch whichever old movie is on telly. Back To The Future 2? Three Men and a Baby? Doesn’t matter, it’s just background noise while you start the glamification process.
Afternoon of NYE – Now
You need to entertain the kids but you’ve already done everything you can think of during the holidays – cinema, ice skating, visiting relatives, crafts and painting, all done. Oh god, you’re going to have to visit the soft play centre aren’t you? Lucky NO ONE else will have the same idea and it’ll be lovely and quiet. Right?
6pm NYE – Then
You carb-load to line your stomach (pasta and bread? Sorted) and debate whether to start the celebrations early by opening a bottle of wine. You decide YES and dance around to Beyoncé in your pants, wine glass in hand.
6pm NYE – Now
You give the kids their tea (pasta and bread? Sorted) well, actually, you sit with them while they refuse to eat their tea, and you can’t even use Father Christmas as a bribe encouragement any more. One long, painful hour later, they have eaten enough of their tea and you all leave the table.
8pm NYE – Then
Still shaking your booty to Bey, you shimmy over to your wardrobe and take out your new outfit, bought especially for tonight. It’s black, it has sparkles, it’s going to look uh-mazing. You pop it on and look in the mirror. If you suck your belly in, you *almost* can’t tell you just ate a massive bowl of spaghetti. Now for the make up and hair….
8pm NYE – Now
After getting the kids to bed (“I don’t know what that noise was, no definitely not fireworks, nothing exciting happening out there…”) you put your comfiest PJs on, pop an array of beige food in the oven to cook and open a bottle of prosecco. You look at the TV listings – Alan Carr, Jason Manford…. and you put a Netflix movie on, curling up on the sofa with your feast.
10pm NYE – Then
After trying three pubs that have squished-like-a-sardine standing room only, you find one that has – hallelujah – space to breathe. Meanwhile, your perfectly coiffed hair has been blown around by the gale outside and your legs are blue with the cold (but your dress just wouldn’t have looked right with tights). After a couple of drinks, it’s onwards to the trendy bar you’ve got tickets for – only £40 each! Bargain.
10pm NYE – Now
You wake up on the sofa, with an empty prosecco glass in one hand and drool running down your cheek. You check the time. Not midnight yet. Ah well, you decide to go to bed. Your kids will only be awake at the crack of dawn anyway, so you may as well get the sleep in while you can.
Midnight NYE – Then
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Clinking of glasses, hugs, laughter. It’s 2015! Woo hoo!
Midnight NYE – Now
You’re woken up by fireworks and neighbours’ cheers. You momentarily feel annoyed, and then remember what night it is, before falling back asleep. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Image: DTTSP
This is all so true! Reading this kind of made me reminisce about my single days hitting the town on New Years Eve…but now I’m a Mum I wouldn’t have it any other way. Plus I definitely Don’t miss the raging hangover on January 1st! Happy New Year!
First year after having a baby I had a 3 month old so was up feeding at midnight – woohoo! Last year I spent NYE flying somewhere over Asia, whilst trying to keep my 1 year old quiet on our flight back from NZ to UK. This year I’m sure I’ll be tucked up in bed fast to kip as my LO has Chicken Pox and that has been such a wonderful christmas/new years present!
Boo-hiss NYE sucks 😉
Tonight I’m gonna party like it’s 1999. Yes that’s right, I’ve been falling asleep on the sofa with Jools for the past 16 years (so technically since 1998 but that just didn’t have the same ring to it) HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Bloody brilliant!!! xx
It’s 10.55 and I’m about to go to bed. Loved this – and it’s all true! Except Milin’s birthday being today means we drink huge amounts all day and forget it’s NYE all together! X
HAHA! Well this made me laugh so much!
It’s all so true, however boring it makes you feel – glad to know I’m not the only one!
Happy New Year!!
Ha all so true. I do love your posts Alison Perry. xx
Hehe, too true,
Last year…? I can’t remember much as Boo was only a couple of weeks old and this year I was in bed by 8.30pm as we had been travelling home NYE. So glamorous! I didn’t even remember to message anyone to say happy new year… I feel like the grinch of NYE!
Do you know what’s sad? The fact we had babysitters and still just sat around (although at a friend’s house) and watched telly! No wild clubbing for us, no siree! Old old old…x
Love this post! For us the best part this year was at 10am the next morning. We decided to hit the last of the sales and were feeling fresh faced and rested while the rest of the shopping centre looked like they might actually be dead.
Ha, love it! Carb-loading, remember those days well! Happy new year!
I spent NYE in my PJs, blogging in bed whilst Hubby was on a 12 hour night shift! Rock n roll! x
Ha! Yes, I was in bed by 11pm at new years and I am not even bothered! I do miss the days of going out but mostly as I love the process of getting ready! Fab post! x
Oh Ali your posts are truly the very best. Couldn’t agree more. Happy New Year lovely.