Most New Year’s Eve parties involve drinking, at the very least champagne. If you are pregnant, you might feel like you have to skip New Year’s Eve this year. After all, even if alcohol wasn’t an issue, you still would barely make it until midnight with that pregnancy induced fatigue. But New Year’s Eve can be celebrated all kinds of ways. I’ve never been one for big parties, but I’ve always had fun on New Year’s Eve. Here are some pregnancy-friendly ideas for celebrating the new year.
Have a movie night. Invite a bunch of friends over or just have it with your family. Rent your favorite movies and watch them all night, up until the ball drops. Order your favorite takeout and make ice cream sundaes. Watch the ball drop on TV and toast with sparkling cider or grape juice.
Have a game night with your friends. Set up a bracket and have a tournament to make it a little more competitive. Play some old classics like Connect Four or Guess Who, as well as some new favorites. Give prizes to the top three winners. Instead of having a big dinner, make a big spread of appetizers like stuffed mushrooms, meatballs, potato skins, chips and salsa, and spinach and artichoke dip.
Another fun activity you can plan is a progressive dinner. There are all sorts of ways to organize one of these, but essentially you divide the meal into four courses and have each course at a different person’s home. Alternately, you can eat each course at a different restaurant. Make the last stop someone’s home so you can mix and mingle.
The recipe for any fun New Year’s Eve celebration is food, fun and friends. You don’t have to go to a big party or even toast with champagne at midnight. You don’t even have to stay up for midnight if you are not up for it, but if you do, don’t forget to grab the one you love and give them a big kiss.