The start of a new year can feel overwhelming. Where do you start? What are your priorities? Is there a way to tell if you have succeeded at the end of the year? These are questions we ask ourselves when it’s time to turn over a new leaf.
New Year’s Eve is right around the corner and many of us are looking forward to saying goodbye to all of the chaos and confusion of 2020. Whether you normally stay at home with the kids on New Year’s Eve, or you’re doing so this year because of COVID, chances are that you won’t be going out to celebrate.
If you’re new to celebrating at home and would like tips on celebrating with the kids, or if you’re looking for some new ideas for 2020-2021, here are five tips on how to celebrate the year’s arrival with your kids:
Slumber Party! — A lot of kids are missing out on the joys of being kids this year with the inability to visit with their friends due to COVID. That being said, why don’t you have a family slumber party that can have all of the fun traditions. Set out sleeping bags in the living room (or even better, build a fort out of cushions!) and then get out the popcorn. Watch some family-favorite movies on the television and, if the little ones can stay up that late, celebrate the ball drop on TV like you did when you were growing up.
Reflect on the Year — Another thing that you can do as the year passes away is to sit on the couch and reflect back on the year that has passed. Ask each person in your family to name one thing that they liked about the past year or one memory that they are going to cherish. Have everyone write these down so that you can preserve the memories in a scrapbook or memento box.
Share a Toast — For adults, what says “New Year’s Eve” more than a toast with champagne at midnight? For the kids, you should include them in the tradition with their own non-alcoholic versions. Either get a bottle of sparkling grape juice or help them cook up their own “mocktail” like a Shirley Temple. For some international flair, have twelve grapes (one at each bell chime at midnight) as they do in Spain. This tradition is supposed to bring prosperity for the new year.
Get Outside — If the weather is kind, New Year’s Eve is a great time to get outside to celebrate. Set up a fire pit or heaters to keep everyone warm and then break out the sparklers for safe New Year’s Eve “fireworks.” Also, instead of throwing confetti or having a balloon drop at midnight, celebrate with some cans of silly string and let the kids go wild.
Have a Fashion Show — If you want to have silly fun this New Year’s Eve, head to your closet and break out all of your fanciest clothes for a fashion show with your kids. Make sure to take lots of pictures and create a scrapbook later on.
This year, stay home and stay safe for New Year’s Eve. But at the same time, make sure that you and your kids have a celebration that you will remember for years to come.
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Before the New Year rolls around and you start trying to keep your resolutions, it’s a good idea to think back on 2019 with some reflections. Part of growth as an individual is to recognize what went well and what didn’t so you can grow from your mistakes.
Here are ideas you can use to close out your year in a positive light:
List your accomplishments — Start off your year-end wrap-up with a list of all your accomplishments. Don’t let any of them slip by, not even the small ones. It could be something as “simple” as organizing your household paperwork or cleaning out the junk room. It can be reading at least one book a week to improve yourself mentally or spiritually. Or it can be major goals like spending more time with your family and friends each month. Whatever your goals were in the previous year, acknowledge the things you’ve accomplished.
Celebrate what you’ve achieved — The New Year is a time to celebrate new beginnings. But also celebrate the things that you’ve done in the past year. If you’ve managed to reach your goals, treat yourself to something special. It can be a night out at your favorite restaurant or a special item that you’ve had your eye on. Regardless of what you choose, it will be able to motivate you to achieve more things in the coming year.
Forgive your own mistakes — Acknowledge that you have made mistakes. But the important thing here is to forgive yourself for making them. A good visualization exercise would be to list out mistakes and missteps you made in the past year. Then take the list and burn it. Don’t linger on your mistakes but learn from them so you don’t repeat them.
Find your joy — Find what makes you happy and embrace it. It can be any kind of hobby or activity. If you like sports and exercise, celebrate that and make it the focus of your coming year. If you are a fan of movies, then make it a goal to go to one a month. Whatever is your source of joy, list it and make it your centerpiece for the coming year.
Set goals for the coming year — Now, it’s time to set goals for your new year. Don’t try to make resolutions since these are easily broken. Just set a series of goals that you want to achieve in the new year such as specific activities you want to take part in.
In the coming year, it is important to set goals for self-improvement that can guide you. This will help you cultivate a growth mindset in everything that you do.
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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.
