(without crying into your champagne flute)
What a doozy this year has been! I don't want to be the bearer of bad news by stating the obvious, but all of our problems aren't going to magically disappear when the clock strikes midnight. So how can we still celebrate this traditional holiday in today's current climate?
1) Managing our expectations
The quickest way to disappointment is by setting unrealistic expectations. We are very clearly not going to be partying in our beloved nightclubs, shoulder to shoulder with strangers, enjoying an open bar til the wee hours. We aren't going to be in the middle of Times Square with a half a million people. We probably aren't going to be ANYWHERE with a ton of people when the ball drops. Let's not hope that this New Year's will feel like the others. It's not.
2) Creating new (even if just temporary) traditions and memories
I've been working on shifting my mindset this whole dang year, trying to focus on the GIFTS this pandemic has presented me with, and not just all the change, lack-of, and gloom and doom. One way I've been doing this is by creating new traditions. I cooked my first-ever Easter dinner at my house. I did Thanksgiving without my 60+ aunts, uncles, and cousins, and for Christmas this year, we did a low key staycation, sans extended family.
I've put together a few ideas for you to kiss 2020 goodbye under our current executive orders (whether you agree with them or not) so that you can still make the most of what we're presented with.
Option 1: Go Out [safely, and early] For Dinner
Many restaurants in the Atlantic City area have put together some great ideas especially for New Year's Eve. Josie Kelly's Public House is celebrating an Irish New Year at 7pm EST (that's when the clock strikes midnight in Ireland) and has a special menu that's kicked up a notch from their typical casual-ish Irish dishes. I also love Setaara's prix fixe menu! This spot has an absolutely STUNNING vibe, and bonus - they're BYOB.
Option 2: Home Celebration [Family Friendly]
Head over to Dollar Tree or Five Below (I actually snagged a little kit at CVS!) and grab some fun decorations. Grab a bottle of sparkling cider and get the kids involved in decorating!
All traditional rules are out the window this year, so go ahead and celebrate 2020 is ending at whatever time you want, with the help of this YouTube video. The bonus side of this is, you can still get your kids into bed on time and avoid overtired cranky meltdowns, and, let’s be honest, you don’t have to force yourself to stay up till midnight and wake up starting 2021 passed out on your couch.
You can order takeout, stay in pajamas, Or, get all gussied up and do a self timer family photo shoot because 30-40-50 years from now, I know we will all look back at these memories and be in awe of how we did it. If you're into cooking, here are 11 foods/dishes that are supposed to be good luck on New Year's Eve!
Option 3: Release & Manifest
As cliché as it sounds, This is a great opportunity to leave the past behind you and intentionally focus on new beginnings. You can do this solo or virtually with a few friends for the support and accountability.
Just because this past year didn't go according to plan I know myself I've learned a lot, and I encourage you to take a look at what you've learned, what you can be grateful, and how you can take this knowledge and make a change going forward. Use this time as an opportunity to grow, shift, and do things differently if what you've done this past year just didn't work.
I've put together an easy printable download to guide you through this activity.
Click the image to download your guided journal exercise!
Wishing you a healthy, prosperous new year. I encourage you to work on showing kindness and compassion for others who may think or feel differently than you, and find the balance between advocating and arguing.
Now accepting guests and featured businesses for The Love, Leslie Jespersen Coffee Shop Tour!
Beginning Mid-January, 2021