Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Home with a Sleepover Party!

In case you haven’t heard, millenials are increasingly choosing to stay home over partying outside for holiday celebrations. And for as far as we could remember, NYE parties weren’t a standard until the millenium. So, let’s rethink celebrating New Year’s—Party or not, indoors or out, it’s a pretty special midnight hour. Surround yourself with friends and stay in for a cozy evening together. No need to slack on the fun though! Plan out an entire evening this way to lead up to a memorable New Year’s celebration!

Start your evening with…

Decorations

You can have the effect of fireworks indoors too! Bring on the lights and sparkly decorations. It’s a celebration, after all! Hang garlands so you’ll have a 2018 background for selfies!

Dressing the part

Green and gold bucket of glitter and brush

We don’t mean just cute dresses and bling earrings. We mean dye your hair pink and put on glitter lipstick—things like that. It’s NYE, girl!

Prep the food

Unless your group loves cooking, we suggest simple assembles that are not heavy on your stomach, like cooked food from the organic market. This is so that you can relax and have fun, instead of sweating and cleaning in the kitchen.

Make the bed!

Bring your favorite sheets, comforters, throws, and pillows to the living room! Make it as fluffy as possible, and leave chocolates by your bed for later!

Chill the champagne.

The one thing you must not forget!

The fun starts now!

Do nails.

Tell everyone to bring the glitter polish and crazy eyeshadows that they never use.

Have a movie marathon or binge watch TV shows.

A friend is a good friend when she offers to watch GoT all over again with you anytime, just because you’ve never had.

Dance.

Make sure your bluetooth speaker does bass well. Also, make sure your downstairs neighbor is out of town.

Slow down a little

Reflect on your year.

Pass out fancy papers, reflect on your achievements, and share. External milestones, personal growth, sudden revelations—they all count!

Review 2017 horoscopes and read 2018 horoscopes.

There’s one horoscope app our friend swears by and we’re sure you have one too. Besides horoscopes, it’s also fun to have everyone do (and give) a tarot reading. Channel your inner psychic and practice your intuition!

Before doing the above, smudge first.

Holding burning sage smudge stick

If you’ve never tried smudging, now’s the time to try. Burn sage or palo santo to “clear” the energy of the physical space and your personal space. It’s supposed to break old energetic patterns so it preps you for a clear mind and fresh start.

Get ready for the countdown

Change into pajamas.

Yes! And chocolates!

It’s 11:50. Tune in.

Turn on the TV or stream a live channel to countdown with the world. Or if you prefer, set the alarm for 11:59. Lay out champagne glasses.

It’s 11:59. Pour the champagne. Countdown!

After the countdown

Play truth or dare.

The past is past. Now it’s time to make the biggest confessions to each other!

Karaoke!

Shame free! Scream your hearts out!

Ring a bell.

The Japanese celebrate a mindful new year’s eve by visiting the temple, sipping sweet sake, hearing the midnight bell ring and making contemplative prayers. Use a bell at home for a symbolic effect.

Make wishes

A few more sips and make your new year’s wishes! A rule of thumb: don’t make wishes until you’ve loosen it up; otherwise they won’t be grand or true enough.

Brush your teeth and set the alarm.

Save yourself from bad breath the next morning, especially if you’re going to a 6 AM new year’s day brunch party. Which is why you need the alarm. And make it an actual alarm clock—it’s a cute ending to the awesome night. When’s the last time you set a actual analog clock?

Celebrating New Year’s Eve with good friends at home doesn’t take a whole lot of effort, but it is a whole lot of fun, and very meaningful. Happy new year and see you in ‘18, everyone!