Brrr, baby!
It’s a cold morning in Ocala today! And no, it’s not just Florida-cold. It’s legitimately cold. We have frost on the ground and temperatures are in the 30s.
It’s so cold that someone has yet to emerge from bed.
Cough, Sadie, cough.
Cold mornings must begin with coffee!
I brewed myself a hot cup of Marylou’s eggnog coffee that Tina sent to me all the way from Boston last week. I loved the last Marylou’s blend that she sent my way (peanut butter wonderful) and the new eggnog flavor is fantastic as well. I’m a sucker for flavored coffee!
While my coffee brewed, I whipped up a batch of pancakes for breakfast for me and Ryan.
Topped with a bit of syrup!
New Year’s Eve Plans
When I was hanging out with my girlfriends in New York City earlier this month, we started talking about New Year’s Eve plans and came to the conclusion that New Year’s Eve is way too hyped.
Nothing that spectacular ever seems to occur on New Year’s Eve, yet every year there seems to be something in the air that makes everyone feel like they should have something fabulous on their agenda for New Year’s Eve.
My all-time favorite New Year’s Eve was a house party at my friend Merri’s house that included lots of good food, champagne and a small group of our close friends.
It was perfect! Simple, small and lots of fun.
Merri’s birthday is January 1, so at midnight the party shifted from a New Year’s Eve party to a birthday party for Merri and her twin sister Liz. It was a blast! Low key and perfect.
Another memorable New Year’s Eve took place in Chicago when Ryan and I flew in town to celebrate with my best friends from high school. Unfortunately the memory of a severe hangover on the plane ride home the next day taints the memory of that New Year’s Eve. Bleh.
This year Ryan and I are considering throwing in the towel and having a “just us” New Year’s Eve date night. Dinner and a movie out sounds perfect to me! No matter what we do, our New Year’s Eve will surely be better than last year’s!
Questions of the Morning
- What is your take on New Year’s Eve? Do you love it or think it’s a bit overhyped?
- What are your New Year’s Eve plans this year?
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I never thought New Years Eve was anything special either…until I got engaged on New Years Eve!! Now the hubby and I do something just the two of us and celebrate our engagement night 🙂 I much prefer doing something fun on New Years Day to start the year off right!!
This year we aren’t sure exactly where we are going but going to dinner then probably head home for a Wii game night!!!!!!!!!
What a coinky dink! Those are our plans too. Great minds. 🙂
New Year’s Eve has always just been a bunch of hype to me! I am excited to have it off this year (I work 3rd shift in a hospital & often work NYE) and plan to veg at home with appetizers/movies. 🙂
So happy to hear I’m not the only one who is over the expensive and cramped parties on NYE. This year will be the first we give up on the party scene. My boyfriend and I have dinner reservations at our favorite Tapas place who will be doing live music and a champaign toast at midnight. Yes please 🙂
That’s so funny you mention that because I was just talking about how NYE is too hyped up. For the past couple of years, I have tried to make it the best night ever and it fails. I think when we put so much focus on one event, it never meets our expectations. This year, I was thinking to do the same thing you planned: watch a movie (there are so many great movies out now!) and have a nice low key dinner. My bf opted to go to the casino with his best friend and gf to watch a comedy show and have dinner. Although it’s not low key, it will still be a great night spent with awesome people! Happy New Year!
Truth Girl ! Everytime I spend way to much money for some “all inclusive” party with thousands of people I don’t know I end up severely disappointed at the end of the night. Usually the best part of the night is the after party sitting around with friends the next day laughing about how pathetic it was and we’ll never do it again. I’m all about a low key NYE this year too!
I think it’s overhyped, especially since becoming a parent! I can’t even stay up until midnight anymore!!! I’m like an old lady ready to pass out by 9 pm.
Everytime i go to cut a frozen burger like that I think of this post from last year and stop!
I agree that New Years is always such a big hype, I usually wind up disappointed. My favorite NYE memories are usually when I am up at a cabin with a group of friends for the whole weekend. This year I’m doing the big out in the city thing with friends, but I’m guessing next year I will go back to keeping it low key!
I prefer a house party to going out too–lots of drivers out there that may or may not be under the influence. Yikes!
Yeah New Year’s Eve always seems to be more hype than fun.. at least for me. This year my family will be celebrating New Year’s Eve at my uncles house. As for the cold, it is snowing here in Chicago!!! Brrrrr
I could not agree more–New Year’s Eve has always seemed a little to hyped up to me. I have nothing against people doing something fun, of course, but there’s some unsaid pressure about it that’s just never made sense to me…We’re not what we’re doing yet, but we’re leaning towards just going out for a really nice dinner and then relaxing at home with a few drinks and dessert!
Actually, this is the first year I’ve really gotten into NYE! Usually I do something pretty low key. Last year I took a weekend vacation to Monterey (in Cali) over NYE and it was so nice! This year one of my best friends is visiting from Manhattan, so I bought a sparkly dress and we’re going out in San Francisco. I think it will be a nice change of pace from doing nothing!
I totally agree, definitely!! I am going to one of my Best Friends house and we are going to eat and hang out just small and fun!!
haha I think it’s funny you mentioned this topic Julie! People may think I’m a scrooge or something when it comes to holidays, but I think that MOST special/holidays are hyped up a lot simply because I’m not accustomed to going all out with them. I’m usually more of a low-key, small group, or one on one celebration type of person so I like to keep things REALLY simple. Most of the time during new years, 4th of july, etc., I spend it with my husband (not long ago bf), but I’m sure that there will be times when we attend big parties too :). But I guess during new years, it’s always nice to think what cool thing God has in store for us because we never know how He might surprise us!
It’s totally overhyped! The best one I had was when myself and my ex boyfriend, along with 3 other couples rented a house over in the West of Ireland for a week and went surfing! The village had one pub were 100s convened New Years Eve night; a post office, one shop and a church and hostel! It was amazing!
I think NYE is over hyped! Most years I end up doing something but nothing too crazy. Hanging out with friends is fine by me and that’s what I’ll be doing this year. Like your friend, my birthday is also Jan. 1!
I think NYE is over hyped! Most years, I end up doing something but nothing too crazy. Hanging out with friends is fine by me and that’s what I’ll be doing this year. Like your friend, my birthday is also Jan. 1!
I’m not sure what Merri thinks about her birthday, but mine is Jan 1 as well and I always used to hate it! I would get a few moments of celebrations before everyone was tuckered out from NYE celebrations.
I can remember bugging my mom about not holding me in till the 2nd (like it was her choice). And then…..I went and delivered my son on Dec 31st!!!
So now…we have a birthday/NY celebration every year for the both of us…and it doesn’t seem so bad anymore!
Low-key New Years Eve celebrations are always my favourite!
If we don’t go out for dinner, we like to pick a recipe beforehand and cook a special meal. Of course, with some wine or champagne:)
Happy New Years to you and your fam!
We’re spending it with family up at a cabin in the mtns!! SO pretty 🙂
LOL – love that picture of Sadie in bed. So adorable. We always stay in for New Years. Just us and take and bake pizza. No parties, no being out on the road. That way we always start the new year out on the right foot.
i used to love getting dressed up and going out on NYE, until we got our little puppy that is absolutely terrified of fireworks…so now i feel like a bad fur-mom leaving him on the worst day of the year for him…so now we have quiet evenings at home ;p
I love a good party or dinner with friends some dancing is always an added bonus, but at home or someone’s home. I love NYE. New beginnings!
I’ve never thought of New Year’s Eve to be overhyped. I don’t usually have crazy plans, but the people I spend it with is always a crazy good time. This year I’m doing exactly what I did last year–hanging out w/ some friends, my sister, and boyfriend who lives across the country. Can’t wait!
I like new years eve, but I like it because my parents always throw a new years over party. It is always low key and includes lots of yummy food! I would rather spend new years eve with close friends and family then out at a bar spending lots of money!
Last year we stayed in, got a nice bottle of wine and sushi! I am hoping this year will follow suit 🙂
We are in the same boat- we think it’s just going to be us since everyone is sort of all over the joint. It’s definitely overhyped but there is still this stigma attached to it that you have to do something fabulous haha. If only.
I like the idea of a new year to start fresh, but I don’t feel the need to ring it in with some huge event. We have a family tradition of eating Chinese food on New Year’s Eve. My daughter thought that EVERYONE did that until she was about 10…so sweet. My favorite New Year’s Eve was spent eating our traditional Chinese at Epcot in the Chinese Pavilion. Other than the massive crowds to deal with, that was soooo much fun! I have been working on a Bible study to do with the family about New Year’s resolutions and I found these verses that I thought would help us make good ones. James 4:13-17, 1st Corinthians 19:20, Mark 12:29-31 and Ephesians 4: 29-32
On a side note, my 20th wedding anniversary is on January 2nd and I do plan to celebrate that!
Oops…that should be 1st Corinthians 6: 19-20
Definitely Overhyped, IMHO. We cook lobsters for dinner on our own, then go to a friends’ house to usher in the New Year. So much more sane than anything else we could think of. Did a big event once, eons ago, but we much prefer the small, intimate gatherings to the chaos. Enjoy date night!m
Last year my husband and I gave up on hosting or attending a New Year’s Eve party and went out for sushi with our 3 kids and then came home to all night movies. It is one of my fondest memories. And this year we’ve already made reservations for the same sushi restaurant and have movies and board games lined up.
For NYE, my friends and I get together at one of the houses and have a PJ party. We all buy new PJs to wear and play board games and drink wine/beer and have lots of appetizers and desserts.
Hahaha, oh Sadie. What a ham! Love a low key new years with friends.. I think I might be planning something similar 🙂
I think it is a lot of hype although I have to share my all time favorite NYE was two years ago when my sister got married. It made for one busy Christmas week but it was so much fun! It was at a gorgeous hotel and almost every guest stayed the night, so no worries about being on the roads. The favors were NYE hats and noise makers it was a great time! This year we are having a low key dinner with family which is wonderful because I am 33 weeks preg.
Wow! I am stunned at all of the negativity and perception of NYE being all ‘hyped’ up. It’s funny because that’s exactly how I feel about the most overrated, commercialized, pretentious, meaningless holiday called Christmas! At least people don’t have to pretend to be something they aren’t on NYE. We are hosting a party and will be drinking, eating and having a great time!! There won’t be any crappy what-the-hell-am-I-gonna-do-with-this gifts. There won’t be any wasted wrapping paper, wasted money, wasted time or wasted anything. We also won’t feel guilty for celebrating a religious holiday when we aren’t even near being religious or come close to practicing and honoring what is supposed to be the true meaning of Christmas. Happy New Year 2013!
I absolutely LOVE flavored coffee and always drool when Tina posts Marylou’s!
I agree that NYE always seems so hyped for basically no reason. The best NYE I ever had, I went to bed at 10pm and didn’t wake up until I had to go to work the next morning. I felt so refreshed and renewed and am thinking that’s the best way to start 2013. It really sets the tone of the year for me.
Being in a new city for the last 2 years my friends and I went all out and bought in to all the over priced tickets to DC night life. This year though we are exchanging our Christmas presents after work and doing at home appetizers and then have a 9:30 dinner reservation that includes a champagne toast! Oh I am getting old!
I totally prefer low-key New Year’s Eves as well! My fiance and I hang out with my best friend and her husband and don’t do much of anything. One year we attempted to rent a condo in the Poconos on NYE, and that was way too ambitious 🙂 we do much better when we just sit around and enjoy each other’s company!
Love seeing Marylou’s on your blog! I have one right on my way to work. Perks of living on Boston’s south shore 🙂
My fiancé and I will be having a fun night in, just the two of us! We’re planning on making a yummy dinner, playing cards, watching the ball drop and drinking some champagne of course 🙂 Fortunately, we always have a great time even if we’re by ourselves!! Happy 2013 everyone!!
I think I feel different about it because it is my husband and my dating anniversary. This year marks 10 years as a couple. We always try to do something fun and it’s always a blast getting to spending an extra special two days with my favorite person.