New Year’s Eve parties can be so much fun if you have something to keep you occupied until the ball drops ushering in the New Year. Why not plan party games for an all grown-up party?

Charades

Almost everyone played “Charades” when they were children. This fun game has you act out titles to books, movies, or songs, events, or people. You can make this game pertinent to the year that is closing out.

Count off 1, 2 until everyone is on a team. Have both teams write down things that the other team has to act out onto a piece of paper. The first player takes a piece of paper from the other team’s bowl and has to act that item out. You can’t talk, only act out, each clue. Set a timer and watch the fun begin.

If the clue isn’t guessed, no point is awarded. If the clue is guessed, the team gets a point. The other team now gets to try. Keep alternating between teams until all of the clues have been played. The team that has the most guessed correctly wins.

Clue

It’s amazing how many people have played the game “Clue” when they were younger. You may have seen the movie, as well. Why not play a live party version of the game? It’s time for a New Year’s Eve Mystery Party. If you plan on using this idea for your party, you may want to begin looking around as early as possible to find a Mystery Kit (either a toy store will have them or you should be able to find them online). The price for these games can be quite high, anywhere from $25 to $100 each, but they are reusable and so much fun.

Plan to invite twice the number of people as are in the cast. Inside the kit you’ll get instructions for the host and the guests, character descriptions and motives, game clues, guest invitations, name tags, pre-game clues, suggested party recipes, and scripts. Well ahead of the party ask everyone, cast and guests, to dress in the theme of the mystery.

As the host, you begin the production and ask the guests to pay attention to try to rout out the person guilty of murder. The cast acts out the script (hopefully with exacting detail to timing) and the guests may ask any question during the production except for one, “Did you kill X?” The game can take a good amount of time, so you may want to start early so you’re ready to ring in the New Year at midnight.

The Cherry Game

The Cherry Game is much simpler and decidedly messier than the other ideas. You, as the host, ask your guests who likes cherries. Anyone who raises their hand is allowed to play the game. Explain to them that they have to remove and eat the maraschino cherry that has been placed into each bowl that is in front of your contestants. You may hear a few people say, “Oh, that’s easy.” At this point you fill each bowl with whipped cream. Make sure you have a camera ready for this one because the pictures will be priceless!

It’s not hard to think of party games for an all grown-up New Year’s Eve party. There are a myriad of card and board games available, or that you may have already. You may want to try something different and any of these games would fit that bill!

by Nicole Dean

If the last few months of cooking big meals for your family has created a refrigerator full of leftovers, you are not alone. Figuring out how to reintroduce the same old dishes to your family in new and interesting ways is a challenge. You don’t want to bore your family by serving them the same plate over and over again, but you don’t want to waste food either.

How can you create a meal that isn’t a repeat of the same old plate? The trick to creating a new dish is to think about what ingredients you are working with, not just the finished dish.

1) Old Fashioned Potato Soup

Mashed potatoes are a good basis for most creamy soups. In your big soup pot, brown up some diced bacon, about three or four strips. Then, in the same pot, add some cut up celery and carrots, as much as you like. Once they are soft, add diced onion. When the onion is soft, add 1 tbsp. oil, 1 tbsp. flour, and 1 1/2 cups milk and stir until thick. Now add your potatoes and bacon pieces and cook very slowly until nice and warm. This is a simple and filling meal with a little crusty bread alongside.

2) Turkey And Gravy Sloppy Joe’s

Break up some leftover turkey either with a fork or dice with a knife. You can use both white and dark meat. Take out a big skillet and cook a couple slices of bacon, diced up. In the same pan, add diced onion and garlic. Add the turkey pieces and put leftover gravy over until the turkey is covered. Add a little of your favorite barbeque sauce or grilling flavor, but just enough to give the gravy its barbeque flavor. Simmer slowly and serve over buns or a leftover dinner roll.

3) Turkey Curry Cauliflower Soup

In your food processor, pulse leftover cooked cauliflower until nice and smooth, adding a bit of milk as you go. Add about two teaspoons of curry, more or less to taste. In a soup pot, saute some diced carrots and onion in a bit of oil. Then pour the smooth cauliflower in soup pot. Cut up leftover turkey and add to pot. Let soup simmer until nice and cooked through and hot.

4) Green Bean Tomato Cheese Soup

The classic green bean casserole already has cream of mushroom soup and cheese in the ingredients so it’s perfect for a cheesy soup. Green beans with some nice diced tomatoes will perk this soup up a bit. Start with a big soup pot and saute a bunch of nice big chunks of celery. Then add some big diced pieces of onion cooking until transparent. Add a minced clove or two of garlic. Pour in one can of fire roasted diced tomatoes or regular diced tomatoes with a sprinkle of any good grill seasoning. Add your leftover green bean casserole a little at a time, stirring and heating through until you get the right soup consistency. Add a little chicken broth if you need to thin out the soup. Simmer until all the flavors are nice and savory together.

5) Breakfast Stuffing Cups

Coat your muffin cups with non-stick spray or butter. Put stuffing in cup, working up the sides to form a dish for an egg. Crack one fresh egg in each stuffing cup and top with shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, just until the egg is cooked and cheese is all melted. When done cooking, remove and let the muffin tin cool for a minute or two before removing the egg cup.

There are many more ways to create a new meal out of holiday leftover dishes. Rethink the leftovers you have on hand, keeping in mind the ingredients that are in that particular dish. Then you’ll be able to add just a few ingredients to come up with a new and unique meal.

Nicole Dean is the mostly-sane mom and owner of ShowMomtheMoney.com – a fun and informative resource to help moms achieve success working from home. She invites you to learn more ways to save money in her Frugal Cooking Ideas section. Be sure to sign up for her free tutorial for work at home moms.

There are so many people that would like to lose weight that losing weight is the number one New Year’s resolution each year. Whether you’ve been trying all along to lose weight or you’re just starting out, there are sweet treats that won’t ruin your resolution. And you shouldn’t have to look too far to find them.

Chocolate is a weakness for many men and women – with people in general. Unfortunately, part of the allure of chocolates comes from the sugar and fat in them. This means that, even though chocolate tastes great, it’s not good for helping someone lose weight.

Instead of giving in to the craving for chocolate, you do have another option that is nutritious and can help to curb your craving. Have you ever tried carob? The pods of this plant are ground into a powder that looks an awful lot like cocoa. Carob is naturally sweet; you can buy it in drops, bars, or powder form. Use carob instead of chocolate when you’re baking or making candy and you may not be able to tell the difference.

Do you have the desire for something chewy? Try licorice which is sweeter than sugar. Licorice root, which is what licorice candy is made from, also has health benefits such as easing menstrual cramps, fighting respiratory problems, and easing sore throats.

Peppermint candy is another sweet option that won’t sink your New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Peppermint has been found to help relieve coughing, headaches, and nausea. It’s great to put in tea as well as to eat as a hard candy. Be careful not to eat too much of it, however.

Fresh fruit is another great choice when you want something sweet that won’t ruin your figure. You’ll also enjoy the crunch you’ll get along with the sweet taste. And you’ll have the benefit of receiving the many vitamins, nutrients, and fiber in its natural form.

Fruit smoothies are something that can be enjoyed any time you want something sweet. They’re full of nutrition and healthy. You can make smoothies out of nearly any fruit so you don’t have to get bored and have only one flavor. They’re easy to make and taste great.

Several companies have begun making 100 calorie snack packages. These would be good to take with you when you’re on the go. You may also be able to find brownies, muffins, and fruit squares in the same 100 calorie varieties.

Trying to lose weight, whether as a New Year’s resolution or at any other time of year, doesn’t mean you can’t ever have anything sweet again. In fact, there are many sweet treats that won’t ruin your resolution to shed some pounds. Use any of the ideas above or find some of your own and you’ll soon be shedding weight with your sweet tooth intact.

It’s not unusual for adults to celebrate New Year’s Eve by staying up to welcome in the New Year. This year, however, why not try one of these New Year’s Eve party ideas for the whole family to celebrate together?

Invite some friends with children to join you for a New Year’s Eve party the entire family can enjoy. Start early enough so that the youngest children will be able to have fun before they get too sleepy. You may want to plan on having a big slumber party since everyone will want to stay up to welcome in the New Year. This way, if someone isn’t able to remain awake, they don’t have to worry about falling asleep on the trip home.

Stock up on plenty of snacks for the evening or ask each family to chip in by bringing something to share. If you’re having a themed party, try to have food that will work well with your theme. Since there will be children present, you may want to serve only non-alcoholic drinks.

You may want to have games planned for children, teens, and adults if there will guests from each age group. Of course, the teenagers may decide to play the adult games if the adults agree. For those people that aren’t interested in playing games, have several family-friendly movies available.

When you send out invitations to the party, why not include a request that everyone bring along an item to put into a time capsule. The items should be small but meaningful to the person bringing them. (Provide labels and a pen so everyone can identify their own items when the time capsule is opened at some point in the future.) Bury or hide the time capsule so that it will remain untouched until a designated time, possibly in one or two years on New Year’s Eve.

Be sure to have several disposable cameras handy or ask your friends to bring their own cameras. With all the fun that’s sure to be had you’ll want to get pictures of the festivities. After the New Year has started, you may want to get together and create scrapbooks of the evening.

Since the parents are going to be at the party with their children, see if they would be willing to allow the children to try to stay up and welcome in the New Year. It’s not often that children stay up until midnight, and they probably won’t be able to stay awake that long, but let them try.

It’s a great idea to use these New Year’s party ideas for the whole family to enjoy. Invite friends with children and you’ll double or triple the amount of fun your family would have on their own. Remember that New Year’s Eve only comes around once a year, so be sure to enjoy yourselves and create precious memories for one and all.

The New Year will soon be here. People usually think of things they want to do differently in the future, so they make New Year’s resolutions. Getting organized is often one of those resolutions. Cleaning and organizing go hand-in-hand, so begin thinking about what you want to accomplish next year.

Clutter can easily take over your life if you let it. When there is more than one person in a home, that compounds the amount of clutter you can accumulate. Think about how your life will change when the clutter is gone – you’re able to clean your home without moving stacks of papers, and the whole atmosphere will be more peaceful.

Getting rid of clutter is important for a number of reasons. Clutter eats at your time because you can’t find what you need, it causes stress among your family members, and you may even feel ashamed to let friends or family come and visit. Any one of these reasons may be enough to lead you to start purging your home of the clutter that’s dragging you down.

De-cluttering your home makes organization easier. Start by going through your home and taking things you don’t use, don’t love, or which need repairs, and put them in bags or boxes. This will begin the de-cluttering process, but don’t stop there.

After you have gotten rid of the initial clutter, you can take more time making decisions about other items in your home. Clothing, books, magazines, music, knick-knacks, tools, and other items that aren’t being used or have been outgrown are fair game. Of course, you may have disagreements about some items, but hold your ground for the sake of your home.

Go to each room of your home with a laundry basket. Take everything that doesn’t belong in each room and put those items in the correct place. Remove the papers from the counter top, desktop, and wherever you’ve been hiding them. Put all of the papers in a box so you can file them later, and then don’t forget to do it.

Use containers to corral small items in kitchen drawers, cabinets, the bathroom cabinet, and in your desk. Silverware, spices and flavorings, medicines, pens, pencils, and paperclips can all be bothersome if they’re allowed to remain free, so organizing them and putting them in containers is a great idea.

Maybe you’re having problems letting go of things. Call in the reinforcements! Ask a friend who isn’t emotionally attached to them to come and help you make decisions. If the de-cluttering isn’t the problem but cleaning is, you may consider saving up to hire a maid service to help.

Cleaning and organizing go hand in hand when you’re trying to get your home in order. Do what you can to get rid of things you no longer need, organize what’s left, and then clean up. Before too long you’ll find your house is a joy to live in.

“What are you doing Christmas Eve?” The answer to that question is usually the same:
“I’ll be at home with my family.” Around the world, Christmas Eve traditions are celebrated in different ways but most involve spending time with family.

Do you identify with this tradition? It is Christmas Eve morning and there’s a lot to do! You load everyone into the family van, and begin the search for the perfect tree. Your youngest child gets to choose the tree. It’s tradition. The tree is loaded onto the top of the van. On the way home, the kids “ooh” and “ah” as you drive by houses decorated with Santa Clauses and reindeer, while snowmen glisten on the front lawns.

Once home, all of the decorations are unpacked that have been made or collected over the years – memories of Christmas past. It’s time to prepare the evening meal. Christmas carols are playing on the radio and everyone seems to be singing or humming along. The Christmas spirit is alive and well. What are you having for dinner? Turkey, ham, fish or the traditional goose? Or, perhaps antipasto followed by pasta with crab sauce. How about dessert? Will it be plum pudding, homemade cookies, or Italian pastries? Odds are that you’ve prepared the same dinner for years and look forward to enjoying it again this year.

With the food in the oven, everyone gathers together to trim the tree. The children are adding their favorite ornaments to the bottom half of the tree, while mom and dad trim the top. After the tree is decorated everyone counts to three and then dad plugs it in. The lights sparkle in brilliant colors. The children’s faces light up at the sight of it all.

It’s time for dinner and the family comes to gather around the table, which has been beautifully decorated. Afterwards, dad reads Clement Clark Moore’s Twas the Night Before Christmas, as mom and the kids sit around the fireplace. Sleep-eyed children are put to bed, but not before putting out milk and cookies for Santa – another tradition.

As the kids fall asleep, mom and dad have one more tradition left. The rest of the night is spent wrapping presents and assembling bicycles. It’s about two in the morning, and the last of the presents are put under the tree. It’s time to bid Christmas Eve a good night.

Christmas Eve traditions haven’t changed much over time. Whether you live in an apartment or own a home, treasure the traditions handed down by your parents and grandparents. For one day out of the year we all become children again, taking in the wonder and beauty that is Christmas. More importantly, however, it’s all about family.

The Christmas holidays are just around the corner. Everyone on a budget is starting to brainstorm frugal gift ideas to get through the holidays without ringing up more debt.

Here are some money-saving ideas for you to consider.

Bake a large batch of your favorite cookies. Set the cookies on a lovely plate, and use color cellophane to cover the entire package. Tie the cellophane at the top, using ribbon, and make a large bow. Homemade cookies are a great present anyone would enjoy, and the cost to you is minimal.

If you enjoy making jam, why not give this as a Christmas gift? Buy a small wicker basket, and fill the basket with jars of homemade jam. Decorate the jars with bows or ribbon. Put the jars in the basket and either decorate the basket with ribbon, or cover the basket with color cellophane and tie the cellophane at the top with ribbon. You may choose to add a small box of special crackers as well.

Candles are a great gift for anyone, and are inexpensive as well. Purchase about a dozen small scented candles and one or two candle holders. Put the candles and candle holders in a small basket. Cover the basket with colored cellophane, and tie the package at the top with different color ribbons.

With the winter approaching, a hat and glove set is also a popular gift. These sets come in a variety of colors, fabrics, and styles. Hat and glove sets are sure to be a welcomed gift by your friends or family members, and are inexpensive as well.

Why not purchase picture frames? For instance, buy two each of a 3-1/2 by 5 inch; 4×5 inch and 5×5 inch picture frames. Decorate them with a bow at the top center of the frame, or in the center of the frame.

Here is another inexpensive idea. Take a Christmas stocking and stuff it will incidentals that most people need, but never buy. For example, nail files; nail polish remover; q-tips; cotton balls; samples of hair shampoo; conditioner; body lotion; shower caps; shower gel; hand creams, etc.

Christmas isn’t about expensive gift giving. It is the thought behind the gift that counts.

While Christmas has many traditions, unique Christmas tree ideas are being used to express one’s own personality. A theme tree has become the most popular idea today.

Here are some fun examples.

For the patriotic person, a white tree with red and blue Christmas ornaments. Add a red, white and blue flag blanket as a tree skirt, and at the top of the tree you may want to place a small flag or perhaps an eagle.

An Elvis fan who has a collection of his 45′s may want to trim the tree by putting white ribbons through the center of the 45′s and hang them on the branches. Surely, an Elvis fan would have a doll or some other Elvis memorabilia to place on the top of the tree. Of course, the tree would have to be “blue.” As for the tree skirt, try to find a blanket or fabric which features a single guitar or several guitars.

Another great idea is to have a 1940′s Christmas tree. Trim the tree with old pictures from mom and dad’s era; old 45′s of their favorite songs; shoe ornaments reflecting that time; vintage car ornaments; and jewelry as well. For a tree skirt, you can use a lace table cloth. Atop the tree, a framed 5×7 picture of mom and dad’s favorite band leader or singer would be perfect. Now you’re really rockin’ around the Christmas tree.

There are many other unique Christmas ideas.

A tree covered with white turtledoves; a tree filled with toys; a white tree adorned with gold garland and gold balls; a blue tree with silver garland and no ornaments; a musical tree with instruments of every kind; an angel tree; a candle tree as in days of old; a Muppet tree with every character from the television series; or a stuffed animal tree filled with an array of all types of small critters.

You could change your tree each year. One year the tree could be all one color; another year all toys; and still another year all Hummel ornaments. Theme trees allow you to express your creativity in many different ways.

You can still have traditional trees in your home, either in the living room or family room. However, adding a fun theme tree can be the showcase in your front window. Young or old, you’ll never run out of ideas to make your Christmas, and your Christmas tree, special for the entire family.

Ingredients:

1 5-pound bag red potatoes, washed and cubed
1 16-ounce container sour cream
1 stick salted butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup freshly ground parsley
3-4 green onion stalks, sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Clean potatoes; cut out any brown spots. Cube or slice into quarters. Boil potatoes until tender; drain. Mash potatoes with hand masher or electric mixer. Add all other ingredients and mix until very creamy. If lumps are still present, or consistency is too thick, add more milk. Serve hot with butter and salt.

The Christmas holidays are the most joyous time of the year for families. Especially important is the time families spend together decorating, wrapping, and baking. So let’s explore how you can spend family time making Christmas Cards with your kids.

Here are some items you will need. Buy a Santa coloring book and a package of colored construction paper. Cut the construction paper to the size of the cards your family wishes to make. Get out the crayons, magic markers of all colors, cotton balls, pipe cleaners, ribbons, glue or glue stick, sparkles, red, black and green fabrics, and small candy canes. Your family is ready to begin making unique Christmas cards.

Make Christmas tree cards by drawing several trees on green construction paper. Cut the trees out. Glue fabric and candy to the cards for a beautiful visual effect.

Draw a house with Santa climbing down the chimney. The card can be decorated with cotton balls for Santa’s hat and beard with a line of trees cut from construction paper for the front of the house. Use colored markers to add ornaments to the branches of the trees. Sprinkle glitter on the ornaments, as well as the tree, to resemble snow.

A picture of a full-sized Santa could be cut out of a coloring book, and pasted to the front of a card. After it is colored in with crayons, add fabric to enhance the picture. Make a green sack out of material and place it over Santa’s shoulder; use black material to glue onto Santa’s boots; use the red material to glue onto Santa’s hat. You can adorn the card with small candy canes.

Draw a reindeer and sleigh card. Instead of drawing antlers, take some brown pipe cleaners, arrange the brown pipe cleaners into antlers and glue the pipe cleaners to the top of the reindeer’s head. If the coloring book has a picture of the sleigh, cut the sleigh out of the book; color the sleigh using crayons; and paste the sleigh in front of the reindeer.

Once the fronts of the cards are decorated, your family can write a personal Christmas message inside the card, with everyone signing their names using colored crayons or markers. Or, to really make the card special, insert a family photograph and sign all your names.

Making personalized Christmas cards is probably one of the most popular craft ideas for the entire family. While the kids are on Christmas vacation, take a day to sit around your kitchen or dining room table and create memorable Christmas cards.