New Year’s Eve is widely considered the party night of the year and for good reason. At the stroke of midnight, a whole new year begins. It symbolizes a fresh start – the chance to put the old year behind you and begin anew. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, it’s just another night. Even so, each new year brings another New Year’s Eve and another party you’ll attend hoping it will be the best one ever. For that reason, I’ve compiled a list of helpful hints for a memorable New Year’s Eve you’ll look back on fondly for years to come.
A Week Before the Party
About a week before the big night, you should start your preparations. Making sure you’ve taken a little time to prepare well in advance will take a lot of the stress out of the time you have to get ready before the party. Of course the week before New Year’s Eve is always busy with Christmas coming to a close but none of these things take all that long to do.
Choose a Hairstyle and Take it for a Test Run.
You do not want to do anything drastic to your hair just before the party. You need time to adjust to the new look and learn to feel comfortable with it. If you’re planning to cut or color your hair, do it about a week in advance. You can always duck in for a quick touch up the day of the party or the day before. Remember though, New Years’ Eve is a busy day for stylists. Make sure you book your appointment with your favorite stylist well in advance so you’re sure you’ll be able to get a spot.
Getting your hair cut and styled in advance also gives you that all important emergency fix time. If the color or style isn’t what you were hoping for, you have a little time to fix it. If you wait until the day of the party and something doesn’t turn out the way you want it to, you could find yourself stuck with it. Allow yourself – and your stylist – time to change things. This is especially important if you’re planning to try out a whole new color. It’s never a good idea to color treat your hair twice in one day. A week gives you enough time to get a second treatment without risking serious damage to your hair.
If you plan to do your own styling, it’s a good idea to try out the new style before the party. First, you want to make sure you’re able to do it on your own. If you need a little help, you want to be sure you have it the day of the party. Second, you need to see how it will hold up to a night of partying. Do your hair and just wear the style around the house for a while. Put on a little music. Dance around a little bit. See how the style feels. This will give you the chance to get used to it but will also give you the chance to choose something a little more party friendly if need be.
Put Your Outfit Together.
Save yourself a whole lot of time and stress the day of the party and plan your outfit in advance. A good outfit for a New Years’ Eve party will be flattering, appropriate to the type of party you’re attending and will most importantly be comfortable. You don’t want to put your dress on the day of the party only to learn that it’s a bit too snug or a bit too loose. If you try it on in advance, you’ll have time to have it altered if necessary. If that’s not an option, you’ll have time to choose something new. Maybe you received a gift certificate for your favorite clothing store for Christmas. This could be a good chance to use it.
A comfortably fitting outfit will greatly improve how you feel the night of the party. You won’t have to spend the entire night tugging the hem down because it’s riding up or hiking up the neckline because it’s showing just a little too much. You can focus on having fun instead of focusing on what part of your dress is causing you problems.
Let’s take a moment to talk about shoes. For many, many years, I’d arrive home on New Years’ Eve with feet that ached so badly I could barely walk through the door. That isn’t necessary ladies. You’re attending a New Years’ Eve party, not hitting the runway. There are comfortable yet stylish shoes out there. Wear them! Massive blisters on your toes or heels is a great way to put a serious damper on your New Years’ celebrations.
As you did with your hairstyle, you’re going to want to take your New Years’ Eve outfit for a test run before the party. Put on your outfit with your shoes (and the hairstyle if you like) and walk around the house for a while. Do whatever you normally do and just get used to how everything feels. Word of caution though, you’re going to want to make sure you wear something over the outfit so it doesn’t get dirty. Dirt has a way of finding a carefully planned outfit even if you’re not doing anything particularly messy. Make sure you have your shoes on too. Nothing tells you how comfortable a pair of shoes are like actually keeping them on your feet for a while. If your feet are aching before your trial run is done, choose new shoes. You’ll thank yourself for it.
The Day of the Party
The day of the New Years’ Eve party is going to be hectic. There will be lots of running around to do so you’ll be ready to arrive on time. Even so, there are a few things you should really take a little extra time out for just so you’re sure you’ll be properly prepared for the festivities.
Eat Something!
There will likely be snacks you can enjoy at the party but there is no substitute for a decent meal beforehand. Many women choose to skip meals before a big party because they think it will make them look better in their outfits. That just isn’t true. If you stick with something light and avoid anything salty, greasy or loaded with dairy, you should look just as good in your dress as you would’ve should you have chosen to skip the meal. More importantly, you’ll feel better. It’s hard to have a good time when your stomach is begging you for attention.
Stock Your Purse with Emergency Supplies.
I’m not talking about flashlights, batteries or anything else you might think of when you hear ’emergency supplies’. You need to be as prepared as possible for any potential problems that might pop up over the course of the night. You don’t have to load your purse down with a whole bunch of things you won’t use but you should at least have the following:
- a stain removal stick (Tide sticks, Shout Wipes etc)
- an extra pair of pantyhose (if you wear them)
- makeup
- a hair brush
- spare change
- phone numbers for family and friends in case of emergency
I carry Tide Sticks with me everywhere I go. I’m a fairly neat person but that doesn’t mean those around me may not be. You’ve taken a little time and put a lot of thought into your outfit. You don’t want to wind up with a big stain from someone’s spilled drink. I don’t wear pantyhose but for women who do, a backup pair won’t take up much space in your purse and will save you a lot of grief should your pantyhose get caught on something. As for the brush, you can buy small, travel sized brushes at any discount store. They’ll take up barely any room and will come in handy if you need to tame unruly hair. A brush will also come in handy if you’ve chosen an up-do only to decide you want to let your hair down later in the evening.
Makeup. This one’s tricky. Many women either throw too much makeup in their purse or not enough. Only pack what you feel you’ll need to touch up – lipstick, eyeliner and powder. Everything else will likely stay in place just fine. Lipstick, eyeliner and powder should definitely be taken with you though. Should you need a touch up, the chances of finding someone who has the shade you need will be pretty slim.
Change for a payphone and important phone numbers should always be in your purse – not just on New Years’ Eve. In this modern age where cell phone are so common, it’s hard to remember that they don’t always work. You could find yourself with a dead battery or no service and you’ll be glad you thought to carry a little spare change. Phone numbers are important because, honestly, who remembers phone numbers these days. If you need to call someone from a pay phone chances are you’re not going to be able to access the address book on your cell.
Plan for a Back Up Ride Home.
Designated drivers are an absolute must for New Years’ Eve but they’re not always a fool proof option. A few years back, I was at a party with my designated driver only to find that he was more intoxicated than I was by the end of the night. A friend of mine found herself without a ride home when her DD got food poisoning and wound up sleeping at the party host’s house. You might not use your back option but it’s a great idea to have one just in case. Drunk driving is no joke and should never be taken lightly. Letting a friend drive drunk is incredibly irresponsible but so is getting in a car with someone who’s been drinking. Even if it’s just a taxi, make sure you have another option for getting home safely.
Have Realistic Expectations
It’s New Years’ Eve. Here’s what that actually means – one year is ending and a new one is beginning. Here’s what it does not mean – miracles will happen and everyone will wind up kissing the guy or girl of their dreams at the stroke of midnight. If you’re in love, you’re probably all set. If you’re looking for love, don’t automatically assume you’ll find it just because it’s New Years’ Eve. Focus on having a good time. Have fun with your friends. Maybe make new friends but don’t get your hopes too high. It is, at its core, just another night.
After the Party
The drinks! The food! The party! The hang over. Yes, for some, a New Years’ Day hang over is thought to be something that simply can’t be avoided. That isn’t the case. I’d like to close this out with a few quick tips for avoiding a nasty hang over when the sun comes up on a whole new year.
- Choose a drink and stick with it! Mixing alcohol is an excellent way to make yourself sick.
- Eat something when you get home. Bread, crackers and rice are great choices. They’ll help absorb a little bit of the alcohol and make for a more settled stomach in the morning.
- Drink plenty of water before bed. Hangover headaches can be attributed, in large part, to dehydration. Water will help keep you hydrated and drinking a few glasses of water before you climb into bed will help take a big bite out of the hangover headache. For some, Pedialyte is also a great option.
- Stop drinking when your body tells you it’s time to stop. When you start getting that queasy feeling in your stomach, stop drinking.
All in all, New Years’ Eve can be a wonderful night filled with lots of great memories you’ll be able to hold on to for the rest of your life but to avoid a New Years’ Eve disaster, you need to be prepared. Take these tips and adjust them to suit your needs and you should have a great experience. …Fancy hair
