A monthly online magazine chock-full of insightful articles for busy mothers.

By Kiera Hayashida

It may sound impossible but you can enjoy your New Year’s Eve party with the children – without having to hire a baby sitter!

Infants and toddlers are very easy to handle. You are free to enjoy your party if you tuck them in and turn on your baby monitor – just be sure that you limit alcohol and noise.

Usually preschoolers and children in the early elementary grades are the ones who will be really happy to celebrate the New Year.

For ultimate excitement, announce ahead of time that you will have a night-time New Year’s pajama party.

When you go shopping for groceries, you can let your child go with you and have him pick some party snacks. It will add to your child’s excitement when you go to the party store and buy some affordable noisemakers.

Or, take time to create home-made decorations and noisemakers. Visit a web site for ideas.

On an early evening or the afternoon in December, you can spend time together with oversized construction paper, markers, glue sticks, scissors and crayons to be make party hats.

Now, the nice thing here is that, these young children will not mind that “midnight” is at 9pm or it could be earlier than that.

The best thing to do is begin wearing your party hats and do the countdown until 10 when you shout “Happy New Year” with lots of noise, kisses and hugs. Then, you can have your party snacks.

Have older kids in the house?

Ther are fun and enjoyable choices as these children grow up. You might:

Print out the lyrics of the song “Auld Lang Syne” (“times long past”) from the web and try to learn the song as a family. In visiting a particular web site, you will be able to hear the song and have its lyrics as well. Through the year, keep a box with all the photos, ticket stubs, and souvenirs. Everybody can have his/her turn to pick one of the items inside tha box and have the chance to share some fond memories. With the elders’ guidance, the children can be given the chance to make their home-made party snacks. You can watch together some rented videos or sitcoms. The “Honeymooners” or the Abott and Costello is a good choice for you and your family. Ask everyone to write on a strip of paper the events of the past year that they would want to leave behind them.

After that you can have it flushed away ceremoniously or unceremoniously. You could also play the old game of charades. If you think it would be nice to have a print out of the special charades sign language, then you can have it from a web site. You could tell your family members to jot down their hopes and intentions for the coming year on a slip of paper. Each individual can seal his/her paper inside an envelope and may open it in the next New Year’s Eve if he’she desires to do so. So that you can use them again, you may keep the noisemakers and the decorations after the celebration. The kids will really have fun discovering their old favorites from year to year. You might not know that you are also dicovering the childlike attitude in you. Have a Blissful New Year!

Query light up drink glasses into Bing; do you discover what you need? The next time you enter in new years noisemakers, you’ll see that these url links are what you really desired!

Article source: http://www.articlesaffair.com/article/44158/on-new-years-eve.html

By Wendi Tunny © 2011, All Rights Reserved

When you say, “New Year’s ball drop,” most people immediately
think of Times Square in New York. If you’re looking for a
family-friendly alternative to the bright lights and big cities,
Gatlinburg delivers a celebration even Dick Clark himself would
be proud of.

This year marks the 36th annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and
Fireworks Show. Taking place at the Space Needle in Gatlinburg,
the party kicks off with music, favors and fun that lead up to
the main event.

Then – as the countdown begins – the ball slowly descends,
finally reaching the bottom at the stroke of midnight. But the
excitement doesn’t end there. A fully choreographed fireworks
show ignites from the Needle that ushers in the New Year in a
blaze of glory.

Gatlinburg’s New Year’s Eve Celebration

If a street party is more your style, head over to downtown
Gatlinburg where an estimated 40,000 people will gather to
welcome 2012. Starting at 11pm, a countdown to midnight sets off
an enormous fireworks display.

Performers from the Hard Rock Café will have people dancing in
the streets as will local radio DJs. Many restaurants, shops and
attractions are even open for this annual event. Trolleys will
operate until 2am.

Ride the Train to 2012

If you’d prefer a romantic evening for just you and your honey,
leave the kids with Grandma and take a day trip to Bryson City,
NC. The Smoky Mountain Railroad offers a quiet celebration
onboard this classic train filled with live music, dancing and
scrumptious food.

Acoustic harmonies fill the air as the Atlanta-based duo rings
out memorable classics and some unexpected selections. While
relaxing in your vintage dining car, you’ll be served an
elaborate three-course meal, compliments of Chef Deborah Douthit.

Select from your choice of tiger shrimp and crab-stuffed
mushroom appetizers to start. Then savor one of three entrees:
spinach-stuffed chicken, seasoned pork loin with raspberry glaze
or a vegetarian favorite – portabella mushroom tower. End this
elegant meal with freshly prepared chocolate lava cake.

This is a 3-1/2 hour tour you’ll remember for years to come.
Your adults-only journey is all-inclusive and complete with a
traditional countdown to midnight.

Dancing with the Sharks

For a new twist on an old tradition, visit Ripley’s Aquarium.
From 9pm until 1am New Year’s Eve, they’ll host “Dance with the
Sharks,” a celebration that includes heavy hors d’oeuvres,
fireworks and two live bands that will surely have your toes (uh.
fins) tapping. Wondering what to do with the kids? Bring them
along! Children’s programs are available.

Out with the old. in with the new. The Smoky Mountains offers
some exciting ways to watch 2012 arrive. Make your plans and
reservations soon so you don’t miss a thing.

Need a place to stay during your getaway? Wendi Tunny of Bear
Run Falls offers affordable luxury cabins in Pigeon Forge within
walking distance to Dollywood. http://www.bearrunfalls.com

by Shelly Hill

During the holiday season, we like to entertain friends and family members here at our home. Along with our traditional holiday spread of delicious food, I like to serve a cranberry holiday punch.

You will need to purchase a large punch bowl and punch cups to serve the following recipes. You can use traditional flavored ice as explained at the end of each recipe or you can make an ice ring mold to keep your punch cold.

How To Make An Ice Ring Mold:

Making a punch bowl ice ring is really easy. Buy an inexpensive gelatin ring mold, fill the mold with punch juice and freeze for several hours. Remove the ice mold from the ring and add it to your punch bowl before pouring in the punch juice. Making an ice ring mold from punch juice keeps your party punch from getting watered down, which is what would happen if you use traditional ice.

Cranberry Mixed Fruit Punch

1 quart bottle 7-Up soda
1 pint cranberry cocktail
12 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
12 ounce can frozen pineapple concentrate
1 quart raspberry sherbet

In a large punch bowl, combine all of the above ingredients together in the order that they are given. All ingredients should be chilled or cold before placing into the punch bowl.

Punch Bowl Ice: Take 4 ice cube trays and purchase an additional bottle of cranberry juice. Pour juice into the ice cube trays and freeze. Use cranberry ice in your punch bowl so that your punch doesn’t get watered down.

Cranberry Apple Punch

1 large bottle cranberry juice
1 large bottle apple juice
12 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
6 ounce can frozen pineapple juice concentrate
6 ounce can frozen grapefruit juice concentrate
2 liter bottle lemon-lime soda

Pour all ingredients together into a large punch bowl in the order that they are given in the recipe. All ingredients should be chilled or cold before placing into the punch bowl.

Punch Bowl Ice: Take 4 ice cube trays and purchase an additional bottle of apple juice. Pour juice into the ice cube trays and freeze. Use apple ice in your punch bowl so that your punch doesn’t get watered down.

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. Shelly enjoys cooking and baking and entertaining her friends and family during the holidays. You can visit Shelly online at her Shakin ‘N Bakin blog at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com for additional free recipes.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Thanksgiving Day Greeting Cards from Tiny Prints

Sweet ‘n Sour Meatballs(recipe below)
tortilla cream cheese and salsa wraps(then slice into pinwheels)
potato chips
black diamond white cheddar cheese
pecorino cheese
pumpernickle bread
breton crackers
kielbassa from the strip
(http://www.neighborsinthestrip.com/)
salad with cukes lettuce tomatoes and homemade french…
(oil, vinegar, sugar, honey, paprika, salt, pepper)

gingerale, coke and sparkling grape juice

Sweet ‘n Sour Meatballs

2 lbs. Ground beef
1 cup of bread crumbs
1 tsp. Salt ¼ tsp. Pepper
1 medium onion chopped
2 eggs
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Shape into 1-1/2 inch balls.
Brown meatballs in oil and drain fat.

Sauce for Meatballs

4 tbsp. Of brown sugar
3 tbsp. Of cornstarch
1 cup of water
2 cans of pineapple chunks (reserve syrup)
1 cup of syrup… from cans of pineapple
6 tbsp. Of apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp. Of soy sauce
4 green peppers cut into 1 inch pieces

In large skillet add sugar, and cornstarch tobrowned meatballs. Stir in water, syrup, vinegarand soy sauce. Heat mixture until boils andthickens, stirring constantly. Add pineapple,green pepper. Simmer covered, 15 to 20 minutes