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New Year’s Eve survival guide
New Year’s problem: Throwing a boring party
Throw a boring New Year’s Eve party and you’ll soon notice your guests are anxiously looking at the clock for all the wrong reasons. Alarm bells should be ringing when people decide to call it a night at 9:30pm, and start asking questions like “when is everyone else getting here?” and the witheringly apathetic “is this it?” If you don’t want to be known as ‘that person who ruined New Year’ (hint: you don’t), read on. Solution: Putting a group of people together in a room with a bit of alcohol is not enough for a good party, especially if they don’t all know each other. As the host you need to make sure your guests are always entertained, which you can do by setting up party games or end of year quizzes. Once the ice has been broken the party should follow its natural course, and all you’ll need to provide is a bit of food, drink and upbeat music.
New Year’s problem: Overdoing it
Picture the scene: Midnight approaches and a beautiful stranger gazes your way. Your eyes lock and there’s an instant spark of passion. They walk towards you. You smile seductively. Their pace quickens. You are sick in a plant pot. They quickly walk in the opposite direction, disgusted. The odd drink or two on New Year’s Eve is expected, and even encouraged, but there is a fine line between being tipsy and ruining your whole evening. Solution: The most obvious way to address this problem is, of course, to drink less, but that is not always possible. That means preparation is your best bet. Do your best to eat a sensible amount of food all day, so that you won’t be consuming alcohol on an empty stomach. Staying hydrated is also a good idea, so drink plenty of water throughout the day and in between drinks at the party if possible.
New Year’s problem: No midnight kiss
Nothing can make or break your evening quite like the midnight smooch. Bringing in the new year moping on your own as you cradle a drink and jealously watch other couples puckering up is never a fun experience, especially if you’ve gone to the party looking for love. By no means are we saying a midnight kiss is a necessity, but if it is what you’re after then we’re here to help. Solution: You can’t expect to spend the whole party quietly sat in a corner only to have the opposite sex swarm towards you come 11:59pm. Unless you’re the most attractive person at the party, a midnight kiss is going to require some groundwork. Try to talk to as many people as possible throughout the evening and find someone you want to lock lips with. If you seem to be getting on well, confidently approach them come midnight and go for the kiss.
New Year’s problem: Spending too much money
“Go on then, it’s New Year’s Eve!” If you hear these words coming out of your mouth at any point in the evening, take a step back. It’ll usually be accompanied by the purchase of an extremely expensive bottle of champagne to impress that girl you met five minutes ago, or treating the whole party to a round at the bar. Waking up in the morning with a severely depleted bank account won’t be a good start to the next year – here’s how to avoid it. Solution: It might not seem very rock and roll, but planning a budget for the evening beforehand (i.e. when you’re sober) is always a sensible idea. Leave your cards at home and stick to cash and you’ll ensure you aren’t able to overspend, no matter how tempted you are. Some taxi companies will even let you pre-pay for your ride home, so when you inevitably spend all of your money on the night you’ll still have a way to get back.
New Year’s problem: Not making it to midnight
How do you want to start the next year? Dancing with your family and friends? Smooching a good-looking guy or girl? Slumped in the corner collecting a nice patch of drool on your shoulder? We’re betting not many of you went for that last answer. Falling asleep before midnight can happen to the best of us, but is pretty much the ultimate anti-climax to the year if you didn’t intend to. Solution: See that super comfy couch in the corner? It is your worst enemy. Alcohol and soft furnishings are a recipe for disaster when you’re trying to stay awake and alert. Caffeine and energy drinks are also a bad idea, as they could leave you dehydrated, and cause tiredness later on in the night when you least expect it. Instead, try to get a good night’s sleep on the 30th, drink plenty of water, and stay as occupied as possible throughout the party. Read more on realbuzz.com...
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