What do you all do on New Years Eve?

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Last year we stayed in and had a row...and the year before ds was with his Dad so we went out but this year I don't fancy either I hate very crowded pubs and paying double for drinks when I've had to queue for ages to get them...What does everyone else do or don't you do anything? Wondering about inviting friends and their children over or something, any other suggestions? Would do a deserted beach in the Maldives but can't afford it!

d.h. ratarsed by 7, read to kids and went to bed with a good book, a bottle of wine and some 'party nibbles'!! Personally, I hate New Year's Eve but then I struggle to stay awake past 10 these days

Family members gather at our house and we rent movies eat pizza, wings, nachos etc, etc. Once in a while my dh and I will go out to dinner but since everyone else is going out we have to take the kids so we rather have our fun at home.

www, can I refer you back to the "anyone else trying to get pregnant ..." thread! The perfect excuse to stay in - celebrate at home with a good sh*g to see in the New Year Who knows what might come of it (no pun intended!!)

Absobloodylutely HATE New Year. It always makes me miserable when midnight is over, as I know it is now January. Last year ds was too young for us to do anything. Two years ago I was suffering badly from all day 'morning sickness', and the year before (Millenium), I had 'flu. This year I'm considering a bottle of Moet and some nibbles for me and dh, with a DVD to watch.

Can't stand NYE either. Don't know why, love going out and getting p*** normally. It's just that sense of desperation around NYE, everyone seeming pressured to be seen out having 'fun'!!!

Unless it's a genuine party with people I really want to be with, I've decided to give it a swerve from now on.

dh (when he was single) went to bed at about 10.30 on NYE..and just as we started going out I'd already received an invitation to a Sad Singles New Year..mainly girls but also a couple of single gay men who made it all go with a swing..really spoiled ourselves with smoked salmon, champagne..and that was just for NYear's day breakfast! millennium we went to a party down in Dorset but I was pregnant and very tired...last year dh's flight back from a business trip was delayed and he didn't get back for a party we'd both been invited to so it was a slightly damp squib, albeit with some friends. I think just spoiling yourself is the answer.

For the past seven years we have spent it with friends in Edinburgh. Now we all have small boys we don't head into town for Hogmanay (see enough free-flowing urine at home, thanks) but have a really nice time at home. we never were party animals, so glad to have found a happy niche.

We don't do NYE too much,stay home, nibbles, crap T.V., play board games,see who's the first to nod off! But NY Day,as dh is from the land of the rising sun we have more of a "do'. He wears his Kimono,sake and sushi are free flowing and we have an "open house" for friends/neighbours. It's a great way to start the NY.

tinker, i completely agree with you! millenium eve we were in mexico (good fun as a holiday but the actual night but just as usual but even more pressure!). 2000/2001 was pregnant - excellent excuse for not partying! stayed in with dh last year.

my ideal would be to book a cottage for a couple of nights with 2 - 4 close friends and do loads of eating, drinking etc. have never actually managed to get this organised. does anyone else find certain friends have a real reluctance to "commit" to arrangements for nye? one particular friend is terrible - lots of umming and awwing but in reality it's just a case of sbmtu (something better might turn up).

maybe it's just me.

Not overly keen on NYE - it's too much pressure to have a good time. Last NYE I went out was 1995 - since then have spent it at home with/without various family members, usually get nice food, watch TV, drink etc... Last year, I was in bed by 10:30 - nothing on TV and I was tired! But this year we're without children, and although I really don't want to go into town with 1000,000's of people I don't know & walk home in the freezing cold, I feel we should make an effort to do something, as who knows when we will have the opportunity again? So we'll probably go for a meal (just like my dad - are we getting old before our time?)

Dh and I had not been out on NYE since we had the ds's, so last year we decided to have a party. Our ds's sleep very well when they are down, so we got them to bed at 7:00pm and told everyone to arrive from 8:00pm onwards.It worked like a dream, we had a great night with lots of family and friends.We got rid of all our turkey and pork from christmas, dh had curried and frozen it on boxing day.Alot of people stayed, on sofabeds and inflateable mattresses in the playroom.
The ds's were thrilled when they woke at 6:00am, to find people to jump on in their playroom.
The guests were warned that if they stayed there was a price to pay!!!

Tinker I think you must be me, because you have taken the words right out of my mouth!

We've had the same friends round for about 6 years now. We had kids at about the same time, so both us girls were pg the same NYE, and now the kids come with them. They do one course, and we just sit around the table, eat drink and chat until midnight (both dh's asleep in chairs by then) and then slope off to bed.
They're such good friends, and so easy to have, am thinking of having them for Christmas too - then I'd have a wonderful excuse to tell members of family that house is too full and they'd better go elsewhere

We stay in, watch tv, a film, nibbles, I might cook something nice or we will get a takeaway. We stay up to just after 12 then off to bed. Havnt been out for ages, although did 1999-2000 year. We like to spend it in as a family. Anyway, dh working nyd. Miss the old house parties though when everyone in the street was having one and at 12 everyone came out into the street clanging saucepan lids and just having real fun, happy fun.

Most NYEs we've rented a cottage with friends, which has always been a lot of fun. A nice meal, silly games and lots of wine. Last year we had the addition of DS, which changed things slightly but I thought still worked ok; strangely, though, our friends (determinedly child-free) have made arrangements to go away with other people this year. Oh well, looks like we'll be sitting on the sofa at home by ourselves, desperately trying to keep awake until midnight.

Ignore it, if possible. NYE makes me maudlin - "Another year gone and nothing achieved" sort of thing. And that's before I've even had a drink!! This year will be okay as we'll be on a trip home and I'm going to be busy, to take my mind off it. Otherwise, I'm only too happy once it's Jan 1st.

We're quite lucky - some friends of ours always have a small, select group of friends over for dinner on NYE. Around 8 or 10 of us. Usually 4 or 5 children as well. We stay over and our 2 children are usually (famous last words!) in bed by 9 or 10, so we can then take off our 'sensible mummy and daddy' hats and get well and truly trousered! Only problem is which one of us gets up with said children the next day! It's been me the last couple of years (bf/pregnant, in reverse order!) so my turn for the comatose lie-in I think!

Don't know what we'd do if they ever decided not to have a 'do' though

Last year (first with DS) went to PIL who had a gathering of their friends. DH and I sat on the settee deadly bored watching all these middle aged people getting drunk... Went to bed at 12.10. Had a rubbish night's sleep.

Dilemma this year because of course we've been invited again. DH told them I was working (until 4.30pm so not that great an excuse). But now SIL+H have decided to go so trying to pressure us to go so they don't get bored!! Have wondered if we could go, put DS to bed then go out for a meal with S/BIL for a couple of hours getting back in time for midnight.....

Every year I was with husband (before and after children were born) we used to go to a club - apart from Millennium NYE when we went to a friend's party. Last year, for the first time ever, we stayed in as new baby was only 11 weeks old and had no-one to babysit, normally my mum would babysit but she was unwell. Husband told me on stroke of midnight that our marriage was over - great start to the New Year. Needless to say, this year I will be with the children Christmas Eve (Christmas day, etc.) and he is having them NYE. No way am I staying in this year - no way on earth. Done it once, never again.

For the last 10 years or so I have celebrated NYE with Ticklebyday. When we were young free and single - clubbing it, parties, sleepovers etc. Now it's with the dh's and children. We celebrate at Tickles place, try and get the kids into bed by 9:00 and once they are sound asleep it's time for some fun. Starting with a takeaway curry, bottle of bubbly and then onto the slammers and coctails and finishing with fireworks on the strike of midnight. Perfect.

Bozza - what do you call middle aged? Probably people like me!!

Last year (first with DS) we also got together with 3 other couples, all the children went to bed (all fairly young & good sleepers) & we had a dinner party - each couple doing a different course. Worked really well & will probably do the same again this year - we are lucky in that we can all walk home though (Baby well wrapped up of course!!)

Ummmm, interesting. I've got a vision...involving a nice country hotel, hired by mumsnet members, with appropriate baby sitting services and a good bar/restaurant, where everyone from mumsnet could have a nice relaxedbutsocial New Year.

Would anyone else do that? This year it might be too late, but we can always plan (well) ahead!

Lindy I did wonder if I might get a response when I put that!! But decided I couldn't really describe people in their fifties as old.... Obviously a sign of my own advancing age - I'm 29 myself so hardly a child-bride! Its just that there did seem to be a bit of a generation gap between us....