here comes 2012

HERE COMES 2012!

I know this may be a little early, but I wanted to post some ideas I found to

RING IN THE NEW YEAR 

with your kids. Enjoy!!

1. A JAR FULL OF MEMORIES...celebrate the new year by savoring the best moments of last year! Place a large jar on the kitchen counter along with colorful scraps of paper and pens. During the last week of December, encourage family members to jot down their favorite memories of 2011 (like flying kites on that super windy spring day, or winning the three-legged race at the fall festival), fold them up, and slip them into the jar. While you watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve, take turns reading the memories out loud, and get ready for even more fun in 2012!

2. GOOD LUCK PENNIES...have your kids make their own homemade New Year's noisemakers by decorating old coffee cans or plastic containers. Then, before the big hour, hide "good luck pennies" all over the house for the kids to find and put in their shakers. When midnight strikes, they can shake their shakers wildly to ring in 2012 and bring out all the good luck in their pennies.

3. JANUARY 1, UNPLUGGED...start the New Year by turning off all computers, TVs, and phones, and enjoy a day of old-fashioned family togetherness. Have everyone pick something he'd like to do, whether it's playing Twister, watching home movies, baking cookies, or going for a walk. This sets the tone for what matters most to your family, this year and every year- Each other.

4. CHRISTMAS TREE, TAKE TWO...a couple of days before New Year's Eve, take down the ornaments on the Christmas tree-but don't take the tree down quite yet! In place of the usual decorations, hang curly ribbon, blowers, party hats, and a 2012 ball for the top of the tree (use a Christmas ball covered in colorful scraps of paper).

I hope you get inspired to make memories with your family. Use one of these ideas to get started and tweak it however you'd like. Me, for instance, I probably won't be keeping my kids up till midnight to ring in the new year. They will more than likely be snug in the bed and asleep at 8:30 since we spent the day shaking our homemade shakers...yikes, maybe I will want to join them!!