New Year’s Blog Hop!!

Happy 2013!!  Can you believe it’s a new year already?  Neither can I, but I’m going to celebrate it anyway, along with over 200 bloggers and authors.  We’re sharing our favorite holiday memories and stories with you, and hoping you’ll do the same.  On top of that, we’re giving away a spectacular group of prizes, including individual prizes on each of our blogs.

And three grand prizes, too!

You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $300 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

To be eligible to win, just leave a comment, and be sure to include your email address.  The 1st and 2nd grand prizes are open to international readers, but the 3rd grand prize is U.S. based only.

So, let’s get straight to those stories!  When I was a kid, our family often celebrated New Year’s Eve with the people in our neighborhood.  There was a lot of great food and champagne (for the adults, of course) and the kids had fun hanging out.  But the best part was the actual ringing in of the holiday at midnight.  My parents gave us funny hats to wear, and noisemakers and pots and pans to bang as loudly as we wanted.  We’d run outside, shrieking and yelling and banging on the pots as loud as we could.  If anyone on the street was asleep, we surely woke them up!


So tell me all about it:  what are some of your  memories of New Year’s from your younger days.  Did your family celebrate by doing anything special?  One person who comments will win a copy of Fastball, one of my VK Sykes contemporary romances, and a $10 Amazon gift card.  Don’t forget to leave your email address in the comment thread to be eligible for one of the grand prizes!

FASTBALL

Baseball reporter Maddie Leclair has spent years chasing her dream job—covering the major league team, the Philadelphia Patriots.  Now that she’s landed the assignment she intends to make it big, with feature articles on the front page of every sports section in the country. But to do that, she needs to score an interview with the most private and elusive athlete in baseball, Patriots’ superstar Jake Miller.

On the rebound from a devastating injury that knocked him out of play for a season, Jake has a lot to prove to the suits in the head office.  He’s sure he still has what it takes to win, and he’ll be damned if he lets anything get in the way of his climb back to the top of the charts.

The last thing Jake needs is a pushy female reporter distracting him.  But one look at Maddie and he knows he’s in trouble.  He finds himself trying for a different kind of play, one that involves bedrooms and not baseball stats.  Sleeping together could damage both their careers, and Maddie is all about saying no.  But when it comes to the game of love, Jake is playing to win.

PS.  Hardball, the sequel to Fastball, is now FREE on Amazon, B & N, Kobo, and most other retailers.  So jump on over and download the book – what have you got to lose?!  After you’ve done that, just click on this Blog Hop link and start hopping away!

223 thoughts on “New Year’s Blog Hop!!”

  1. On New Years’s Eve the grownups would always play cards. For some reason I always associate the movie THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME with this night. The 1939 version with Charles Laughton. It obviously played more than once on New Year’s Eve.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    Reply
  2. Thanks for being part of the giveaway!

    I remember when I was so young that it was such a treat when my parents let us stay up to midnight. It felt so grown up and we’d wear our best clothes with the silly hats and horns and glasses of juice/milk. So much fun!

    Happy New Year!

    ahui55(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  3. When we were younger, my cousins and I would break out all of our boardgames and just play them until it was time to ring in the new year —

    Thank you for the great giveaway!

    Happy 2013!

    – Tin (khriscc at yahoo dot com)

    Reply
  4. Hi, Vanessa!

    One of my favorite New Year’s eve memory as a child was breaking out all of our board games and playing with them with my cousins.

    Thank you for the great giveaway!

    Happy New Year!

    – Tin (khriscc at yahoo dot com)

    Reply
  5. I honestly can’t remember doing anything special… but I was the youngest of the family and was always sent to bed early… I’m still just a couch potato with wine on NYE… and usually asleep by midnight.

    Reply
  6. When our kids were young we would do the same thing. We would run outside banging pots and pan yelling Happy New Year! They still talk about it. Thanks for doing the blog!
    gatormaryd(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply
  7. I always remembered watching the ball drop on TV with Dick Clark! Thanks for the great giveaway!!

    Happy New Year!!

    ehaney578 at aol dot com

    Reply
  8. I remember several years we spent at my aunt’s house on the lake and would ice skate and build a bonfire and have a blast!!

    Happy New Year

    staceyprice @ gmail . com

    Reply
  9. Hi, Vanessa! When I was a little girl, my Mom would often take us to church for what was called the “Watch Night Service.” There would be games for the children; everyone would sing; and the minister would give a service with prayers for a good new year for everyone and for our country. I guess you would say it was rather calm. Today, I’m still happy to have a little get-together with family and friends. Not a fan of huge parties.

    Thanks for the fun blog and giveaway! This is what’s really exciting to me! 🙂

    Connie Fischer
    conniecape@aol.com

    Reply
  10. My parents were not party goers and I am an only child so New Year’s eve was uneventful. My mom did have family over New Years Day for the traditional sauerkraut dinner.

    Reply
  11. My Mother would give each of us kids a quartr to go to the store across the street and buy a bag of chips, a nickle soda pop and a candy bar. This would start our night out as we watched the holiday shows on TV. We would all be lined up on the floor separated or sequestered away from the one you were most likly to fight with. My three younger brothers and I would each get a pot and a lid or a wooden spoon and at the stroke of midnight we would bang away.

    Reply
  12. My fondest memories of New years celebrations are with my grandparent, long gone now. My Granny would make a big feast of sour kraut and pork with mashed potatoes to eat at midnight. Which I still do to this day. She would give us all sparkly hats, boas or scarves, noise makers and apple cider. I guess it was a good thing they had a farm way out of town because when there were more of us together, the louder it got. I really miss these days. Happy New Year!! May all your dreams come true!!

    Reply
  13. I remember “decorating” the house (& one year my dad) for new years with streamers & balloons on new year’s eve. mom & dad would get us hats, streamers, noise makers, etc and, as we watched the ball drop on tv, we’d have our own confettti celebration (put times square to shame i’m sure) 🙂

    Reply
  14. This year was pretty fun for my 12 year old daughter. I was in the bedroom watching GRUMPY OLD MEN hubby was in the living room watching some bloody vampire show and baby girl was asleep – or so I thought. At midnight she comes running outbox her room shouting happy new year! Her best friend had popped up on Skype and scared the daylights out of her! So she had to share with mom and dad! I haven’t been awake at midnight on New Year’s Eve in years.

    Reply
  15. New Year’s merry-making in our family included fancy foods. Mom would make cheeseballs, set out trays of fudge and divinity (the last of the Christmas candy) and they’d put vinyl on the hi-fi. Dancing would start when a drink or two had been consumed. The adults kept the party at home and the kids joined in. I drank Shirley Temples. Then we watched the ball drop — right before we did from shear exhaustion.
    Thanks for causing me to remember. That was fun!

    Reply
  16. My family didn’t do anything special for New Year’s Eve that I can remember from being a kid. As an adult now, I spend it with my boyfriend if he isn’t working (he works third shift) and we might have a drink or two, some Chinese food and try to stay up until midnight. If he has to work, there is still Chinese food, I have a drink, and then I cuddle up with a book once he leaves for work and try to stay up until midnight. Not as exciting as other people but I am happy:)

    oneinamillion21@yahoo.com

    Reply
  17. When I was little, my mom would buy each of us a bottle of sparkling grape juice (otherwise we’d fight over who got more out of the bottle) and we’d spend all day cutting up paper from our recycling bin to throw once the ball dropped on the East Coast (which at 11:00 was late)…unfortunately we never seemed to be able to stay up until then and always had to throw our confetti when we woke up the next morning

    Thanks for being part of the giveaway….
    cpautz0509@gmail.com

    Reply
  18. It would always be fun to see who could stay awake until midnight when I was young. When my kids were young we would make snacks and play games through the evening… and see who could stay up until midnight 🙂

    penniemo2 (at) gmail (dot) com

    Reply
  19. My memories of New Year’s Eve was my brother & I always got to “try” to stay up until midnight. We got to camp in the living room that night and have popcorn & usually 7-up pretending we were celebrating like the adults.

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  20. As a kid i remember my mom and I would stay up and watch Dick Clarks Rocking Eve and I really loved watching the ball drop.

    Reply
  21. I don’t really remember doing anything for New Year’s as a child. My parents were older, so we pretty much stayed at home.

    Reply
  22. When I was a child, I remember my parents getting dressed up and going to a party. I would watch the Orange Bowl Parade, which used to be on NYE.

    Reply
  23. I can’t remember doing anything special on New Years when I was growing up but then again I don’t remember a lot from my childhood.

    quiltlady110 AT gmail Dot com

    Reply
  24. When I was a kid, my dad was in the Air Force, so he wasn’t around lot. Consequently, I don’t remember celebrating New Year’s much. The one memory I have, my mom and stepdad were at a friend’s, so I was taking care of my little sister, making popcorn for her on the stove when the pan shifted or something. Next thing I know, steam pours out and burns my hand and I spend the rest of the night on the couch, crying with my hand wrapped up in ice and swelling to twice its normal size. Let’s just say, I was ecstatic when they invented microwave popcorn!

    Margay1122ATaolDOTcom

    Reply
  25. When I was little, we always got together with family, so I remember playing with my cousins and waiting for midnight, watching the ball drop on tv so we could make all the noise we wanted.

    Thanks for the giveaway and Happy New Years to all!!

    Reply
  26. My family didn’t do anything special. New Year’s Day was just another day. But one year my mom did decide that the best cure to her dissappointment at having to take down the Christmas decorations would be to make cake. So, that year we had a birthday cake complete with frosting and candles to ring in the new year. It was pretty fun!

    Michel_Lee_King@yahoo.com

    Reply
  27. Sadly, my mother never felt that New Year’s Eve was a special day, so we never did anything for it. I try to make it special for my own children though. I make lots of snacky foods and we play lots of board games.

    Reply
  28. I don’t think this went through the first time. Trying again!

    My mother never felt that New Year’s Eve was a special day. We never did anything special for it. I try to make is special for my own children though. I make lots of snack foods and we play board games.

    Shana7426@aol.com

    Reply
  29. No special NY’s tradition for my family. To bring in the new year I watched movies and had a glass of wine at midnight.

    Reply
  30. I remember New Year’s when I was a child with lots of people over for a great party. Everyone would have a blast. At 11:30 PM my mother would start cooking sausages (this was an Italian tradition) and after midnight everyone would run outside and bang pots and pans, and then come in and have sausage sandwiches. How we ate them after eating tons of food earlier was beyond me but it was truly a great night.

    Reply
  31. I don’t remember doing anything special when I was younger, besides trying to stay up past midnight. I do remember that the tradition was always to make noise right at midnight. Now in my Florida neighborhood, they make noise all night long, setting off fireworks from the time it gets dark until after midnight. A noisy way to usher out the old year. 😀

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

    Reply
  32. Trying one more time as I don’t think this worked the last two times I tried!

    We never did anything special for New Year’s Eve. My mom felt it was just another day. I try to do things differently with my own children. We play games, eat lots of snacky food and then watch the ball drop on tv.

    shana7426@aol.com

    Reply
  33. Since I spend Xmas with Mom, New Years was my Dad’s holiday, we would have dinner and then go out driving to see all the festivities around town and we would stay up all night to watch the sunrise.
    lilyjoha at live dot com

    Reply
  34. We didn’t do much but go outside and bang pots and pans together. Last night I let my dog into the yard before bed just at midnight. My next door neighbor’s door opened, out came a hand with one of those spinners, then the hand went inside. I laughed myself silly.

    Reply
  35. When I was young my mom used to let me stay up til midnight. Every year she would get me one helium balloon that I would make a wish on and then release into the sky. Of course, this was before we all knew the dangers of releasing balloons, but it is still a great memory.
    kwhitley@swbell.net

    Reply
  36. When I was growing up, my parents used to make a lot of food to celebrate, and my brother and i would try to stay up until midnight, but inevitably fail and fall asleep 😛

    aircdrewood(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  37. My family was very low key. I very often went to bed before midnight, but some years I’d stay up watching TV until midnight. Then I’d open the front door and listen to the noise people made to bring in the new year. I didn’t EVER go to a party. Boy, just boring, I’m afraid.

    Reply
  38. When I was little our neighborhood would have a block party. All the kids had to go to one house and the teenagers had to babysit while the parents partied at another house. Little did the parents know….us kids partied in our own style. We would all sneek out and spy on the parents, toilet paper their cars, and create all kinds of mischief. We never got in trouble!

    Reply
  39. My grandparents used to come over on New Year’s Eve, and my parents and grandparents would play card games while my sisters and I watched movies on TV. At midnight, we would all sing Auld Lang Syne.

    jochibi AT yahoo DOT com

    Reply
  40. New Year’s isn’t a big holiday around here. We’d rather go to bed and get up early the next day. Thanks for the fun
    zenfoxflowerATyahooDOTcom

    Reply
  41. khoefs@mwt.net

    when we were kids we would get to stay up late and have drinks and snacks and a lot of the time we would make homemade ice cream and play cards and play board games..with my cousins we always see who could stay awake the longest..much funner when you were kids than adult…thanks kimy

    Reply
  42. As kid we would have a girls sleep over at our cousin’s house and put on makeup and do our hair. LOL We even took pictures and still have them.
    Thanks so much for a great beginning to a New Year.

    kp_kazamei(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply
  43. New Years Eve has always been family game night. Lots of fun!

    Thanks for the contest!

    bderosa(at)rochester(dot)rr(dot)com

    Reply
  44. We never really did much, just a few pots and pans with the babysitter as my parents often went out.
    Mel
    bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

    Reply
  45. I remember that my Mom and Dad would always but my brother and me new year hats. They were cheap, but we loved them. I got a tiara and he got a top hat, we thought we were amazing.

    Ann(dot)sheiring(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  46. Nothing special, but we do have pork and sauerkraut for dinner. I think it’s for good luck.

    Happy New Year!

    moeyknight at gmail dot com

    Reply
  47. I loved New Year’s Eve as a kid it was the only day I could stay up real late 🙂 We would just watch movies until it was time for the ball to drop then we would eat pork and sauerkraut.

    vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  48. my plans are to spend more time with my kids. They are getting older and have their own lives now and I feel like we are slowly drifting away, so I would like to take the time to do more with them cause I love them!

    angelheart618@gmail.com

    Reply
  49. I used to savor the opportunity to stay home and read all day without needing to go to work or school. My mom used to make wonderful meals that combined the good luck dishes important in a couple of different ethnic traditions. Good food and good books, what a wonderful combination!

    Reply
  50. Thanks for participating in this awesome hop and happy New year to All!!!

    When we were kids everyone gather at my grandmother’s for New Years Eve, aunts, uncles, cousins… We’d have dinner together, hang out watch the ball drop and toast with champagne and sparkling cider. After the grown ups would all leave for their partying and the kids would spend the night with with our grandparents.

    kaladata2(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  51. I think we must have been in the same parties as kids. I still remember the sound of the ring in the pot that my mom would give me. Out side in the front lawn with a metal spoon with my siblings. All the people up and down the street would all come out. It way beautiful to see. Thanks for the memory. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!

    Judy
    strawberryrose@earthlink.net

    Reply
  52. Thanks so much for the chance to win. It’s a great way to start the year. No major resolutions beyond reading a lot (let’s go 50 books!) and staying active (jog, jog!), but I hope you have a great year 🙂

    As a kid, we do what we do know, which is just watch the ball drop and relax at home with family.

    Thanks again!

    hisboywonder(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  53. We’ve never celebrated the calendar new year, but rather (being Chinese) Chinese New Year which falls either in late January or early Feb. My fav childhood memory is getting to play with fireworks; we had a dog that wasn’t afraid of the fireworks or crackers but would try to bite them!

    Reply
  54. When I was younger, I believe my sister and I watched the MTV count down or listened to the year’s music countdown on our radios. This year we all watched the ball drop on TV and gobbled up 12 grapes between 12 & 12:01. Which only my 11 yo son achieved…haha

    Reply
  55. On New Year’s Eve my sister and I would have hats, blowers and sparkling cider but the big celebration was on New Year’s Day when my folks would have a big family New Year’s open house with 100 or more people. It was fun every year to see all the changes in the kids. My email is penguingram142@yahoo.com

    Reply
  56. One of my best new year’s eve memories is at the turn of the millennium. There was a marathon on TV of the countdown on major cities, and each one is extra grand because of the occasion!

    Reply
  57. Thank you for the blog contest.

    I don’t really remember anything special about New Year’s Eve when I was young – or even not so young. I’ve been to midnight movies with a boyfriend, family watch parties at church, staying up by myself and reading & then watching the ball drop in Times Square. But I would say for most of my 66 years, I have stayed up & awake to see the New Year in —
    and I do not make New Year resolutions anymore [it I ever did 🙂 ].

    Reply
  58. I remember hanging out with my cousins and my aunts & uncles buying us non-acholic champagne. We would do the countdown and stay up late and talk about boys and girls we hated. Those were the days. We would also sneak out and drink some beer with boys once we got a little older.
    Thanks for the fun giveaway. What great prizes. Would love to win and of them.

    Reply
  59. My parents would have a big party for my brothers and all of their friends. I was the youngest and they were 10 yrs older than me and their girlfriends were there as well. My mom would fix tons of food and then we’d pop fireworks at midnight. Always seemed like a magical time to me. Happy New Year Vanessa! 🙂

    Reply
  60. New Year’s at my parents was always quiet since they always went out. The oldest was supposed to put us to bed early but we all stayed up to watch the ball drop then went to bed. Parents actually appreciated that none of us got up early after they stayed out late. When I got married hubby and I used to have kids parties. All the parents would drop their kids off at our house and we would fill up the living room with games and balloons. We usually had more fun than the parents and the kids love having a sleep over at our house.

    Reply
  61. I think my earliest New Years memory is from when I was about 7 and living in Germany. It was snowing, and we were all bundled up in fluorescent snowsuits. Everyone on my street came outside and we all had sparklers. It was just a really fun new years 🙂
    Thanks for the giveaway!

    cerian.halford@gmail.com

    Reply
  62. I made a goal to be kinder to myself this year. I often do things for other people to the detriment of myself.
    planterofhope at aol dot com

    Reply
  63. As a kid I remember being allowed to stay up til midnight and then off to bed. Well that is after my uncle’s fireworks display!! Loved that part!

    grapeapril75(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    Reply
  64. My favorite memory of New Years was a party my parents took me too. We had so many silly little games that we played that we all almost forgot about Midnight!!!

    Reply
  65. My father was always building “something” one year he made a 3ft old time cannon! It became tradition to blast said cannon on New Years Eve, even after I moved out I called him right before midnight just so I could hear the cannon. Nowadays, my family walks to the end of our street to see the fireworks display the local community college does every year.

    Reply
  66. My mom would let us stay up and have punch and little snacks and watch the ball drop… We would listen to music dance and have a great time with friends… my mom would give us each a kiss and then send us to bed after midnight.

    j.m.platt83@gmail.com

    Reply
  67. We always had a house full of family and friends and stayed up late! My mom always made sure there was non alcoholic champagne and plastic glasses for the kids so everybody got to toast at midnight!! Lots of noise and fun! It was a great time!!!
    julia
    juliamills@aol.com

    Reply
  68. Thanks for participating in this giveaway!

    On New Year’s Day we always have a big family dinner and a traditional meal: boiled cabbage, black-eyed peas, and ham.

    Reply
  69. I used to love going to my cousin’s and setting off fireworks when I was younger on new year’s eve

    fencingromein at hotmail dot com

    Reply
  70. We used to have the greatest parties with lots and lots of family; now it’s just hubby and me and a bottle of bubbly!

    diane dot sadler at gmail dot com

    Reply
  71. When I was younger the best thing about New Years was simply staying up later and watching the ball drop with my dad.. as an adult I can barely keep my eyes open, lol.

    Reply
  72. As kids, my 3 brothers and I tried our best to stay awake till midnight, but rarely made it. We were early sleepers and my parents appreciated that fact!

    Reply
  73. I have been entering so many contests lately and not winning so not expecting to this time either, but still hoping. My b’day is the 5th and we don’t have a kindle or a nook so I wouldn’t mind winning. I can’t get enough of reading.

    Reply
  74. Remembering back as a kid it was always an exciting time of the year for me and my brothers because it meant fireworks and we could stay up late – LOL As we got older we got to drink and that was even better. However now that I am much older and my kids are grown we have mellowed out and sit at home and treat it like another day. We still stay up and have our new year kiss but thats about it. I know it doesnt sound real exciting but I have totally mellowed out.

    Wishing you a Happy New Year

    mrsqueentutt@gmail.com

    Reply
  75. I remember when I was about seven, we were out of town with family for the New Year. Everyone had those pretty glasses with wine, and I was jealous. But! Never fear! Super Aunt to the rescue! She’s gotten all us little ones pretty glasses, too, and filled them up with welche’s– the kind they put in the fancy bottle– and we were happy as a peach 🙂

    Reply
  76. Happy New Year!!!

    Hmm…I guess we never really did much for New Years. And I still don’t. For years my hubby and I would go to bed early because the next day was a full day of driving to CO for ski trips…worth the sacrifice of not going out =)

    eyesofblueice (at) gmail.com

    Reply
  77. When I was alot younger, my sisters and my 3 cousins would spend New Years with our grandparents. The six of us put on a show and then charged our Memaw and granddaddy to watch. But were else could we go in play and mess up the house with balloons and streamers. She let us do anything. It was great. Love them alot and I wish my kids had grandparents like that. Nancy

    Reply
  78. My all time favorite was staying up with my dad all night. We would get pillows & blankets and a HUGE bowl of popcorn, which we popped on the stove. We would all gather in the livingroom (because it was the only room with a tv a Huge 19″ … lol We would turn it to Channel 13 and watch Chiller Theater. It was Scary movies all nite long 😀 God I miss those days. Big Hugs to you for making me remember them.
    Happy New Year
    Missie Jones
    missie25524 (at) netzero (dot) com

    Reply
  79. Our family tradition has always been to light a string of firecrackers by the front door to chase away any evil spirits and to bring good luck for the year. I still continue the tradition with my Mom who is now 82 years young!

    Reply
  80. As a child, we did the neighborhood fireworks celebration. As an adult I spend a quieter New Year’s Eve with my husband and daughter.
    Happy New Year.
    koonie2888 at yahoo dot com

    Reply
  81. We never really did much until my sister and I were a bit older. Then my parents would make appetizers, we’d watch movies, and just hang out until the countdown!

    smkocunik at gmail dot com

    Reply
  82. My favorite childhood memory is when we would get to stay up late on New Years Eve and at midnight we would go out on the front porch and bang the bottom of pots and pans with wooden spoons to ring in the new year!
    jdjgould612@yahoo.com

    Reply
  83. Plenty of fond memories of get-togethers with family, until we grew up and moved away. I remember those moments well with aunts and uncles who have passed away now.

    Reply
  84. I remember spending new years eve with my best friends when we were pretty little. There was all the good stuff that kids like to eat and party favors. It was fun. When I got to be a teenager I always went to a local new years eve dance with my family. I have wonderful memories from when I was a child but my best New Years Eve was the year I meet my husband. We met on New Years Eve at a dance with all my family there. It was love a first sight & we’ve been together since. It was the best night to of my life.

    Reply
  85. One of my favorite memories of NYE in my childhood was spending one NYE with a friend of mine and I was allowed to pop the cork on the champagne bottle and I guess I had jostled it about just a bit too much before I popped that cork because it zinged out of the bottle and shattered the glass light fixture and the bulb inside it so we all had glass raining down on us and the kitchen went pitch black. I know it sounds terrible but after the fact it was hilarious to us all and no one got hurt thankfully! It was even better because even us kids got a small glass of champagne to celebrate with (with parents permission of course) and we stayed up all night watching scary movies and eating junk food! greeneyesredhair@gmail.com

    Reply
  86. Family tradition is to stay up all together, with our loved ones. Never changed never will!
    movie1997 at live dot it
    Happy New year!

    Reply
  87. I don’t remember New Year’s Eve at all growing up. They must have put us to bed early! When I was older, we went for a few years to a friend’s house who was a great cook. We stayed until the ball dropped & went home right after that. Had the kids with us. LOL!

    Reply
  88. All of my memories include me surrounded by my family. I guess that`s our main tradition – never spend it without family (if possible).

    Thanks!

    dita(dot)skarste(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  89. Our family would always play games until midnight, then just before midnight turn on the TV and watch the ball drop. When it was midnight, everyone would yell Happy New Year and start kissing and hugging everyone else (with Mom and Dad kissing each other first).

    farmmomcow(at)aol(dot)com

    Reply
  90. My mom’s family was originally from So. Philly and some of the family never left so it was always fun on New Years day when we all got together and went to the Mummers Parade and when you got cold hey you just went to some relatives house got warmed up fed you belly and went back out to Broad St.

    Reply
  91. Another great chance to win free stuff. TY.

    It used to be such a treat to be allowed to stay up to ring in the new year. The old shows that counted down the time were very entertaining. But this year with Kathy Griffin’s stupid simulated sex act with Anderson Cooper…. it was trash.

    hurleybass@aol.com

    Reply
  92. New Year’s was not a big deal in my household. I am not sure at what age I was allowed to stay up to watch the ball drop on television but it was normally just me and my dad. My mom is always asleep before midnight. I’m not sure if my older brother stayed up with us or not.

    Reply
  93. One year my parents had a New Year’s party…the same year they’d had a costume Halloween party…and some people came in costume. I guess they had so much fun dressing up before they had to do it again. 🙂
    Then when we were grown, we would go to mom’s and play cards and board games and eat and watch the ball drop. My niece was about 8 and lived in OK, one year they were finally here for NYE. She was so excited about it. We kept trying to tell her it was no big deal. But she still thought it was the party to end all parties.

    Reply
  94. My sister attends a alcohol free party every year, and last year I tagged along. I went this year too, so now I’m part of the tradition. Her friends are awesome and we have a great game night and New Year’s toast. The food is always good too.

    Reply
  95. New Years wasn’t a huge deal in my family because we celebrated Chinese New Years, so that’s the day when there will be prizes and delicious food and a large gathering of family and friends.

    mary.hchen(at)yahoo.com

    Reply
  96. We’d stay up late and ring in the New Year by running out into the street and banging metal spoons on my mom’s pots and pans. We were such a bunch of noisy kids. =)

    Reply
  97. I don’t have any New Years’ memories…my parents were usually out & I was home watching my siblings.
    As a parent, I love New Year’s Eve. In our home, it’s Family Fun Night! We play our favorite games (Monopoly & Uno), play video games with the kids & then “toast” in the New Year. It’s always a great night!

    Reply
  98. I never do anything on New years eve anymore stay home and watch tv. Thank you very much for the great giveaway and fun blog hop!
    I wish you a very Happy New Year!
    Latisha D
    tishajean@ charter.net

    Reply
  99. As a kid our new years eves werent much fun.My dads birthday is the 31st and he felt everyone was having parties for him, so we were left home with babysitters..lol.Hope your new year is full of wonderous things.
    peach_hugs@yahoo.com

    Reply
  100. I would say this year was a pretty special new years eve. My mom and I usually spend new years eve at home, sometimes watching the ball drop, some times going to bed early. This year a friend of ours invited us over to her and her husbands house were they made us a meal of prime rib and shrimp. We shared a few drinks, played the game phase ten, talked about the kids and just had a great time together.

    Reply
  101. When I was young, we lived in MD but would travel to PA to visit my grandfather for the Holidays, I cherished the time I spent with him. Thanks for the chance at a great giveaway. Happy New Year!
    Missy
    misbaglady@yahoo.com

    Reply
  102. Our family always spent New Year’s Eve at church, participating in the annual talent show, sampling all the goodies in the buffet line, and welcoming in the new year!

    Reply
  103. That was the one night we could stay up and my mom would give us those plastic fake wine glasses and we would have apple cider in it and toast with the adults..good times..good memories..thank you for bringing it back 🙂
    kuuipocat@yahoo.com

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  104. When I was little I used to stay up with my dad and sisters…we’d munch on snacks and martinelli’s apple cider for champagne to stay awake.
    ivegotmail8889(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply
  105. My mom and I traditionally have our “midnight meal” consisting of appetizers and snack foods, while we wait for the ball to drop. We sip on sparkling pear juice instead of wine.
    tp DOT quixotic AT gmail DOT com

    Reply
  106. Coming from a traditional Chinese family we did not celebrate New Year’s Eve. However, New Year’s Day is celebrated by the Chinese Association. To this day a huge 10 course luncheon is held for all its members. This is one way the community gets together to socialize as they are all very busy throughout the year. It is always great to catch up with friends and family.

    Reply
  107. We never really did anything special. Just usually got to stay up a little later and watched all the New Years bashes on TV. And the next day mom would cook cabbage, because our family has the tradition to do so for good luck. I had a habit of flicking from one channel to the other to see them all. Now I stay up and wait for my New Years kiss from my husband.

    Reply
  108. My son was born on New Year’s Eve morning 1983 – talk about out with the old and in with the new! So the holiday season is always extra special – we try to go downtown on New Year’s Day to see the Mummers Parade, which is always a blast!

    Reply
  109. My favorite new years was 2000. Hanging out with friends waiting to see if things would stop working when we switched from 1999 to 2000.

    Reply
  110. We stayed in with snacks, drinks, and some OD movie rental. 🙂 Very lazy but safer than being on our roads in icey weather with drunks.

    Happy new year and thanks for the giveaway!

    always.and.never AT gmail DOT com

    Reply
  111. New Years Eve was always great growing up. We would have a party with sparklers for the kids and fondue for all (and liquor for the adults!). So exciting to get that small sip of champagne or ice wine that they allowed us kids at midnight! Much better now that I can have a whole glass though 😉 I do miss the New Years Eve parties we had!

    dreammie_angel at yahoo dot com

    Reply
  112. Hi! Happy New Years! Thanks for the awesome hop and all the giveaways! This is so fun! I love these hops! I always meet new authors, reconnect with old ones and my TBR list grows by leaps and bounds! Thank you!! Have a great day! Best wishes and many blessings to you!
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  113. I don’t really remember our celebrations from when I was younger. Usually now we just get the family together and eat and play games and have fun. Thanks for the giveaway.

    thompsonem3 at aol dot com

    Reply
  114. I just always remember trying so hard to stay up, to wait for the ball to drop. I rarely made it!
    Thanks so much for participating in the blog hop. Hope you have an awesome 2013!
    michelletucker at baconnation dot net

    Reply
  115. My sisters and I get together for New Year’s eve, have a few drinks and catch up on what we’ve been doing! It’s a great “girl’s night out”! Love your blog!

    Reply
  116. Hi:
    My fondest memories of New Year’s Eve is my entire family (adults and children) gathering at my parents’ house to “party” with dancing, sparkling grape juice and a heated game of Dominos. We rang in the New year as an entire family. With so much loud activities we all managed to stay up long enough to bring in the new year. Fun Times! Happy 2013!

    Angie Outland
    aloutland@insightbb.com

    Reply
  117. I don’t remember anything special about new years growing up. But when our kids were young, we were the party house on new years eve. Neither husband or I ever had any interest in going out. So we made it party central for the younger set. It was so much fun. We often had parents join us for part or all of the evening. Most of the kids stayed over night. So there were people sleeping everywhere, With hats and horns and confetti everywhere. Partial cans of soda, cookies, chips, etc. It was a mess. But I sorely miss those days. haha What a blast we always had.
    lisakhutson at cox. net

    Reply
  118. I have done a date with God on New Year’s Eve in years past, when I didn’t have any other plans. Makes a great start for the new year! Thanks for having this blog hop!
    kslogan1956(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  119. I remember going sledding down a very big hill one New Year’s Eve. The other kids and I were at it for about an hour. We were extra excited because it was late at night and we were not only allowed to be awake but allowed to be outside this late! Of course it got very loud at midnight- what with people shooting off guns and there being fireworks.

    j.lennidorner@facebook.com

    Happy New Year from What-Are-They.com ! I hope you have a great one. Thanks for taking part in the hop.

    Reply
  120. My Mom and Dad always took us to his cousin’s house. She had a party for the grown-ups and the kids played shuffleboard and roller skated in the basement. Now her daughter carries on the tradition by having a party for us, the grown ups, and we also include the children and grandchildren! rzerbe6462@comcast.net

    Reply
  121. Thanks for the giveaway. When I was a kid, we’d have ginger ale in champagne glasses and watch the ball drop in nyc on tv.

    amnell(dot)khalan(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  122. As children we all stayed up to do the count down and watch the ball drop.Our cousins would normally come over or vise verse. The parents would normally decorate and supply us with those hats and noise makers. I have memories of drinking non-alcoholic champagne out of our plastic stem glasses and eating finger foods.
    These days I’m normally asleep before 9pm.
    Wish I could be a kid again!
    Happy New Year!!
    sarah
    Sarahrinken@yahoo.com

    Reply
  123. We stayed up late and celebrated with family and friends. Thanks for the giveaway. Happy New Year!

    bhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com

    Reply
  124. My most memorable New Years, was at the Riverside Casino in Laughlin, NV. 1990 rang in the New Year with my husband, brother in law and some close friends at a $5.00 min. Black Jack table. I walked away with a good chunk of money that night and a hangover in the morning.

    Reply
  125. Fantastic blurb on the new book! Happy New Year and thanks for the contest.

    My memories of New Year’s Eve. We live in cold state in the Midwest where outdoor sports are HUGE! Every New Year’s Eve, we’d load up the kids and hit a central park where they had ice skating in the Big City. Now, this was really a big event with vendors selling hot chocolate and hot dogs and fireworks at midnight. So much fun. I only missed one year and that was when my third child was born in December. Too cold for the new baby (and me – LOL).

    Blessings, Kat

    Reply

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