How to Enjoy New Year's Eve at Home With Your Family

Spending New Year's Eve with the family can be a fantastic opportunity to bond, have fun together and to see in the new year with your loved ones. Here is how to spend quality time with your family on New Year's Eve.

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Cook up an amazing meal. This is the night to have all the food that you and your family would not normally make at home due to expense or effort. Considering that eating out on New Year's Eve often costs more when the prices are increased for the event, this is a good excuse to splurge a little. Ask family members to contribute both their skills and any resources to help turn it into a feast.

• Delegate. Assign each person to be responsible for a different task, recipe, or course. Food choices can include seafood, fish or vegetarian (these selections make a great break from all the poultry over the holiday period). Add lots of fresh salads and perhaps tapas type dishes to keep food light but varied.
• Light candles, use silverware and bring out the best china. You may not be able to afford upmarket restaurants, but who says you can’t dine in style at home?
• In countries celebrating New Year's Eve during summer, it's a great chance to have a New Year's Eve picnic. Eating al fresco is a great way for you and your family to spend quality time together. Have each person contribute/make the food, bring some wine for the adults (juice for the kids) and drive to your favorite spot. It's sure to trigger some deep and meaningful conversation between your family and yourself.
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  Decide together on things to do. There are lots of opportunities to spend fun time together on New Year's Eve, depending on where you live and the climate. Simply sitting down together and reminiscing over where the past year has taken you each individually and your family as a whole is a great way to spend one part of the night. Other ideas include:
  • Taking a walk together as a family. If you're in a warm climate, try the beach, the local park, favorite streets, etc. If you're in a cold climate, rug up, and head for favorite walking spots that aren't too difficult to navigate in the dark and cold. You can still go to your favorite beach if you've all bundled up adequately during a winter New Year's Eve. Sharing a walk together can be a great opportunity to share things that might not be discussed just sitting around the house.
  • Confirming a new start. If your family is planning a new start, perhaps walk or drive to somewhere meaningful to mark the start of your new journey together. For example, if you're moving cities, try going to a lookout over the city and saying farewell to the city and toasting to your new start.
  • Tasting food or drink. Try a wine, champagne, beer, chocolate or other food tastingevent for the evening. There are non-alcoholic versions of wine and beer for those unable to drink. Keep scorecards to add to the evening's entertainment.
  • Playing board games. Set up a major board games night, with some cool prizes for winners, along with lots of delicious nibbles and drinks. Have games suited to all ages so that everyone can join in the fun. It helps to assign a coordinator for such an event––choose the family member who loves organizing everything.
  • Playing physical games such as foosball, air hockey, Wii sports, ping pong or table tennis, shooting hoops, etc. Again, prizes can be awarded or simply keep score.
  • Watching movies or even something like a concert or a Broadway show. Choosing really good DVD material to watch gets everyone off the usual pulp on TV on New Year's Eve and provides a focal point for the whole family to sit down together and watch through an entire show. Supply nibbles and drinks as usual, and provide distractions for the little ones.
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  Make a New Year's resolution together. In a circle, ask everyone to announce their New Year's resolutions. Many people like to make new resolutions for the coming year. Don't push too hard though––if someone wants to keep theirs a secret, let it be! But don't try to make it all fancy. Really try!
  • This can be a good chance to make resolutions that require the help of others. For example, if you want to learn to ride a horse and Uncle George is an excellent horse rider, you could ask Uncle George if he'll help you to learn. Or, if you want to lose weight, you can ask your family to help you by keeping their snacks hidden or to try your healthy new meals.
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  Invite other families over. Invite neighboring families over for a potluck or take-in dinner, or for games. Enjoy the close conversation, lots of laughs, sharing of reminiscences, all minus the crowds and strangers.
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  Keep an eye on the time. Have a fantastic idea for the countdown planned well in advance. Choose something that rings in the New Year with a bang and let your neighbors know you're having more fun than they are. Ideas for celebrating include:
  • Lighting sparklers, drumming on bongo drums, yelling "Happy New Year" as loudly as possible all together, tooting your car horn, dancing in the yard and cheering.
  • Opening a bottle of bubbly to share with the rest of the family at midnight. Kids, teens and teetotallers can drink the many non-alcoholic sparkling alternatives.
  • Singing Auld Lang Syne and hold the hands of everyone participating. Swing your arms back and forth in time to the song. It can be fun to see which family members think this is "tragic", "silly", or simply wriggle out of it!
  • Gazing at fireworks. If you can see the fireworks from where you live, sit together and watch them from home, or wander to a local spot together where you can see them.

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10 things happy people don’t do

Happy people are intoxicating, infectious and are considerably more pleasurable to be around than unhappy people.

Don’t we all know some of “these” people?

They walk amongst us, usually with an ear to ear grin that spreads from the inside out. These people are like charming flowers, and we all want to breathe in their intoxicating happiness.

Happy people do a lot of things, but these are 10 things happy people don’t do.

1. Happy people don’t take things for granted.

 ”Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.” ~ Eileen Caddy

So basically, happy people are awake to the goodness that is already present in their lives (and this goodness is everywhere).  Whether they are rich, poor or somewhere in-between they can appreciate the miracles beyond materialism. We are all going to have a difficult time ever being happy if we don’t start by being thankful for what we already have.

One miracle that is with everyone all the time is our breath.  Something we often overlook.  Your breath is energy, flowing endlessly, and carrying you from then to now to tomorrow. Your breath will thread all your fears, happiness, love, and truths together.  You don’t need to go buy anything; simply tune in to the miracles already present in your life.

2.  Happy people don’t hold onto resentments.

“True forgiveness is when you can say, “Thank you for that experience.”   ~ Oprah Winfrey

Happy people have learned to forgive because they know that holding onto anger leaves you at the mercy of an unpredictable and unstoppable powerful emotion. The sole intent of the mind of anger is to harm.  But what ends up happening is you harm yourself and your loved ones.

It’s actually pretty simple happy people understand that they can choose emotional well-being – even when things don’t turn out the way they want.

3.  Happy people don’t take things personally.

“Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.” ~ Miguel Ruiz

Taking things personally is the voice of the ego. The ego desperately tries to protect itself from something it deems as dangerous or threatening. The reason we see something as dangerous or threatening is because it conflicts with our own personal projections of good or bad, right or wrong, fair or unfair. We believe that this action or speech is about us personally. Our ego reacts fast and usually unconsciously; the ego menacingly stands tall to reinforce our illusions of perfection.

Happy people recognize that most of the time these situations are just by products of other people’s dramas. When you stop taking things personally you breeze through your day with a quiet, deep sense of calm.  This is a new age way of dealing with our reactions – stop trying to control situations or people, stop avoiding or defending – see it for what it is and accept that it is there.

4.  Happy people don’t live in the past.

“You can’t go back to how things were. How you thought they were. All you really have is…now.”   ~ Jay Asher

Have you ever noticed the impressive way that happy people seem to light up a room even amidst mundane tasks.  You might wonder how they can make washing the dishes seem so enthusing.

It’s because happy people have truly mastered living in the moment. Happy people realize that the present moment, all these moments, are in fact our life.  By obsessing over the past or chasing the future you miss out on these valuable moments of your life.

5.  Happy people don’t seek validation from others.

“When we consistently suppress and distrust our intuitive knowingness, looking instead for authority, validation, and approval from others, we give our personal power away.” ~ Shakti Gawain

Here’s the problem: Being dependent on approval—so much so that we will sacrifice anything to get it—ruins lives. We become divorced from our authentic selves.

Happy people define themselves. Whether other people like them or not doesn’t much matter, all that matters is that they are walking the path that feels best.

 6.  Happy people don’t sleep in.

“Sleep is the best meditation.” ~ Dalai Lama

This might seem out of place, but it’s actually very important. Happy people are early risers.  Along with being an early risers comes the time to do activities that support happiness; activities such as mediation, exercise, preparing healthy lunches and nurturing hobbies.  Taking care of your body is crucial to being the happiest person you can be.

Sleep can be undervalued in our busy world, but sleep in the crutch of our moods.  If you don’t have proper sleep your mental health, emotional, spiritual and physical energy will all deplete. We run the risk of turning into real life zombies.

7.  Happy people don’t undermine others.

“I have no right, by anything I do or say, to demean a human being in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him; it is what he thinks of himself. To undermine a man’s self-respect is a sin.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The key point here:  Those who undermine other people are really afraid, shaky and insecure. The real issue is that someone else’s success signals your own failure. If you take a moment after you criticise someone, you’ll notice that you will feel a little deflated and ashamed. 

Happy people help others achieve their goals, instead of putting up roadblocks which ultimately slow down everyone. They understand the value of kindness. They help others by enhancing their good points instead of pointing out their weaknesses.  In the end this is a powerful way to feel good inside and others will recognize your kind energy – what you put out will come back to you.

 8. Happy people don’t give up.

“Sometimes life knocks you on your ass… get up, get up, get up!!! Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them.” ~ Steve Maraboli

Everyone has self doubts, but happy people squash these doubts and keep going.  They don’t blame anyone else for their successes or failures, they simply and silently keep trying.  Figure out what you love and go for it.

Happy people don’t give up on their dreams and goals but what they do give up is their need to always be right, their limiting beliefs, their resistance to change and their excuses.

9.  Happy people don’t sweat the small stuff.

 “Don’t sweat the small stuff…and it’s all small stuff.”   ~ Richard Carlson

Life is full of big and little annoyances, often times we let these things drive us crazy.  The problem is that these annoyances (like fastballs) keep coming at us,  and if we let them all drive us crazy, it’s not long before we are in fact, well – crazy!

Happy people have found ways to calm down and find peace in this stress-filled life.  Put things into perspective and think of your problems as potential teachers.  Problems can teach you patience, emotional intelligence and mind control.  When you die, your petty squabbles are going to seem really silly.  Live each day as though it were your last.

10.  Happy people don’t isolate themselves.

“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.” ~ Arnold H. Glasow

The happiest people on the planet are the ones who have deep, meaningful relationships. Loneliness is a silent killer!

Friendships an emotional outlet that is unobtainable through any other relationship but it also boosts our endorphins, results in lower levels of cortisol – a stress hormone, wards off depression, boosts self-esteem and gives us a sense of belonging and support.

“Something wonderful begins to happen with the simple realization that life, like an automobile, is driven from the inside out, not the other way around. As you focus more on becoming more peaceful with where you are, rather than focusing on where you would rather be, you begin to find peace right now, in the present. Then, as you move around, try new things, and meet new people, you carry that sense of inner peace with you.  It’s absolutely true that, “Wherever you go, there you are.” ~ Richard Carlson

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10 Ways to Stop Worrying and Start Living Peacefully

“Whatever is going to happen will happen, whether we worry or not.” ~ Ana Monnar

Worry – a seemingly innocent five letter word that delivers a big punch.

If you’re anything like me you might worry like it’s a second job. Worry involves anticipating an unpleasant future event and this anticipation sends us into a spiral of avoidance, fear and anxiety.

We worry about everything from whether coffee is good or bad, if we will get that promotion, and what diseases the future has in store for us.

The unfortunate part is that this all consuming gig doesn’t pay in money; it pays in stress, unhappiness, anxiety and inner turmoil.

Like a hive of buzzing bees these habitual thoughts swarm our minds creating an illusion of a reality that usually stings much worse than anything that actually does happen.

It can feel almost unbearable waiting for these future outcomes to transpire.

Sometimes our worries are small and manageable and pass but sometimes worry becomes a chronic default setting. When we worry chronically it become second nature to live in this revved up space of anxiety and restlessness.

Know that you’re not alone; chances are if you are breathing you are likely worrying.

So instead of replaying the same old worries day after day why don’t we look at how to stop worrying and start living peacefully?

Stop Worrying and Start Living

1. Take time for silence

We need to first understand why we worry – worry comes from unpleasant thoughts that our mind manifests. When we follow these thoughts we tend to dwell, fixate, exaggerate and obsess.

Through silence we can become acquainted with these thoughts and through practising mindfulness and meditation we can change these thoughts.

2. Get rid of stuff

Minimalism is a way to put a stop to the gluttony of the world around us. We live in a society that prides itself on the accumulation of stuff; we eat up consumerism, material possessions, clutter, debt, distractions and noise. But material possessions are things we can lose, and with that comes worry and stress.

By adopting a minimalist lifestyle you can throw out what you don’t need in order to focus on what you do need.

3. Give yourself a safe space

Whether your safe space is a room designed for yoga or meditation or simply your bedroom or office, the point is it should be relaxing, a place where you can close the doors to the outside stressors and just breathe.

4. Create a budget

Even though it may seem like you will never have enough money you need to stop stressing about it. One way to stop worrying about money is to gain some control over it. Create a budget and follow it.

5. Carrying a schedule – organize your time and self

When you are overextended you are being flung in every direction, and when that happens you’re not really following through on anything or doing anything particularly great.

This ignites stress; we want to be perfect for everyone all the time. Make effective use of your time; learn how to say no, set a realistic schedule and forget about the expectations others project onto you.

6. Stop being influenced by media

The media can make us feel like we are not thin, rich or successful enough. It also instils fear of war, disease and even coffee. The media can be a fear based breeding ground for worry

7. Be rational

Ask yourself, “Are my worries realistic?”

8. Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins, this make the brain feel good and reduces the body’s stress hormones.

9. Express gratitude

Stop worrying about things that may or may not happen and start being thankful for the things you have right now. Developing an attitude of gratitude can transform our states of mind. Spend a few minutes each day, listing things for which you are thankful.

10. Trust yourself

Do you worry about whether you are on the right path or going in the right direction? Get quiet so that you can hear the small voice deep inside of you. Your inner GPS won’t steer you wrong.

Simply tune into your inner compass – it is guiding you in the right direction.


Remember these things:

Worrying accomplishes nothing

Worrying is bad for you

Worrying is the opposite of trust and peace

Worrying puts your attention in the wrong direction

When worry does grab a hold of you these fun tips can help stop it from snowballing:

• Listen to music
• Go to a party
• Read a book
• Have a movie night with your friends
• Go camping
• Have a family outing
• Spend a day at the beach

Take a relaxing cleansing breath – aaahhhh. Feel the stress float away.

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Hot Cocoa Candle (Holiday Gift Ideas)

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How To Sell a Car

If you are looking to get the most out of your car, you may have noticed that you can get more for your car by selling it yourself. This can be more of a hassle than simply offering it to a dealer as a trade-in, but you will be rewarded with a few more dollars lining your pocket. Here’s a few suggestions for selling your old set of wheels:

1. Preparation: Most of the work to sell a car comes before somebody else ever looks at your vehicle. It should be washed, waxed, and cleaned. Remove all of your personal items from the car. Keep your maintenance records while you own a car so that you can demonstrate how you have cared for the vehicle. The more records you have the better. Buyers want to see regular oil changes and other basic car maintenance. Receipts and service invoices can prove that you’ve been a good owner. Keep these in a hanging file or similar device so that they will stay neat and organized.Try to calculate what kind of gas mileage your car actually gets. This can be useful information to have for any prospective buyer.
   Many buyers will want to run a vehicle history report such as a “carfax report” on a car before they consider buying it. This report requires the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), and he or she may ask you to provide a VIN before viewing the vehicle. Learn more about vehicle history reports at Carfax.
2. Appraisal: You’ll need to decide how much you want to ask for your car. Learn what your car is worth with the used car appraisal guides at either Edmunds, NadaGuides, or KelleyBlueBook.

1. Advertising: Consider how you want to advertise your car. You can place a classified ad in the local paper, or you can sell your car through a number of websites devoted to selling cars. Consider AutoTrader and Cars.com. eBayMotors is also an excellent marketplace to sell your car.
2. Making the sale: Now that you’ve finally attracted a potential buyer, you need to be on your best behavior. Have the car parked in front of your house. Expect your buyer to examine the vehicle a little before he comes to your door. Make yourself available to answer any questions, but be careful not to interrupt them as you will appear bothersome or pushy. If your buyer has a license, offer the keys for a test drive.If your car has a few problems, don’t be afraid to tell your customer. A little honesty goes a long way, and he may feel like you are giving a good deal on a car. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to misrepresent the condition of the car.
   Some buyers want warranties for the car they are buying. Most private party sales, however, do not include any type of warranty. Do not make guarantees about the reliability of the car unless you are willing to pay to fix it when it breaks.
3. Sold! Once you have negotiated an agreeable price, it’s time to accept payment for the car. It’s usually best to insist that the buyer pay with cash or a guaranteed check such as a cashier’s check.
4. Get the paperwork right: The requirements for each state vary slightly, so check with your local Department of Motor Vehicles to determine what documents are required when you sell your car to another person. Generally, this consists of a state-issued bill of sale and title transfer.Don’t forget to take your license plate off the car before the new owner drives off. License plates are generally non-transferable, and it’s the buyer’s responsibility to obtain a new license plate for the vehicle. Check with your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to verify the license plate requirements.
   Finally, contact your insurance company or agent to remove the car from your policy. If you bought another car, you can add it to your insurance policy at the same time you remove the car you just sold.
   

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10 Amazing things you have to know about love

1. It can be hard to talk about love in scientific terms because people have strong pre-existing ideas about it.

The vision of love that emerges from the latest science requires a radical shift. I learned that I need to ask people to step back from their current views of love long enough to consider it from a different perspective: their body’s perspective. Love is not romance. It’s not sexual desire. It’s not even that special bond you feel with family or significant others.

And perhaps most challenging of all, love is neither lasting nor unconditional. The radical shift we need to make is this: Love, as your body experiences it, is a micro-moment of connection shared with another.

2. Love is not exclusive.

We tend to think of love in the same breath as loved ones. When you take these to be only your innermost circle of family and friends, you inadvertently and severely constrain your opportunities for health, growth and well-being.

In reality, you can experience micro-moments of connection with anyone — whether your soul mate or a stranger. So long as you feel safe and can forge the right kind of connection, the conditions for experiencing the emotion of love are in place.

3. Love doesn’t belong to one person.

We tend to think of emotions as private events, confined to one person’s mind and skin. Upgrading our view of love defies this logic. Evidence suggests that when you really “click” with someone else, a discernible yet momentary synchrony emerges between the two of you, as your gestures and biochemistries, even your respective neural firings, come to mirror one another in a pattern I call positivity resonance. Love is a biological wave of good feeling and mutual care that rolls through two or more brains and bodies at once.

4. Making eye contact is a key gateway for love.

Your body has the built-in ability to “catch” the emotions of those around you, making your prospects for love — defined as micro-moments of positivity resonance — nearly limitless. As hopeful as this sounds, I also learned that you can thwart this natural ability if you don’t make eye contact with the other person. Meeting eyes is a key gatekeeper to neural synchrony.

5. Love fortifies the connection between your brain and your heart, making you healthier.

Decades of research show that people who are more socially connected live longer and healthier lives. Yet precisely how social ties affect health has remained one of the great mysteries of science.

My research team and I recently learned that when we randomly assign one group of people to learn ways to create more micro-moments of love in daily live, we lastingly improve the function of the vagus nerve, a key conduit that connects your brain to your heart. This discovery provides a new window into how micro-moments of love serve as nutrients for your health.

6. Your immune cells reflect your past experiences of love.

Too often, you get the message that your future prospects hinge on your DNA. Yet the ways that your genes get expressed at the cellular level depends mightily on many factors, including whether you consider yourself to be socially connected or chronically lonely.

My team is now investigating the cellular effects of love, testing whether people who build more micro-moments of love in daily life also build healthier immune cells.

7. Small emotional moments can have disproportionately large biological effects.

It can seem surprising that an experience that lasts just a micro-moment can have any lasting effect on your health and longevity. Yet I learned that there’s an important feedback loop at work here, an upward spiral between your social and your physical well-being.

That is, your micro-moments of love not only make you healthier, but being healthier builds your capacity for love. Little by little, love begets love by improving your health. And health begets health by improving your capacity for love.

8. Don’t take a loving marriage for granted.

Writing this book has profoundly changed my personal view of love. I used to uphold love as that constant, steady force that all but defines my marriage. While that constant, steady force still exists, I now see our bond as a product of the many micro-moments of positivity resonance that my husband and I have shared over the years. This shakes me out of any complacency that tempts me to take our love for granted. Love is something we should re-cultivate every single day.

9. Love and compassion can be one and the same.

If we reimagine love as micro-moments of shared positivity, it can seem like love requires that you always feel happy. I learned that this isn’t true. You can experience a micro-moment of love even as you or the person with whom you connect suffers.

Love doesn’t require that you ignore or suppress negativity. It simply requires that some element of kindness, empathy or appreciation be added to the mix. Compassion is the form love takes when suffering occurs.

10. Simply upgrading your view of love changes your capacity for it.

The latest science offers new lenses through which to see your every interaction. The people I interviewed for the book shared incredibly moving stories about how they used micro-moments of connection to make dramatic turnarounds in their personal and work lives.

One of the most hopeful things I learned is that when people take just a minute or so each day to think about whether they felt connected and attuned to others, they initiate a cascade of benefits. And this is something you could start doing today, having learned even just this much more about how love works.

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Curious Iceberg columns of natural formation on Lemaire channel, Antarctica

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