Once Christmas is behind us, it’s time to look to the future. The New Year is a time for celebration. We have an opportunity to look back at all we’ve accomplished over the year and look to 2019 with a sense of eagerness and anticipation. It’s yet another opportunity to draw those closest to us near and make more precious memories with them. As such, many invite friends and family to their homes to see in the new year together. A lot of people like to make their home a social hub, a place where people can party at night and relax during the day. What better way to see in the New Year… Right?
Of course, without proper planning, a potentially joyous activity can quickly become a bit of a nightmare. If you’ll have friends and relatives staying with you for some time, it behoves you to put a little forward planning in place to keep yourself on the right side of sanity (and exhaustion) when having family over for New Year…
Keep an eye on everyone’s booze consumption
For better or for worse, most of us see in the new year with a drink in our hand. While there’s nothing nicer than a tall glass of chilled bubbly to celebrate the coming of a new year, excessive drinking can lead to frayed nerves which in turn can lead to quick tempers and eventually nasty arguments.
By all means, have a well-stocked bar throughout the festivities, just keep an eye on how much and how quickly everyone is drinking and ensure that there are plenty of non-alcoholic alternatives on hand to ensure that the merry stay moderate while teetotalers also have plenty to enjoy.
Have the number for a good emergency plumber handy
It’s something that few of us consider over the holidays, but having lots of relatives over can place additional strain on your home’s plumbing. With more people using the shower, bath and toilet in a short space of time you could quickly run out of hot water, your drains could become backed up with the grease and gravy leftover from the Christmas roast, or you could even wind up with a blocked toilet… And when people can’t use the bathroom this can lead to a soured atmosphere. With this in mind it’s best to have the number of an emergency blocked drains specialist handy. Many will even come out on New Year’s day! It’s better to have their number and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Make sure you know everyone’s dietary requirements well in advance
In an age of awareness and enlightenment, many people choose not to eat meat or animal products, so it’s a good idea to double check if anyone will require meat, dairy or egg free alternatives for their meals. The last thing you’d want is to serve up a big slice of chicken breast to your newly anointed vegan niece.
This is a collaborative post
