An Introvert's Guide to the Perfect New Year's Eve at Home
All dressed up with nowhere to go never looked so good.
Can we all throw our hands in the air and say “amen!” to a cozy New Year’s Eve in?
It’s time to say peace out to the pressures that come with celebrating New Years Eve - from the pile of resolutions you felt the need to make, to the perfect sparkly dress you think you need to rock, to finding a last-minute pair of lips on which to plant a champagne-flavored kiss when the clock strikes midnight.
If you don’t feel excited by these things, then just say peace the eff out to New Year’s Eve!
Seriously, there’s no shame in choosing to spend this overrated holiday in blissful solitude. Fellow introverts, I’m looking at you.
As the “big night” draws near, I know many of us introverts are stressing about what we’re going to do this year - because you have to do something, right? You have to go out and be a social human being on this most social of nights, right? This is the one party you can’t skip out on, right? Because how you spend New Year’s Eve defines how the rest of your year is going to unfold, right??
Wrong! I’m here to tell you that New Year’s Eve is not that big of a deal, and if you’re not in the mood for it, then please do skip out on it!
I’ve never placed very much importance on New Year’s Eve. Really, it just doesn’t do much for me. It never has. I think it’s because… well, January 1st is just a random number that has been imbued with importance by declaring it “the new year”. The whole idea honestly just… bores me.
2018, 2019, January 1st, 12:00, “3, 2, 1 - happy new year!”… these are just numbers, and frankly, numbers just don’t excite me.
What does excite me, however, is a good old fashioned cozy night in on one of the biggest go-out-and-party nights of the year. If you just don’t feel like going out and making New Year’s Eve a big deal, then think of the night as an awesome opportunity to chill out and celebrate you with some exquisite you-time.
JOMO > FOMO
Instead of giving into the FOMO blues as you witness your friends’ having a rollicking New Year’s Eve on social media, try shifting your mindset to this: YOU are the one to be envied for the amazing New Years Eve you’re having at home! Embrace the Joy Of Missing Out.
If anything, your friends should feel FOMO for your JOMO.
Still not convinced that a cozy night in on New Year’s Eve isn’t sad? Let me walk you through 10 steps to your perfect night in, and by the end of this post, I bet you’ll be tempted to text your friends that you’re not going to make it out this year. 😉
1. Get Lit 🕯
Set the mood for your perfect night in by lighting a candle or two. Or three. Hell, light every candle you have, if you like (just beware of fragrance overload!). It’s all about creating an ambiance in your space that makes you feel good. Like you’re a special guest in your own home, and you’re honoring the place by gracing it with your presence.
It’s your palace, and you’re the queen who’s about to own 2019.
2. Cheers to you!
Keep it simple by pouring yourself a glass of champagne or three, or go all out and make yourself a specialty cocktail! It’s a night of celebration, right? And if you want to try something new, I’ll tell you how to make a cocktail I invented a couple years ago and have been enjoying regularly ever since…
It’s called a Skanky ‘Booch.
Yeah, my classy ass created a classy-ass cocktail made by mixing vodka with kombucha. And guess what? It’s delicious! The signature Skanky ‘Booch - the one that started it all - is called the Dark Mistress, made with blackberries and mint.
Follow my recipe below and you’ll end up with a dark and tasty elixir like this:
The Skanky ‘Booch
A Kombucha Cocktail by Moda Misfit
The Dark Mistress Recipe:
Muddled blackberries and mint leaves
1 - 2 shots vodka
Add ice
3. Dress Up, Dress Down, or Don’t Dress at All
We all love a good sweatpants and messy bun night, and if that’s how you want to spend your New Years Eve in, then DO IT. My personal night-in attire of choice is a baggy men’s band t-shirt and no pants. Here’s to living alone and never wearing pants! 🍾
But you could also use the holiday as an excuse to play dress up. Because why not? First of all, it can be a fun excuse to rifle through your closet and rediscover clothes you’ve long since forgotten.
Also, if you’re anything like me, you have a few cocktail dresses that you never seem to have the opportunity to wear. And honestly, as overrated as I think New Year’s Eve is, it is the perfect opportunity to finally rock one of your abandoned cocktail dresses.
So if wearing one of your awesome cocktail dresses was something you were looking forward to, why not just spend an hour or so in a cocktail dress for your New Years Eve in? Seriously, why not? Put that sexy number on, admire how amazing you look, then begin step four…
4. Dance Party Optional (But microphone hairbrush required)
I’m more of a stand-in-place-and-headbang kind of a girl, but dancing (even by yourself) is a huge mood boost for most people. And there are even health benefits to dancing around your living room, so think about that if it feels a little too silly to you! Do it… for your health. 😉
So if you’re into it, turn on your favorite song, grab your microphone (hairbrush), and rock the eff out.
Once you’re nice and winded from the burst of physical activity, you’ll be perfectly primed for step 5…
5. Eat the Pizza
…Or whatever your preferred food delivery may be. Whether it’s pizza, Chinese, a burger and fries - make sure to really enjoy it. Don’t hold back. And the junkier, the better.
Give your weight loss resolutions the middle finger just for this night. Because tonight is a celebration of YOU as you get ready to embark on another new year.
Let this ultimate indulgence of food be a ceremony of sorts - an act of rebellion against the typical, pressure-inducing, body-shaming New Year’s resolutions. Allow yourself to just enjoy.
Now, I’m not saying making health-conscious resolutions is a bad thing. It’s actually great. But allow this act of eating delicious food with reckless abandon be your way of removing some of the guilt and self-loathing that can accompany those healthy resolutions. Let this be an act of self-love, my friend, and I bet you’ll be in a better headspace to tackle those resolutions as 2019 begins.
6. Pamper Yourself
Now that you’re nice and stuffed with amazing, greasy delivery food, it’s time for some serious self care. This is the zen phase of your epic night in.
Put on some chill music, get yourself OUT of that sparkly cocktail dress if you decided to don one earlier, slather on a face mask (this is the one I use and love - it basically makes your face feel like baby butt, and who doesn’t want that?), take a bubble bath if you have a bath (I don’t 😭), maybe practice some meditation (Calm and Headspace are a couple popular meditation apps you may want to check out!), and just chill out.
For more self care ideas, check out my post, Exhale: 12 Ways to Practice Self Care Using Your Interior Style. It’s self care through an interior decor lens - perfect for interior decor geeks who want to chill out and pamper themselves.
7. Snuggle Up
Now that you’re all zenned out with the mini self-care routine you just practiced, it’s time to grab a cozy blanket, your second or third Skanky ‘Booch of the night, and plant your ass on your couch. And let me be clear: this is ideally where you will spend the rest of this introvert’s dream of a night.
Give yourself permission to be a potato for the remainder of 2018.
This is where some serious hygge can come into play on this momentous night of yours. Anyone who regularly reads Moda Misfit or follows me on Instagram knows that I’m a big hygge geek. I’m just a sucker for the Danish approach to wellbeing and coziness.
Not sure how to adopt the hygge mindset, or even what hygge actually means? 10 Ways to Live Your Hygge Fantasy will give you everything you need.
8. Binge Your Heart Out
Remember how I said your ass will ideally be attached to your couch for the remainder of the night? Well, that’s because now you’re going to binge watch a show like there’s no tomorrow. You’re going to Netflix and actually chill, my friend.
I may not blog about it, but I’m a TV FREAK. Obsessed. Truly, I pretty much worship TV and spend a freakish amount of time watching shows. And I believe that binging is the best way to consume TV. I like to dive in and truly indulge in my TV viewing, like a TV glutton with no self control and no shame (and no life?).
Here’s a problem though: we’re all guilty of spending more time on Netflix (or Hulu, or Amazon Prime, whatevs) perusing the vast selection of shows - trying to make a decision - than we actually spend on watching something.
So I suggest having a show picked out before your big night in, so you can dive right in without the hour-long decision process. Plus, you’ll have a specific show to look forward to!
My #1 binge-worthy suggestion? Ha. Battlestar Galactica. Always. You should watch Battlestar Galactica. It’s on Hulu. Just… make the decision to end 2018 and start 2019 in a positive way by watching BSG.
9. Read Your Heart Out
This can be done in addition to or in lieu of #8. There’s something really cozy and calming about spending the night reading a good book next to a lit candle, with relaxing music playing in the background.
A night spent reading is simply good for the soul, especially these days when it’s difficult to imagine fitting reading time into our busy lives. Who has the time to read for pleasure anymore?
This night to yourself is the perfect opportunity to set the intention to read for pleasure. Start a new book series and commit to setting aside time to devote to it as 2019 unfolds. I honestly can’t think of a more worthwhile New Year’s resolution than that.
My go-to book series I always recommend is the Samaria Series by Sharon Shinn, which begins with Archangel. It’s perfect for any sci-fi/fantasy lover who also appreciates a good romance. I’ve re-read the series multiple times - that’s how good it is.
10. Three! Two! One! Kiss Your Cat
Who needs a pair of human lips to kiss at midnight when you have a perfectly good pet to smooch instead?
I suppose this last step on the list is exclusive to pet owners, but as the proud owner of my precious kitty Helo, I just couldn’t help myself. If you have a pet and you’re spending your New Year’s Eve in, then show your pet some extra love and let them be the ones you kiss at midnight.
After all, they’re our actual, unwavering, true loves of our lives aren’t they?
