Have you decided to avoid the crowds and expensive parties this New Year’s Eve?  How about throwing a New Year’s Eve party at your Valley Village apartment.

 Plan your party ahead of time, now, not like Martha Stewart planning, but think about your guests and their culinary, beverage, and bed time needs.

 If you are inviting guests with kids then you might want to start the party early and have a pre-midnight toast including both champagne and sparkling cider.

 While you may like to experiment with recipes, the night of the party might not be a good idea.  Instead choose prepared foods from gourmet grocery stores or make an easy to serve up classic.

 Decorate your home for the celebration. If you have a Christmas tree in your apartment you can leave it up, but New Year’s is all about the glitter, so add some candles and serve food on gold or mirrored platters.  Try to prepare food early in the day or the day before and buy pastries from your nearby bakery.

 Have self-service snacks out and around the apartment.  Place pretzels, chips, and other finger sized foods for people to snack on.

 Serve beverages for all of your guests or ask them to bring something as well.  Consider that some guests may not want alcohol, so make sure to serve soda, juices, and sparkling cider too.

 Greet your guests at the door and don’t forget to introduce your guests to each other.  If you have a lot of guests who are not otherwise connected, create a badge with names on them and how they know you.

Plan an activity for the night.  Pull out the games, create a musical play list, and organize the midnight celebration.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve 2016 in your Valley Village apartment.