If you’re totally over traipsing all over town with the crowds on New Year’s Eve, how about staying home this year and bringing the party to your place?

• Celebrate the start of 2010 and bid farewell to this year in a relaxed, no-fuss way with a few like-minded friends – a couple of drinks, a serve-yourself buffet spread, funky tunes on the iPod, and some backyard games (for kids big and small!) are all you need to have a great time.
• Staying local is an idea that’s likely to appeal to those who have smaller children – the kids can stay up to watch the 9pm fireworks on the telly (or head to a local fireworks display – ring your council to see what’s being planned), then set them up with sleeping bags and enjoy some adult party time.
• As always, we suggest you ask each family to make a dish to keep the catering simple and inexpensive. If your friends don’t mind being told what to bring, suggest some do a dish suitable for the little ones, while others cater for the grown-ups.
• Feel like dialing it up a little this NYE? Why not set a theme? There’s nothing like fancy dress to get people into the mood! We’ve got tonnes of fabulous theme ideas to get you excited
• Here are some fun New Year’s e-invites to get the ball rolling, as well as a link to our budget calculator and downloadable to-do list to help make the job of hosting at home a breeze