This is an updated version of a blog I posted last year, about ideas for celebrating the New Year, as well as reflecting on the previous year and your goals for the next. I highly recommend journaling on or around New Year’s Eve to look back on the year and get perspective on your goals for 2011. I’ve shared a few other ideas for having a fun, eco & safe New Year’s below too!

For the past 4 years, Christopher and I have been keeping special New Year’s journals. We sit down on New Year’s Eve and write down everything that happened that year... the highlights, highs and lows, accomplishments, things we were proud of, meaningful events, or maybe things that were sad. Next, we write about what we want 2011 to be like. Then, the next year when we go and look back at what we wrote, it's really cool to see if those things ended up happening... a great way to start the new year.

Here are some of our resolutions and other New Year’s thoughts:

Eat Right

This one is an on-going one, but eat right!!! Do what you can to get whole foods and fresh veggies, greens, and plant based proteins into your diet.  Get your hands on The Kind Diet and go nuts! Make the Mixed Berry Cheesecake or the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups and have a party!

Get Rid of Old Stuff

It is a perfect time to go through all of your old stuff and recycle/give away all the things that you have been meaning to get rid of. This will make you feel so much lighter and happier! Go through things like your medicine cabinet and kitchen cleaning supplies. Give them away and replace them with more eco friendly choices. Go through your closet and sell your clothes to your local recycled clothing store, or give them to Goodwill.

Get Out Of Debt

Another great thing to do on New Year’s is to get out of debt! Start saving money (if you haven’t already)... it’s never too late to start doing this! And doing things like washing your clothes in cold water, turning off lights and unplugging things you don’t need plugged in can make a difference in your monthly bills... ok, not an insane difference, but every little bit counts, right?! Remember, 50% of your electricity bill is just plugged in stuff that sits there! You can sell your old TV’s or other things on Craigslist, and make a few bucks!

Go Outside

Get out there and be active! Enjoy a day in the sun (or rain!) on a nice walk or bike ride. Find a local hike near your home.  Hang out in your own yard or courtyard area! Make a little area in your yard that can be special just for you or you and friends. Use pillows, blankets, yoga mats, whatever you’ve got.

If you take a little vacation for a New Year’s celebration, remember that most travel companies and forms of transportation now offer carbon offset programs for your trips. Make sure to ask about them.

About New Year’s Eve

Choose Organic

Go for organic wine, beer and spirits when you can – I love Merchant Du Vin for great organic beer! Organic is better for you, better for the people who grow the ingredients and produce it, and better for the planet. When you drink organic wine, you are keeping up to 250 chemicals that are used to produce non-organic wine out of your life and out of your body! Organic wines also mean the possibility of little to no hangover... fewer chemicals and fewer sulfites mean a better feeling head the next day. Localharvest.org  is a great site to find organic vineyards and breweries in your area.

Bottom line is that with organic wines, anytime you can find wine made with organic grapes, wines that use 100% organic ingredients, biodynamic wines... go for it! They are a big eco step-up from conventional wines. Trader Joe's has a good one called Our Daily Red.

Don’t Drink and Drive

Another note... Make sure that you don’t drink and drive! There are now green taxi services, so you can help the planet, and also ensure that you get to and from your destination safe and sound. Just Google “green taxi service”, and find one in your area. If you can’t find a green taxi, a regular one will work just fine too!

Cure That Hangover

Don’t forget... if you are feeling the consequences of a fun New Year’s Eve, the Cure All Tea from my book (p. 290) works wonders on a hangover!

Have a warm, kind, fun filled New Year’s!