How to party smart

If you want to: Have a quiet night with the movies

So maybe you're not the going-out-and-drinking-until-after-the-ball-drops kind of partier, but you want to live vicariously through others celebrating New Year's Eve. How about grabbing a tub of extra-buttery popcorn, champagne and a few movies that let characters celebrate the inauguration of the new year for you?

10 Movies that have something to do with New Year's Eve:

1. "When Harry Met Sally" (1989)

2. "Bundle of Joy" (1956)

3. "The Apartment" (1960)

4. "About a Boy" (2002)

5. "Holiday Inn" (1942)

6. "Bridget Jones's Diary" (2001)

7. "Peter Friends" (1992)

8. "Happy New Year" (1987)

9. "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown" (1985)

10. "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" (1975)

If you want to: Stay nearby and hangout in Downtown Lodi

For those who want to get out, but don't want to drive too far, cellardoor, located at 21 N. School St., will have a New Year's Eve party with wine and live music. Local band, The Backside Kickers, will perform live from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. At midnight, the band will lead a countdown and champagne toast.

The event is for ages 21 and over. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door, and include appetizers, a glass of wine and the champagne toast. Usual wines, including Michael David, Jessie's Grove and Van Ruiten, will be available for purchase. For more information, call 339-4394.

Also in Lodi, Mojo's, 114 N. Sacramento St., will have a champagne bar and a full house.

If you want to: Get dressed up for a snazzy event, but don't want to go to the Bay Area

Go to the New Year's Eve top-of-the-Hyatt bash, where they will ring in the new year with Sacramento's Downtown Countdown.

The evening will start with a gourmet dinner in the Capital View room, featuring views of the Sacramento skyline at the top of the Hyatt. Then, guests will continue to the Regency Ballroom, which will be transformed into a chic cocktail lounge and dance club.

Lori Sacco and Heather Lee, of radio station 92.5, will host the evening's entertainment, which will feature Sacramento party band, Hip Service, a 12-piece cover band playing dance favorites from the '60s through today.

The package includes two tickets to the party, Downtown Countdown; dinner; breakfast buffet at Vines Cafe on New Year's Day for two; champagne toast at midnight, self-parking and tax.

For information, call the Hyatt Regency Sacramento at (916) 443-1234.

If you want to: Find the biggest, most talked about party in San Francisco

The Western St. Francis Hotel, 335 Powell St, in Union Square is hosting the Passport to the World NYE Ball. It's an A-List celebration set to be sophisticated, fun and definitely upscale. The glitzy, landmark event is an attempt to embody what San Francisco has to offer. The event will have music, fashion, art, culture and opportunities to support charities.

Venture all through the 30,000 square feet of party rooms with different music and entertainment in each. Dance on the largest dance floor in San Francisco in the United States-themed room. And at midnight, watch more than 3,000 balloons fall from the sky. Ticket prices vary. For more information, visit http://www.AlistSF.com.

If you want to: Party it up on the water

• Ring in the New Year with Sacramento Yacht Charters

Head down the Sacramento River on Dec. 31 for a night of elegance and celebration. There are two packages. The $40 package will include appetizers on the cruise, party favors and a midnight fireworks display. It's also the more rowdy group.

For a less party-like atmosphere, you and your significant other can bring in 2008 with a similar celebration: a four-course meal, fireworks display and champagne toast for $75. All ages are welcome. For more information, call (916) 552-2933.

• Belle of the Ball New Year's Eve Cruise

Ring in the New Year in San Francisco with a lavish buffet dinner, standard cocktail bar, including after-dinner cocktails and house champagne, party favors, pre-boarding photograph, a disc jockey on each level and a spectacular fireworks show.

The cruise begins New Year's Eve at 9 p.m. and ends at 1 a.m. Passengers will board at Pier 3 on the Embarcadero. The buffet includes carved New York strip, chicken florentine or Pacific salmon en croute.

Tickets are $199 for adults, $119 for children ages 4 to 12. For more information, call (888) 467-6256.

If you want to: Stay home and make crafts with the kids

Just because you have settled down with the spouse and children, it doesn't mean you can't get wild and crazy on New Year's Eve. Just flip on the TV and watch as droves of people freeze in New York City as they wait for the ball to drop. But instead of handing the children pots and pans to bang together at midnight, spend the hours before making your own noise-makers. Here are some craft ideas to do with the kids:

Noisemaker Shakers: Fill plastic film canisters halfway full with corn kernels and decorate with shiny stickers (or construction paper, glitter, fabric, paint or opaque markers). Poke a hole in the canister's cap (a parent's job) and threaded curled ribbon through. Knot the ribbon on the underside of the cap, and let the rest stream out the top.

Streamers: Staple lengths of crepe paper to an empty cardboard tube or straw and decorate with abandon.

Party Hats: Roll a large square or rectangular piece of construction paper in to a cone, staple the side and trim the edges for an even brim. Punch two holes in opposite ends of the hat, and thread a piece of elastic cord through the holes for a chin string. As a finishing touch, add feathers, pipe cleaners, or any other odds and ends — the wilder the hats, the better.

Source: Family Fun Magazine

If you want to: Host your own elegant New Year's Eve party

An elegant dinner is everything you're imagining: Fine china, crystal, linens, candles, good wine. And New Year's shouldn't change that.

Start with your invitations. You can buy classic invitations, or make your own. Velum envelopes can add a touch of elegance. And use a fountain pen in black ink. You might want to state the dress code in the invitation: Festive attire, dressy casual or semi-formal.

On the night of your dinner, you want to create an atmosphere. Dim the lights and use candles in different areas of the house. If it is in your budget, you might consider a local caterer.

When creating the menu, think fresh, high quality and in season. Start with a salad: a bed of a variety of greens and topped with toasted walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese. With the sald, you might want to serve fresh shrimp on ice with cocktail sauce. The second course is the seated appetizer. Try something like baby artichokes presented with a zesty mustard dipping sauce. For your main course, include prime rib and Au Jus sauce, small red potatoes and julienne snow peas and carrots. For dessert, you can serve ice cream timbale (invert ice cream cups onto chilled serving plates and decorate with chocolate sauce) or a cake like tiramisu or cheesecake.

If your guests will be staying until the start of 2008, don't start your dinner party until about 9 p.m. This will allow your guests to eat, mingle and enjoy cocktails without getting bored.

As midnight nears, turn on the TV to watch the ball drop in New York City. Pop open a bottle of champagne and cheer in the new year. Leave cleaning until morning.

If you want to: Host your own not-so-elegant New Year's Party

No guidelines on New Year's Eve can mean a lot of things. When it comes to partying, anything can happen.

Remember two things when planning a casual party:

1. Have the goods (refreshments, music, noisemakers ... and, oh, a clock to let you know when midnight strikes.)

2. Be prepared for help intoxicated friends (whether it means giving them a sleeping bag and floorspace or giving them a breathalyzer test before they get behind the wheel).

With the popularity of the Internet, many at-home party planners are using Websites like http://www.Evite.com and http://www.Myspace.com to send out fast and easy electronic invitations. Decide on a theme, such as Winter Wine-O-Land or The Clock Strikes '08 Extravaganza. You can choose to supply all of the food and drinks, or you can establish the party as a potluck or BYOB (bring your own booze). Tell party-goers to arrive between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. You don't want them to get too drunk or too bored too early.

Sometime before the party, make sure you have at least three hours of music planned out. The best way is to create your own CD mixes or use the playlist on an MP3 player.

Even if people said they are bringing food, it's best to have some kind of selection of appetizers set out for the early birds (most likely they will bring the expensive alcohol and the people bringing a bag of stale chips won't arrive until 10 minutes before midnight).

Have a closet full of blankets or sleeping bags for people who will end up having to crash on your living room floor for the night. It's not a bad idea to have cleaning products on hand for that one lucky person (and there's always one) who can't handle his or her alcohol.

Contact reporter Lauren Nelson at laurenn@lodinews.com.

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How to party smart

With New Year's Eve coming up, man Lodians are looking for the best ways to celebrate the coming of 2008. Whether it's getting rowdy, having an elegant affair or just spending a quiet evening with the kids, here's how to make the most of your New Year's.

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