TheKitchn.com

Every year, my friends and I come together to celebrate the new year in the Hudson Valley. There are eight of us in total, and this four-family sleepover is my very favorite event of the year. With delicious food, lots of downtime, and a chance to sit and talk for hours, it's a perfect way to start each year feeling refreshed.

As kids have entered into the equation -- there are now six between us! -- things have gotten a bit trickier. But we've continued to hold onto this tradition of gathering around the table, telling stories, and eating and drinking good food and wine.

I know this year will be no different. The music may compete with the low hum of white noise coming in through dueling baby monitors, but we'll be too busy enjoying a gourmet dinner to mind.

Here's how we pull it off.

1. Feed the kids early.

There is no better night than New Year's Eve to serve the little ones Annie's mac and cheese at 5:30 p.m. While they eat, the grown-ups nibble on a simple assortment of store-bought cheese, crackers, and olives. Everyone is happy, there's plenty of time to get the kids calmed down for an early bedtime, and it sets us up for an adults-only dinner at 8:30 p.m.

Music makes it better: My husband packs his guitar and leads the kids -- and the more musically inclined adults -- through his favorite classics. (He throws in a few kid favorites, too, although he has yet to agree to learn any songs from "Frozen.") The girls twirl and dance, and usually dissolve into hysterics at some point in the session, which basically sums up how much we all love this holiday tradition.

2. Prep the big meal ahead of time.

Cooking with kids underfoot is a challenge, especially when you want the meal to be really good. Our amazing hostess always plans the New Year's Eve dinner menu with an eye toward dishes that she can prep or make hours before.

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