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The past few years, I had a big party for the New Year's Eve. However, I want to throw a smaller, more intimate sit down dinner party for 12 people this year instead. So besides eating, drinking, mingling and waiting for the count down, what should I do to entertain my guests in between? Any ideas? Thank you very much.

Strippers.

We drop into a number of private house parties of about 20 every New Year's, but none with sit-down dinners that close to midnight, if I understand you correctly. Rather, they have extensive buffets, and people are eating all night as they come and go, which itself is entertaining. And of course an open bar, self-serve or with a bartender (though watch the drinking; in some jurisdictions the host can be partially liable for the consequences of drunk driving afterwards).

This year one gay couple we know will be celebrating their official married status at midnight, January 1st, so that will be an important focus of our evening. Other things we do is have a pianist, as many in our social circle are in gay choruses and love to sing. Indeed, we did just that this past Sunday, at a private holiday dinner party for about 16 of us. Lovely lounge-type music during our cocktails, and a few guys drifted over to the grand to sing a lyric or two. No one danced, but that's another possibility, either indoors or outside on a patio, if your LA weather permits.

Another thing you can do with a smaller group is provide party hats, noisemakers and other favors. At a party last year our hosts had novelty eyeglasses that read "2009" with the double zeros where your eyes were. Won't work with 2010, but I'm sure there'll be something else this year.

Some cable or satellite TV channels will have live coverage & replays of New Year's celebrations in major cities, as midnight advances around the globe, and I've seen hosts have that showing in the background. On the West Coast you can have Times Square at 9 PM, and other US cities at 10 & 11.

Other than that, all our friends entertain themselves with conversation, and would find structured activities a distraction, if not an actual annoyance. So have good music in the background, live or recorded, hors d'oeuvres and drinks, and you should be OK.

A role play murder mystery dinner.

Strippers.

I'm not a big fan of New Years eve parties for New Years eve parties sake
If you're going to have a party
make it a party
Have people come dressed special
A roaring 20's party or a Hollywood glamor party


Do up the house in a theme and have the food reflect that theme
I went to a party once where the host made his living room look like a big tent
and threw lots of pillows around
and we all ate Moroccan food on the floor
It was great

..... or you can have strippers

We have sit-down dinners pretty often and have never needed to entertain the guests. Just make sure there's plenty of room for them to move around the table and get into conversation with each other.

If you need to buy a little time or get people talking, perhaps do a round of "less serious resolutions for 2010" or "most memorable thing that happened in 2009"

Did I forget to mention the strippers?

Well as it turns out, I'm not going to a group dinner party. I'm having dinner at the St. Regis with a muscular hairy chested hunk. Then I'm going to retire to the 50th floor and use that glass shower that is exposed to the outer wall with glass from floor to ceiling. Oh, the heart of an exhibitionist.

We're going to be on Tenerife this NYE, so if any locals have suggestions, we're all ears.

Well, I was thinking of having a few games such as Uno, Charade, etc. The loser or losing team will have to take a sake shots. Also, having everyone writting down their NY resolution, and we'll tease them next year if they fail to do so. There's always karaoke, and it's fun when everyone is a bit drunk.