Every time the end of December rolls around, I find it hard to believe that another year has come and gone. It's so surreal! Each year seems to get busier and more rewarding for me both personally and for my business, and I'm always excited to see what the new year holds.

As a yearly tradition, my family celebrates New Year's Eve by throwing a little party, so I'm sharing my favorite tips for starting your festivities with a kid-friendly breakfast or brunch. Why start your celebration in the morning? This time of year, many of us are beginning to think about our New Year's resolutions and the healthy habits we're planning to adopt, so eggs fit perfectly into this party's theme. Incorporating more eggs into your diet is a great way to increase the amount of protein and nutrients you're consuming—plus, they're a convenient option for busy parents! I always choose Nellie's Free Range Eggs because they're Certified Humane, which means the hens are treated with kindness. Choosing humane options at the grocery store is something we can all strive to do as we enter the new year.

New Year's Eve themed décor

To highlight the egg theme, I selected orange, yellow, white, and gold accents for my party, including a DIY cascade of balloons, a gold cake stand, flashy noisemakers, and gold star-shaped confetti. I put the finishing touches on my tablescape by selecting the most adorable egg-shaped plates.

New Year's Eve themed party treats

It's no secret that my family loves to eat eggs every day, so I decided to get creative with this versatile ingredient in order to make my party a little more special than a typical breakfast at home. That's where cloud eggs come in. If your child is a picky eater, try this recipe: I can promise you that these cloud eggs will get them excited about eating breakfast!

Cloud Eggs

Apart from how fun they are to eat, what my kids like most about cloud eggs is the light and airy texture paired with the yummy cheesy flavor. They also love the fact they can top their cloud eggs with anything they want (this also means no short order cooking for me!). This time, they chose parsley and bacon bits, but extra shredded cheese, diced avocado, guacamole, fresh tomatoes, pico de gallo, or salsa are all great additions. I served mine alongside toasted whole wheat bagels for a balanced breakfast. The sky's the limit!

Ingredients:

• 8 large Nellie's Free Range Eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (set aside extra for sprinkling on top)
• Pink Himalayan salt to taste
• Your favorite garnishes

Directions:

• Heat oven to 450F and grease a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Separate the yolks and egg whites, placing the whites in a very clean and dry deep bowl. Set the yolks aside, taking care not to break any.
• Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites for about 3 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.
• Using a silicone spatula, very gently fold most of the grated Parmesan cheese into egg whites.
• Spoon 8 mounds of egg whites onto prepared baking sheet, then create an indentation in the center of each mound to form a "nest." Sprinkle egg whites with pink Himalayan salt to taste. Bake for 3 minutes.
• Remove baking sheet from oven and gently spoon a yolk into the center of each nest. Sprinkle extra grated Parmesan on top. Bake for 3 minutes, or until whites are lightly browned.
• Transfer cloud eggs to a platter and top with your favorite garnishes. Enjoy!

New Year's Eve themed craft

To get the kids excited about ringing in the new year, I created New Year's Eve countdown boxes for each child by upcycling our family's leftover Nellie's Free Range Egg cartons.

DIY New Year's Eve countdown boxes

My husband and I filled the cartons with a variety of little surprises; nothing too fancy. You can select inexpensive toys, treats, and other small party favors. Just be sure to wrap each item so that the kids get a surprise each time they open their box! Here's everything you'll need to make your own countdown boxes at home:

• Nellie's Free Range Egg cartons
• Gold wrapping paper or gift foil
• Mini toys, treats, etc.
• Free New Year's Eve countdown box printable

I set an alarm for every 2-3 hours to remind the kids to open up their boxes. Every time they heard it, they got so excited to find out what the next surprise was! My kids never make it past 9:30 PM, and that's totally okay if you have small kids that have to be in bed at a certain time. The most important thing is to have fun throughout the day with your little ones!

Happy New Year, friends! Wishing you a year of success, health, happiness, yummy food, and fun parties!

Did you throw a New Year's Eve themed party? Tag your photos with #nelliesfreerange so we can see! Or click here to see our other themed parties in the series. And don't forget to check out Twinkle Twinkle Little Party for more inspiration.