I Tried The Viral Sleepy Girl Mocktail So You Don't Have To

Attend A Silent Disco

A few years ago, just as the sober-curious movement was gaining steam, companies like Daybreaker brought 6 a.m. sober dance parties to the masses. In a similar vein are remote silent discos – events where you put your headphones on and dance it out to the music of world-class DJs right in the comfort of your own home (or in person, if you feel like venturing out).

A quick Google search will reveal that there are tons of options to shake it off on New Year's Eve, whether remotely or in-person in your city. Because silent discos have an alternative vibe, they're much more sober-friendly than traditional clubs and dance parties.

Make A Tea Bar

If you've ever been to a party where they had aProsecco bar or something similar, you know how fun themed bars can be. Why not make a NA equivalent with a tea bar? We're not just talking about hot water and tea bags... include exciting staples like bubble tea, kombucha, Southern-style sweet iced tea, and more!

Do A Goal-Setting Ritual

Not in the mood to party this year? Celebrate the New Year with some introspection by doing a goal-setting ritual. You can design the ritual in whatever manner you like, but we recommend something along the lines of:

• Light a candle and sit quietly for a few minutes.
• Whip out your journal and take inventory of the last year: What were your best memories? What are you grateful for? Where do you think you could've improved?
• In your journal (we have some killer prompts to start you off), mindfully list out your goals for 2025. They don't have to be New Year's resolutions, exactly, but include small steps you can take in the new year to help you achieve your goals!

Make A 2025 Scrapbook

Before New Year's Eve, head to your local craft store and pick up some supplies for making an old-fashioned scrapbook. Print out some photos from your most treasured memories of the year (we like printing with Walgreens), and gather any magazines you purchased or journal entries you wrote.

You can also look up some news headlines that made an impact on you, and print out the article as well as photos of any notable celebs or politicians who made the news. On New Year's eve, put together a scrapbook of what made 2024, 2024.

Good, bad, or otherwise, the year was one to remember — so create a momento that will help you re-live the past year in the years to come.

Plan A Costume Party

Believe it or not, masquerade balls, dressing up in costumes, and concealing one's identity have a long history in the historical celebrations of Christmastime. So we think a New Year's costume party is a fully appropriate idea for a sober New Year's Eve.

Who needs booze to have fun when you can dress up as whoever you want for a night of merriment and mystery?

Karaoke It Up

Another fun party pastime that's fun with or without booze? Singing! Grab some friends for a sober karaoke night either at your house or a private karaoke room. The singing's bound to be better than it would be if you were imbibing... who knows, maybe you'll steal the show with your rendition of "I'm Just Ken."

Cook A Fancy Meal

Whether you're spending the evening with your S/O or your BFF, cook a fancydinner for two. New Year's Eve is the perfect time to get fancy with food, so use this opportunity to ring in 2025 with only the finest cuisine. Don't forget to make a mocktail to go with!

Host A Game Night

Bring all your besties over and host a board game night that's sure to be one for the books. Have everyone bring their favorite game – from Cards Against Humanity to Codenames – for a riotous evening that will remind you that you absolutely don't need booze to have a rowdy night of laughter!

Play 2024 Trivia

Before New Year's Eve, compile a long list of trivia questions about 2024. Alternatively, have a friend do it for you, or do a quick Google search... there are a lot of trivia quizzes out there. On the big night, gather your squad together to see how much you remember about 2024. The results may surprise you!

Host A Murder-Mystery Dinner

Murder-mystery dinners are still one of the best ways to facilitate a heart-racing and mind-boggling party. Pick up one of the many murder mystery dinner kits out there and have your besties over for a night of thinking on your toes — to be fair, it's probably best to skip the booze for this idea anyway, for the sake of your mental acuity.

Pamplemousse La Croix and Lavender Mocktail

Grapefruit tastes delicious in the winter, which makes this mocktail a great option for any holiday parties or girls' nights you have coming up. (via Brit + Co)

Sunshine Juice

This Sunshine Juice is the perfect summer cool-down drink, but considering we don't get as much sun as we need in the winter, it also provides a healthy dose of vitamin C that will help you feel sunnier *and* boost your immune system. (via Brit + Co)

Pomegranate White Tea Fizz

Swap the sparkling wine for sparkling grape juice to make this drink kid- and expectant mom-friendly. White tea pairs well with the pomegranate because of its full flavor, and it's unsweetened for those of us who don't like super sweet drinks. (via Brit + Co)

Morning Metabolism Boost Drink

The lemon juice and apple cider vinegar add plenty of flavor to this sipper, but the ginger and cinnamon add some nice spice, too. (via Two Spoons)

Blood Orange Lemonade

This Blood Orange Lemonade combines oranges with lemonade (two of our favorite things) and is like the winter counterpart to the raspberry lemonade we love to make in the summer. (via The Endless Meal)

Preggy Punch Mocktail

Add a little bit of summer to your winter bashes with this Preggy Punch Mocktail, which mixes ginger and limeade with pineapple coconut juice. Jelly beans are optional, but could we get some extra cotton candy? (via A Spicy Perspective)

Vanilla Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour

The flavors in this Vanilla Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour are all of our favorite winter picks mixed into one. While this recipe originally calls for bourbon, Tieghan's mocktail variation swaps it for apple cider. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Non-Alcoholic Spiced Holiday Sangria

We'll drink sangria at just about any gathering, and we love to make it, too! It's a great option for parties because of how easy it is to set up. This booze-free version makes for a tasty punch that kids (and kids at heart) can equally enjoy.

The Grinch

If The Grinch is a holiday movie that you have on repeat throughout the Christmas season, then this is one holiday mocktail you have to make. The green color comes from matcha powder, which has antioxidants as well as great flavor. It's a win-win.

Semi-Sweet Cranberry Mocktail

This is another mocktail that's great for people who don't like super sweet drinks. Lay out different fruits and garnishes that your guests can add to their glasses, and you can also add some simple syrup to the table if any of your friends have a sweet tooth.

Christmas Morning Sparkling Mocktail

You can't beat an orange and cranberry mix for the holiday season, and this holiday mocktail adds sparkling apple cider for a whole other layer of flavor that we can't get enough of. Rosemary and cranberries make the perfect garnishes, but we wouldn't say no to edible glitter.

Strawberry Fizz

This drink is full of strawberry flavor, from the strawberry drinks to the cubes of real strawberry you can add right into the beverage. If you can't find lychee sparkling water (or don't want to buy two different drinks), swap the strawberry and sparkling water for strawberry soda. Nix the soju to make it fully N/A.

Cranberry + Apple Cider Mocktail

Covering your cranberries with sugar takes your holiday mocktail garnish up a notch. We love that it looks like they're covered in snow! Don't forget to add some sugar (ahem, snow) to your glass, too.

Lime La Croix Mocktail

Orange juice will give your drink that opaque look and (mixed with water and lime juice) a toned-down color. Add a dried grapefruit or orange slice to each glass for a sophisticated garnish.

Apple Cider Spritz

Sparkling apple cider tastes delicious when paired with cranberries, rosemary, and cinnamon. It's a good thing this recipe makes a whole batch, because we will definitely be drinking the whole thing.

Rudolph's Holiday Mocktail

If you love Shirley Temples, then you'll love Rudolph's Holiday Mocktail. Add orange juice and cranberry juice to your usual mix of grenadine and ginger ale for multiple flavors and a sweet and tart mix that will become a Christmas party staple.

Smoked Rosemary Lemon Ginger Mocktail

Light your rosemary on fire (trust us) and let it smoke under the glass so that your whole drink is infused with that smoky, herbal taste and smell. It'll engage all your senses and honestly it just looks really cool.

N/A Apple Cider Margarita

Change out your usual sugar rim for cinnamon for a spicy edge to your drinks. It'll set them apart and help you cut down on your sugar intake.

New Year's Ball Drop Mocktail

We are absolutely obsessed with this cotton candy and edible glitter technique and we will be trying it at all our holiday parties for the foreseeable future.

Cranberry Apple Holiday Mocktail

Simple syrup offsets the tart flavor of cranberry juice, but with the sparkling apple cider, the drink doesn't taste too heavy. You can't forget the apples and sugared cranberry garnish!

Fruity Ice Cube Mocktail

Fruity ice cubes (learn how to make 'em here) will take the look of your drinks to the next level while also adding another fun element to the flavor of your drinks. We'll take two, please.

1. They're always being dismissive.

Have you ever been really excited or upset about something only to be met with a dismissive tone from someone you confided in? This person is displaying toxicity which "gradually undermines trust in relationships," according to English. Would you want to keep sharing things with a person if they're always downplaying your emotions? Probably not.

2. Controlling others seems like a sport to them.

English says another way to determine someone is toxic is pay attention to their controlling behavior. It can be something as simple as telling you what to wear or something greater such as forcibly limiting your contact with anyone they think isn't good for you.

3. They consistently makes excuses for their behavior.

Have you ever let a close friend know certain behavior bothers you only for them to make an excuse for why they keep doing them? Bennett says this counts as "avoiding responsibility for actions." Furthermore, "constantly" doing so or looking to "push the blame onto someone else veers into toxic territory," she adds.

Another way to look at this is if someone is always falling into a pattern of "victimizing themselves," according to Bennett.

4. They tend to be manipulative.

Manipulation is tricky because it's not always obvious until it's too late. It's kind of like not realizing you were bit by a mosquito until your skin becomes itchy and red. Bennett says this is toxic because there's a knowing that someone can "appeal to a certain person's characteristics or personality traits." This looks like saying or doing something "with the intention of getting a certain reaction," according to her.

Bennett says, "An example may be one partner in sobriety who consistently uses their poor mental health as a reason to not be proactive about finding a job. They do this because they know that the other partner is worried about their loved one relapsing so they use that fear against her."

5. They never miss an opportunity to gaslight people.

Calling this a "well-known example," English says gaslighting often occurs when someone denies the reality of another person." What would cause someone to do this? Well, a toxic behavior often doesn't want to take accountability for their actions so they'd rather "cause people to doubt their own perceptions," according to English.

6. They're always looking for reasons to criticize someone.

The catty behavior on The Real Housewives of New York may be entertaining for TV, but that kind of behavior gets old quickly in everyday life. No one wants to hear why "so and so thinks they're all that" even if it's disguised as humor. English says, "Regardless of their motivation," behaviors like this "can lead to stressful and emotionally distressing situations."

Alena Darmel

Is it time to cut that toxic person out of my life?

We live in a society that started prioritizing ending relationships with people as soon as we spot red flags, but English and Bennett don't think this should be our immediate reaction. English says, "The decision to disengage with a toxic person in the relationship will depend on how harsh and serious the relationship is" because "it is often personal."

According to her, if you notice a consistent pattern where the behavior is "damaging your emotional health," it's okay to walk away from that person. Still, she believes "completely cutting [someone] off is often a last option when other approaches to changing the behavior have not worked." Bennett says something similar and notes how to approach different scenarios.

"If it someone you need to communicate with because of a job or family, there are things you can do to protect yourself," she says. She suggests reminding "yourself who you are dealing with" if the person is adept at gaslighting others because "it may be easy to become convinced that you are wrong or something did not happen the way you recall." A phrase she encourages you to tell yourself is, "I know that my experiences are my experiences no matter what."

If you're dealing with an aggressively toxic person, you'll have to "set and reinforce boundaries," Bennett says while English adds that "engaging in therapy to faciliate healthier relationships" may be a next step.

Here's how Bennett suggests navigating communication with someone like this:

• Set a boundary to end the conversation when you notice toxic behavior such as invalidation of your feelings.
• Receive support from another person so they can remind you of things you're trying to accomplish

If you're dealing with a friend or spouse, Bennett wants you to remember "you cannot change them" but you're in control of how you respond. English says, "It is important to analyze the whole situation and know when the cost of the relationship is greater than the benefits."