5 tips for throwing a summer BBQ

5 tips for throwing a summer BBQ

Summer has truly arrived this past week in Wales {though I’ve probably totally jinxed it now, and we’re bound to have rain for weeks!}. One thing we love about the summer is throwing lots of parties in our garden. Nothing beats a garden full of friends, a BBQ, some good tunes and lots of laughter. Whether it’s the kids friends or ours {or a mix of the two}, summer wouldn’t be complete without a few great garden parties. We’re a little more limited for space in this garden than our last, but that won’t stop us having fun.

While a spontaneous party can be just as much fun as a pre-planned one, there are a few tips I’d suggest to make sure that your party goes without a hitch and everyone {including the host} has a great time:

1| Plan your food

It’s easy to go overboard and get excited looking at BBQ recipes. That’s a sure-fire way to stress you out, and keep you from enjoying spending time with your friends {the whole point of the party surely!}. We tend to keep it simple – burgers & sausages {meat and veggie}, some kebabs, an interesting salad or two and some crisps to nibble on. Then we tell friends that they are welcome to bring some bits to share too – that way we always have plenty of food without spending the whole time cooking or getting stressed out making all the dishes! I have a Pinterest board full of BBQ food ideas if you’re looking for some inspiration.

2| Ice-cold drinks

No one wants warm drinks on a hot day. We usually fill a giant ice bucket full of ice to keep everyone’s drinks nice and cold all afternoon long. I also make up some pitchers of ice tea {both alcoholic and non-alchoholic}

3| Set the mood with music

Every party needs the right soundtrack to get everyonepeople in the party mood. We usually make a playlist on Spotify and play it on our smart phones. We have been searching for some new wireless speakers to use in the garden, letting us play our music outdoors a bit louder than just on my phone and I think that this Panasonic CD Player looks like it could be just what we need.

4| Set the scene

There is no need to go overboard with decorating your garden – string up some fairy lights, add a few solar lights along pathways, make sure you have plenty of seating and some citronella candles in jars to keep the bugs at bay and you’re good to go.

5| Don’t forget some entertainment

It’s a good idea to have a few games planned especially if you’ll have some kiddos at the party. A few bats and balls, some skipping ropes, hula hoops – water bombs if you have space! The adults often seem to have just as much fun with these as the kiddos. Giant versions of games are always a hit – Jenga, Four in a Row, Twister are all available as giant garden versions.

 

This is a collaborative post

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