How to Entertain like a pro this Summer
Entertain like a Pro
How to entertain like a pro this summer!
How to Entertain Like a Pro This Summer
With Memorial Day Weekend quickly approaching and the summer season on the horizon, now is the perfect time to brush up on your at-home entertaining skills so that you can fully enjoy hosting friends and family al fresco. As an experienced entertainer, I wanted to share a few of my go-to hosting hacks that are easy to adapt no matter where you live. Cheers!
Perfect Some Easy Recipes
By no means do you need to be a gourmet chef to host people at your home. Master a few simple recipes like a pasta salad, fruit salad, or potato salad (we have a theme going here!) and then supplement these sides with store bought items as needed. For example, pick up some fried chicken from your favorite restaurant to serve with some of the aforementioned sides, and your guests will surely be thrilled!
Stock the Bar
Any summer gathering calls for a fully stocked bar! However, there’s no need to go all out and serve every type of wine and spirit under the sun. Instead, consider making some batched cocktails ahead of time so that guests can easily serve themselves (and refill their glasses as needed throughout the evening). I’m partial to offering bourbon sangria and spicy margaritas! Don’t forget to set out some water and other nonalcoholic options, such as seltzer, iced tea and/or lemonade, too. You can place canned drinks like these in a pretty ice bucket to make them appear more festive.
Style Your Tabletop
In my opinion, half the fun of planning a party is styling a tabletop that will appeal to your guests. Stock up on some melamine plates (they’re excellent for outdoor gatherings, kid-friendly, and easy to wash), rattan placemats to add texture into the mix, and bamboo handled flatware, which is classic and chic. You’ll be able to use these pieces all summer long.
Spruce up the Backyard
To amp up the ambiance in the backyard, I like to make a few summer decor updates. If you have a garden, you’re especially in luck. Decorate your table with unscented candles, herbs, and flowers that you’ve grown. Then, hang some string lights so that you can enjoy sitting outdoors as the sun goes down. Finally, cozy things up by refreshing your outdoor cushions and rugs, pillows for chairs for added comfort. There are lots of great outdoor pillows on the market these days, making it easy to express your personal design style outdoors.
Cue up Your Playlist
No party is complete without music! Invest in a nice portable speaker that you can pair with your phone and bring outside to make things easy. Spotify is full of tons of great, premade playlists that will help to set the scene, no matter your preferences. Cue up Nancy Meyers’ Kitchen for some timeless background music that’s full of good vibes.
