This post was sponsored by the makers of REACTINE®. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s summer. Winter was long, summer might be short, we want to spend that time partying, so let’s do this thing.
Beef Up Your Invitations
Telling people to “swing by in the afternoon” might have been good enough for your college years, but no more. Be sure to say the hour you’ll be eating, the main thing you’ll be serving, a rough idea of what people are supposed to wear, and if you have any plans in case you get rained out. Oh, and maybe tell people if they can bring something, otherwise your epic summer blowout will become the not-so-epic party with sixteen different potato salads.
Carry some REACTINE®
You never know when allergies—yours or your guests—will strike. Fortunately, REACTINE® is over the counter, can start to work in twenty minutes, lasts twenty-four hours, and is non-drowsy. Because allergies would be a pretty lame reason to leave a really great party.
Whip Up Some Killer Punch
Sure, a good party becomes a great party when everyone has a drink in their hands ten minutes after arriving—but it doesn’t have to be an alcoholic drink. Keep in mind your designated drivers, teetotallers, or people on medication can’t be drinking, and they need something delicious too. We recommend this punch recipe, mainly because citrus and sugar is a winning combination.
Light it Up
Nobody wants to be stumbling around once the sun sets. Arrange torches, lanterns, fairy lights, or something—or better yet, a campfire!
Make it Interactive
Speaking of campfire, know about the easiest way to lighten the cooking load? Let everyone help. You can do something as small as an old-school weenie roast with some baked potatoes in the fire pit, or something as elaborate as throwing together a crawfish boil that ends with everyone shucking their own mudbugs. Many hands make light work! And spreads the mess! And leaves your hands free for sangria!
Beat the Bugs
You should have bug spray on hand, but let that be a last resort. You can light coils, but even better: just plug in a few fans. Mosquitos are terrible fliers. They’ll be blown away.
Use the Kids as Slave Labour
Oh, did we say slave labour? We meant volun-tell them what to do. Put them to work. Have them help you. Know what? Whatever. See about getting some disposable cameras and let the kids play event photographers. Or tip them quarters to ferry ice. Or, offer the kids a prize for whichever one of them cleans up the most disposable plates and cups. The prize should be terrible for their teeth, and you should actually just happen to have enough to go around. Remember, you get to toss ‘em back to their parents!
