Now that we are fully into spring, and you’ve got your spring cleaning done, you might be thinking it’s time to start entertaining! With the weather only getting nicer each day, outdoor entertaining is the way to go. Whether it’s for a kid’s birthday, holiday, family gathering, or just a whim for a barbecue, a party in your backyard — with the sun shining and a gentle breeze — is perfect for a pleasant and fun gathering.
Here are some tips for getting ready for an outdoor party at your home:
Clean up Your Barbecue
One of the staples of outdoor entertaining is a good barbecue. Your barbecue has probably been sitting untouched since your last-ditch efforts to use it before it got too cold last fall. Now that you are ready to use it again, it probably needs some thorough TLC.
Start by giving your barbecue a deep clean. Take a wire brush and scrub the grates of any residue that might be stuck from last year. Afterwards, take a paper towel and oil the grates to prevent future sticking (much like seasoning an iron skillet). Be sure to also give every part of the barbecue a proper cleaning with warm water and a rag, inside and out. It’s been sitting for at least five months, so it needs a complete wipe down.
Once your barbecue is pristine, go get your propane tank checked out. If your tank is old, it might be a good idea to replace it with a new one. Old or flawed tanks can be extremely dangerous, so it’s vital that you get it assessed before you start using it for the season.
Fix up Your Backyard
If you’re barbecuing, that probably means the bulk of the party socializing will happen outside. Making the backyard look as clean and nice as possible is going to make your event atmosphere pleasant and enjoyable. A beautiful backyard doesn’t have to mean constant and time-consuming upkeep. There are things you can do to make the upkeep of your backyard as minimal as possible.
Grass is probably the most time-consuming and resource wasting part of any backyard, so do what you can to minimize the amount of grass you have. You can expand your garden with resilient and easy to care for flowers and shrubs, add a decent sized patio, or add a fire pit to take up what would be (useless) grass space. These additions will not only make the maintenance part of your backyard easier, but they also add to the overall aesthetic of your home.
Decorate!
It’s nice to have an excuse to throw a party, and some of those excuses could be holidays like Memorial Lay, Labor Day, Independence Day, or just spring and summer birthdays and anniversaries. Outside gatherings that are tied to specific days like these are upgraded to fun parties with just a little extra planning and decoration.
To cut down on costs, you can make homemade decorations quite easily. You can get the kids in on the fun, and work together to make your own tassels and create tassel garlands to decorate tables, trees, or porch covers to add a bit of color and pizzaz. Based on the holiday, birthday theme, or season, you can choose tassel colors to fit the party perfectly. You could also add some pretty outdoor centerpieces to tables for an added touch.
Once you have covered all of these areas, all that’s left to plan is what food you want to eat and who to invite! Spring and summer entertaining is great way to connect with a lot of people at once in a relaxing and enjoyable environment, whether they be family, friends, or neighbors.
What do you like to do for outdoor entertaining? Let us know in the comments!
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Bio: Mila Sanchez is a very involved aunt to 4 kiddos and writer living in beautiful Boise, ID. Her ambitions include traveling the world, studying languages, and taking pictures of her dog, Baymax. Connect with her on twitter and instagram!
