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Party Tips

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Am I the only one that thinks of the Aquabats every time I think pool party? Or is my elder millennial showing? Well, it is full on Summer now and I am ready for our first pool party of the season. Before the 4th of July holiday I was able to share some of my favorite summer party tips on KATU’s Afternoon Live that are great for any outdoor party including pool parties, family reunions, splash pad parties, summer bbqs, and more. Follow these tips and you’re sure to say, “It was a cool party.”

Watch my segment on Afternoon Live for my Summer Pool Party Tips!

5 Tips for a Summer Pool Party + One Bonus Tip!

Five of these tips I shared on the TV segment above. However, the sixth, bonus tip below, is one I got from attending our first pool party of the season hosted by our realtors. I love sourcing great party tips from others (giving credit where credit is due) and incorporating them into my own events in the future to help make my parties even more fun going forward.

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One of the things I’ve learned over the past few years as time or resources have become more limited is that it is okay to NOT do everything I want to do. It is okay to not be ready at party time and have friends help pitch in. It is okay to not photograph everything ahead of time. If you have the time, resources, capacity, and desire to go full Pinterest mode then enjoy it to the fullest (I know I do!). However, if that is an expectation that is weighing on you (as it has me over the years), please do your best to let go of a few things. Edit your list. Be okay with almost.

Tip 1: Have Summer Party Protection Essentials ready to go!

This summer party tip goes well beyond just pool parties. I have a summer protection kit set up at my house throughout the entire summer for my own kids to use as well as guests at impromptu bbqs and, of course, my summer events.

Sunscreen and Bug Spray Station Party Idea with Sign that Says Help Protect Yourself in US Patriotic Colors

As a skin cancer survivor, I take skin protection very seriously and tend to have sunscreen on me at all times. But, I also understand that when people are running out the door it is easy to forget something that you only use once in a while. So, having things like face sunscreen, body sunscreens (both spray and lotion), bug bite prevention, and wipes for cleaning hands, makes skin protection easy for guests and doesn’t put someone on the spot to ask others if they did forget.

Tip 2: Keep Extra Pool Supplies on Hand!

If we all lived by the rules of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, then we’d never leave without our towel. But, I know I’ve been at a pool party before sans towel or wishing I had a pair of sunglasses, or maybe an extra pool float.

display of summer party items including towels sunscreen and floaties

You certainly do not need towels and supplies for everyone and don’t need to go out and buy extra items. But, sourcing your supplies for some extras to keep available for people to use if they forgot their own is helpful. Add a sign* or bucket for returning the items if you’re worried they’ll be mistaken for favors.

Tip Three: Prep hydrating, healthy, and easy to eat snacks for quick snack breaks that lead right back to play!

Listen, when everyone is enjoying themselves swimming or playing outdoor party activities such as wiffle ball, cornhole, kickball, or playing in a splash pad, they simply do not want to stop long to eat a bunch of food! Plus, they don’t want to feel too full or heavy for more playing in the heat. Make easy to eat snacks that are mostly healthy, somewhat sneakily hydrating, and fun to eat!

Ideas for foods to serve at a summer party:

  • Fruit kabobs! This was featured on the Afternoon Live segment above. Food on a stick is just naturally fun. Fruit is hydrating, quick to eat, healthy, and delicious! Wash and cut fruit into bite size pieces and add to a skewer. Use a melon baller or small cookie cutters to create more interesting fruit kabobs or to match a theme, like star shaped watermelon slices for your Independence Day Party.
  • Cheese sticks and cheese snacks. Prepackaged isn’t my normal go to for parties, but they are perfect for this type of event. Keep the cheese on ice and people can grab a pre-packed cheese stick, eat it easily without the need of a plate, and discard of the package before jumping right back into the pool.
  • Individual snacks: Chip bags, pretzels, snack bars, squeeze pouches… all of them make great fast snacks for a summer pool party! While I’d normally not go for individual servings, this is useful for not getting pool water in snacks or having a bunch of half filled plates laying around getting gross in the heat.
  • Bite size appetizers: Caprese bites on a toothpick, italian antipasto skewers, crostini, and similar easy to grab and eat without a plate appetizers are also solid choices for an active outdoor event.

Tip Four: Make hydration fun!

For my boys there seems to be nothing worse than me telling them to drink more water or how important hydration is! But, if I make hydration fun by putting out interesting mixers and making it more like an activity than a chore, they will hydrate themselves without effort (or groans)! Don’t forget to use plastic, compostable cups*, or other outdoor drinkware so that you don’t have breaks that end up closing down the pool for the day.

Water hydration station set up with fourth of july colorscheme

Items to Stock with your Hydration Bar:

  • Ice and water! I use a big water jug and fill it with ice and water. I then put an ice bucket and scoop to the side so people can add ice to their glass as well. When it is really hot, this will be welcomed. You can also use water bottles if you choose, but then you’ll limit your ability to add in fruit and other fun additions to your drinks limiting just to powdered mix in items or juices.
  • Cut up fruit, vegetables, and herbs. While you can make different mixes of flavored water it takes a bit of the fun out of making your own combinations. Cut up produce such as strawberries, lemons, limes, oranges, cucumbers, mint, basil, and other such fresh items.
  • Liquid sweetener. I personally like my water without sweetener, but sometimes a little simple syrup* or agave syrup* will help take the flavored water to a more enjoyable level.
  • Electrolyte or flavored mix ins. Grab some of the flavored water drops*, your favorite electrolyte powders*, and other such mix ins that people can add to their waters for a punch of flavor.
  • Something for stirring and muddling.* I like to keep a muddler and long spoon or several long stir sticks at the table for people to mix in their favorite combinations and get the most flavor out of it.

Tip Five: Keep it on ICE!

The saying goes, hot things hot and cold things cold. In an outdoor party you’re likely not serving heated appetizers, but if you do then remember to consider food safety—the heat of the day is not hot enough for several hours of hot food safety. More likely though, you’ll be serving items that need to keep chilled. Every summer, despite having an ice dispenser and plenty of ice trays, I buy ice in bulk. Utilize ice chests and your freezer space to keep it cold.

Keep food cool by putting food in one tray and top it on a tray of ice, utilize these amazing cold food serving trays*, or use inflatable serving bars* to fill with ice and add your trays of food or chilled drinks.

Bonus Tip 6: Create fun favors for the kids to take home to keep the party going!

Now, not every party needs a party favor. Gulp. Sacrilege from me, I know. But, if you have the budget and the desire then this is a great one for a summer pool party!

colorful buckets filled with sidewalk chalk beach ball and bubbles

We were recently invited to our first pool party of the season by our amazing Oregon and Washington based realtors, The Enloe Group. The party was fabulous as all their parties are, but the party favor was exceptionally sweet! My son loved grabbing a beach bucket filled with sidewalk chalk, a beach ball, and bubbles. Such a great gift for a pool party.

Other excellent favors would include different sized flip flops, sunglasses, sunscreens, towels, pool floats, and other such summer-related items.

Use these five tips plus summer fun bonus tip for your last-minute summer BBQs where kids (and adults) will be running around playing games, at your next splashpad gathering with moms, your summer birthday parties at the park, or your next pool party. Keep hydrated, cool, protected, and prepared for a fun and safe event!

What are your summer party tips? Share in the comments below!

It’s always a fun time when I get to share my tips on KATU’s Afternoon Live! But, this particular day was extra special because I got to share the episode with two of my favorites— Marlynn from Urban Bliss Life and Teagan from The Enloe Group. It was like a mini-reunion backstage!  As usual, I packed a bunch of ideas into a tiny segment, so I talked FAST! But, all of the recipes are available on my blog (linked below). And, it is worth watching if even for the cool chip bag hack!

Visit KATU Afternoon Live to Watch My Summer Sipper & Snack Recipe Segment!

On the spot I share how to create your own chip serving containers out of chip bags, run through assembling two “salad” chip dips, and assemble a tasty pitcher drink perfect for your summer BBQs.

Get the Summer Sides and Summer Pitcher Cocktail recipes below:

A great twist on a traditional chips and dip recipe, eat your salad with your chips! This Italian Salad Chip Dip recipe is completely customizable!
This creamy and cheesy Jalapeno Corn Chip Dip Recipe is bound to be a crowd pleaser at your next BBQ!
Summer pitcher cocktail good for next BBQ

Oh, and my friends Marlynn and Teagan? Don’t miss out on their spots either!

Watch Marlynn’s Segment on KATU Afternoon Live!

Marlynn made two amazing pasta salad recipes— a BLT Pasta Salad & Filipino Mac Salad. (Does she look familiar? She should! You might recognize her Instagram @UrbanBlissLife where she shares travel and food tips, cookbooks, or her episode on Andrew Zimmern’s Family Dinner!

Watch Tegan’s Segment on Afternoon Live for Tips for Selling Your Home!

Tegan is the best at what she does! And, I know… because she and her husband are also the ones who helped me buy my home! (I am a bit biased, understandably!) She is one of the most creative and fun people you’ll ever meet with the most genuine heart. You can see it in all that she does, from her work with The Enloe Group, to her Instagram @TeganEnloe, to her American Dream TV Spots.

Board games, card games, dice games, and the like all make for fantastic fun when mixed with a crowd of your favorite friends and family members. It has makes for uncomplicated evening entertainment. Games nights don’t have to be more than a few loved games, people, and snacks to eat. Order a pizza and pick up some beer! However, if you want to make it a bit more special, add a few touches to enhance the evening, keep on reading for my favorite game night tips for a brightly colored, potluck get-together.

 5 Ways to Level Up Game Night

Invite some friends over and pull out your favorite board games for a low-key, but anything but boring evening. 

When it comes to hosting something right after a jam packed holiday season, easy is the name of the game. For a game night menu I would actually play on words a bit and ask for guests to each bring a different food board of choice to compliment an evening or board games.

1: Game Night Food Idea: Enjoy Board Games with Food Boards!

Food boards—Charcuterie Boards being the mainstay—started to gain major traction in 2017-2019, even leading to treads of things like grazing tables! During the height of the pandemic favor for them left for more individualized (and safer) portions. However, as the world has been shifting into its new phases, food boards have gained back their former popularity. They are popular for a reason! It gives guests the ability to pick what they want to eat, it is pleasing to the eye, and they are a great way to display food.

For game night lean into the fun of word play and ask each of the guests you invite to bring a food board for an evening of board games! Give an assignment to each party so that you have a variety of food items— one guest brings the appetizer board, another an entree board, and another a dessert board, etc. The best part is that these are ultra-transportable! Guests can pile up items on a board, cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and head right over.

Game Night Potluck: Food Board Suggestions

The options for food boards are endless! But, some of your guests may need some ideas. Supply them with a few tips when requesting they bring a certain assigned food board for the evening.

Appetizer Food Boards:

  • Vegetable Platter
  • Charcuterie Board
  • French Fry Board
  • Pretzel Board with a variety of Dipping Sauces
  • Cheese Board

Entree Food Boards:

Whoever is on this duty will have to have a bit more substantial fare on their board. This is the perfect board for the host to assign themselves.

  • Taco Food Board: Do a tray of hard tacos filled with taco filling of choice. Add toppings on the board for guests to top their tacos with.
  • Hamburger Food Board: Do a board of plain hamburgers with buns and then cover open spots on the board in yummy toppings like lettuce, tomato, pickles, cheese, avocado, mustard, mayo, and other favorite toppings.
  • Baked Potato Board: Baked Potatoes, split in half, and wrapped in foil are surrounded by a variety of toppings to make a delicious baked potato dinner.
  • Fried Favorites Board: This would be fun for a snacky game night! Fill a board with some favorite fried foods such as chicken strips, corn dogs, taquitos, fried mac and cheese balls, etc. Add your favorite dipping sauces to complete this board.

Dessert Boards:

Desserts can be anything from favorite candies and popcorns on a treat board to a pile of favorite cookies and cakes displayed with fruit.

Tips for Hosting a Potluck Safely

As a host, make sure you have plenty of tons and serving utensils available so people are not picking items up with their hands. Also have hand washing and sanitizer areas available. As it is game night, and no one wants sticky hands while playing games, it isn’t a bad idea to have hand wipes available for those who need them!

2: Charades and Chillers: Drinks for a Family-Friendly Game Night

The name of the game is easy. So, instead of complicated cocktails or make your own bars, serve some favorite sodas, beers, cocktails-in-a-can, etc. If you too enjoyed the holidays in a bit of over-abundance and want to step it back a bit for the new year, lean into the desire to just lighten things up with some of the new probiotic sodas and favorite kombuchas. If you’re feeling like serving something specialf or the adults, mix up a pitcher of mocktails for a fun alternative. 

bightly colored flowers in a clear vase that is filled with colorful dice. Bananagrams game is on the table

3: Roll the Dice with Game Night Decor

While a game night truly doesn’t not need any decoration, I do like to add a special touch that adds a bit of interest. Give your game night just a bit more interest by adding some brightly colored linens, clear acrylic containers for food or drinks, and a couple of bright centerpieces crafted with store bought flowers.

How to Make a Game Night Centerpiece:

Needed: Create a game-night themed centerpiece with 1 larger glass vase, 1 smaller glass vase (or rocks glass), tape, brightly colored dice (#ad), and store bought blooms.

Instructions:

  • Using doubled up tape, tape the smaller vase in the middle of the larger vase. This will not be a permanent or very solid fix, but it will help keep the vase in place as you add dice around it.
  • Surround the smaller vase with dice. You can fill all the way up around the smaller vase, or just halfway up the side, either way, it will give the effect of the vase being filled with dice!
  • Add water to the inner vase.
  • Fill inner vase with store bought blooms that are cut just taller than the larger vase. I used a mix of gerber daisies, craspedia billy balls, and eryngium flowers.

4: The Clock is Ticking: What Games to Pick for Game Night?

Finally, the games! I like to avoid games that take too long or tend to drag on. Quick games that are easy to learn are usually the way to go with a crowd. Depending on the size of your game night, you can have one game going for the group, or several different games going with smaller groups of players.

Some of My Favorite Game Night Games:

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  • Tenzi: This action packed, very quick, dice game is fun for the whole family. We play it at the table after dinner sometimes just for a few minutes of fun together. The one I’ve linked there first comes with a booklet of 77 other games that can be played with the set. I have the basic brightly colored set and I also really think this sweet set will join our game shelves soon too.
  • Bananagrams: A classic! If you love games like scrabble but want it to be a bit faster, this game is for you. It is also really easy to bring on camping trips and to getaway cabins. Already have the classic version? Try the Bananagrams party edition!
  • Colorful Stacking Board Game: This colorful game may remind you of the game night mainstay Jenga. And, in essence the idea is the same. However this game also comes with dice that you roll that tells you which color you must pull! That combined with a much more slippery block makes for a more challenging game.
  • Sussed: This card game is directed at Tweens with its fun spin on Would You Rather? But, we had fun playing ages 8 through 60+! It is a great way to get to know each other or test how well you know your friends and family. There are four different ways to play the game as well, so once you master one way of doing it, you can switch it up!
  • Platypus: A word game, a how well do you know your teammate game, and a pop culture game all wrapped into one. This is a cooperative game so no one wins or loses, but it is a lot of laughs. We played on New Year’s Eve and started knowing that there was no way that we’d make it staying up til midnight… next thing you know, it is ten til midnight and we are sad to stop playing to get ready for the countdown!
  • Family Faceoff: This game (which I completely messed up the name on TV!) is such a fun way to bring multiple ages together. There is a bit of acting (charades style), a bit of guessing songs, a bit of finding things within the room, and then the FACE OFF challenges. This game was created by the Holderness Family who have been one of my favorite follows on social media for years. It is in the name, but this one is very much a family-friendly find.
Score cards on mini clipboards with pencils attached. Flowers and games in background.

5: Keeping Score: Keep Track of the Real Game Night Winners!

Part of the fun of game night is the competition. While you’ll track each game on their own, each of the players will want to keep track of how many wins and losses they’ve racked up. Whether on teams of 1 or teams of many, my free printable game night score card will help guests track their scores, note the ultimate winner, and keep track of the teammate that they will just have to have join them next game night!

Make a fun night with friends and family just a bit more special with these game night bonus points. Use them all or just a few, but for sure get together with some friends and family and play your favorite games together.

I’d love to hear your game night mainstays! Any games you’ve been ready to try? Snacks that are always present? Share in the comments below!