If you want to have people over but do it cheaply, The Spruce says, try a summery theme such as a luau, “glamping” or game night; outdoor games such as badminton, cornhole and horseshoes are obvious choices. Shop at party, dollar and thrifts stores (the latter of which are often supplied by generous donations to ClothingDonations.org) to keep decorating costs low, and ask guests to bring a dish suitable for a crowd-pleasing cookout. Then, just add a summery playlist of your favorite music — or get your musician friends to jam — for an outdoor party that rocks.
Tag: summer
Spruce Up Your Outdoor Space
The difference between a boring backyard, deck or patio and a welcoming outdoor oasis is often as simple as a few well-placed plants or accessories. To spruce up your space fast, Love Your Landscape says, hang a mirror, grow climbing vines, or build a pergola. Potted plants can add visual interest and color, and solar lanterns or string lights will bathe the area in soft light after sunset. Sawhorses and a sheet of plywood or an old door (covered with a tablecloth) can serve as a dining table, and benches with cushions and/or folding stadium chairs will give guests a place to sit.
Al Fresco Dining Requires Definition
To create a space for dining on your backyard or deck, simply define the area in which you plan to serve guests, This Old House says. Lay mesh-backed tile over pavers to create an inexpensive, all-weather “rug” for the seating area, or create a shade canopy out of bamboo and a canvas drop cloth. Take advantage of the existing shade trees and accessorize your dining area with curtains, pillows, string lights, lanterns and more; with a little time and even less expense, you’ll have a dramatic, romantic space in which to entertain friends and family.
Set the Stage for Summer Cinema
For the ultimate summertime luxury on a shoestring budget, suspend a plain white sheet from a garden wall, fence or a PVC frame to make an outdoor theater, HGTV says. Gather whatever lawn chairs you can scrounge from local garage sales, invite your friends, pop some corn and kick back for a backyard blockbuster. Not enough furniture? If the weather is dry, you can bring indoor furniture such as chairs and end tables outside for a festive dinner party or film night, or ask guests to bring a few folding chairs. Blankets on the ground will work, too!
Make the Most of the Rest of Your Summer
Symbolically, at least, July 4th marks the middle of summer. If your local schools let out before Memorial Day, that’s pretty accurate — you’ve already spent about six weeks of the season, and there are probably about six more to go before school starts again.
Even if your schedule is no longer dictated by a school calendar, you may feel like the clock is ticking on your summer fun. The warm weather is likely to stick around until September and October even in the Northern climes, but the pressure is on.
The answer? Get organized and make the most of what’s left of your summer!
Grab a calendar — a paper one, if possible. Is there a trip you’ve been meaning to take? Book your airline tickets or get the oil changed ahead of that road trip. Are there friends you’ve been meaning to invite over for a cookout? Text them or send an electronic invite, and pencil them in.
On a tight budget? And Then We Saved offers 23 ways to make the most of your summer, including finding a swimming hole, going camping or volunteering. Tackling your to-do list and joining a team are other suggestions, alongside just kicking back in a hammock.
If you want to improve your home while it’s nice enough to keep the windows open, consider taking a summer day to do a good decluttering. There’s no time like the present to sell, donate or trash the extra stuff that’s been spilling out of your closets since last summer.
Lifehack suggests a range of thrifty summer activities such as being a tourist in your own hometown and going for a nature walk. And while you’re at it, the site says, take lots of pictures so you can create fond memories of summer 2018.
It isn’t your imagination: The clock is ticking — just as it always is. But summer has that added connotation of “fun in the sun” and “vacation” that makes you want to pack all of the fun activities you can into a few short months.
Make a list of the summery things you want to do, and start checking them off, one by one. Don’t waste another minute if you want to make the second half of your summer even more magical than the first!