Thank you to World Market for providing me with a gift card to purchase items to feature in my article. All opinions are my own.
Summer is here and it’s that time of year to take the kiddos outdoors and enjoy the sun! There’s nothing like having a few family friends over to relax outside and share some grub, however sometimes entertaining in the hot, hot, heat isn’t easy. Take a peek at 5 top tips and tricks I use whenever dining and entertaining outdoors in the heat and hopefully your Summer soiree goes over with a breeze!
1. Choose drinks and foods that are easy to prepare and won’t spoil
When it comes to choosing dishes to serve, stick to foods that will hold up well in the heat. I always suggest avoiding dishes with mayonnaise or other products that may spoil if left in a hot area for too long. Fruits, crackers, chips, beans, oil or mustard based salads and grilled foods are all great outdoor munchies. If you do decide to offer up foods that do better chilled such as Belgium Chocolate Seashells, chill the plate or bowl in the freezer for a bit and then add your food. This will help to keep the dish cool and prolong it’s outdoor life!
As for drinks, I always find the most fun and unique options at World Market. They offer an array of awesome bottled Italian sodas that are easy to serve and can be poured into a glass with ice which gives your guests a multitude of yummy options to try. You also can’t loose by creating a fun party punch and serving it up in an attractive drink dispenser like the Blue Glass Yorkshire Dispenser shown in my party photos. Another great drink serving option is just easy bottled beverages or juice boxes in a galvanized party tub.
2. Pick the shadiest and well covered spot to place your table
This is a must! Especially if it’s super hot outside and your party is scheduled in the afternoo, since the sun won’t be going down anytime soon. Keeping your table in a shady area will help to prolong the coolness of any cold dishes you’re serving plus provide a more comfortable experience for your guests. It’s always nice when you don’t have to grab your grub in the blazing sun. It will also help to keep your food cool if you use a table cloth or table runner and placemats to give the dishes a little breathing room from the table it’s self. World Market is one of my favorite places to grab unique decor items that will fit any outdoor party idea.
3. Give your guests the option to escape the heat
Although partying outdoors during Summer time is a blast, eventually you’ll need a break from the heat; especially if you’re entertaining little kiddos as well. Having a set up indoors as well as out will give your guests the ability to cool off and enjoy some yummies. This is also a great area for you to place those food items that don’t fare well in direct heat.
4. Let the water flow!
Summer time isn’t complete without a little water fun! Give the kiddos a place to splash around by setting up a small pool, sprinkler, providing water balloons or squirt guns to help them have fun and beat the heat. This will also give the adults time to enjoy themselves and take in the Summer laughter of the kids. Having a separate place for the little’s to sit gives them their own space as well and they’ll feel special playing and eating with the rest of their friends.
5. Schedule your party at the perfect time to avoid the heat
During Summer, the sun is at it’s hottest between 3-4pm so keep that in mind when scheduling your get-together. Down here in south Texas I’ve found that the temperature tends to start to cool off around 5:45pm. Even though it sounds a little late, this still gives us a good amount of party time since sunset in the Summer isn’t till around 8:30pm. The cooler the experience you can give your guests, the more enjoyable everyone will be and your food items will last longer as well!
Do you have a favorite Summer time party tip?
Summer time is one of my favorite seasons. Ever since I was a kid I’ve always loved the food, atmosphere and fun that Summer brings each year. Not to mention I’ve always enjoyed sharing those Summer evenings with friends and family. I love that I can always find everything I need for the perfect get-together at Cost Plus World Market. From fun outdoor food and drink to the perfect table accents like candles and lanterns, it’s always an adventure shopping at my local store!
Take a look at just a few of the Cost Plus World Market products featured in my Summer time fun.
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I’ve still never been in a World Market. You got some great items and those are some good tips! You made me want to host a party 🙂
Thank you!! And I highly suggest hitting up a World Market next time you see one! I always find the coolest items there 🙂
Love, love, love World Market!! And that water slide looks AMAZING. My son would have a blast!!
Me too!! And yes, the water slide is a BIG hit with the neighborhood kiddos 🙂
Wow! They have a lot of ocean/nautical themed stuff. I have never been to a World Market (I don’t think we even have one nearby) but I’m going to hit up their website and see what I can find for our summer cook outs this year!
They have great shipping for their online items, I always get mine super fast!
When we lived in LA, I loved going to Cost Plus and checking out all the cool stuff they had. There isn’t one near us in Iowa and your post reminds me how much I miss the store!
Oh I love World Market but we don’t have one very nearby. Great tips, looks like you had a great get-together!
I love World Market for party ideas and accessories!
Love World Market and I adore this post – you had quite the set-up. Looks like you had a ton of fun!
This looks like a great party. I don’t throw too many mixers so I don’t have any tips. 🙂
I love the water cooler idea, and I really like that pool in the pic on the bottom right!!!
Those are great tips! World Market is my go-to for all kinds of things!
I’ve never been to our World Market before.. but I do love your findings! Those sea horse serving ware are adorable.
I like the idea of the food being indoors but the action going on outdoors. I just ordered a bunch of stuff from World Market. It arrived yesterday.
I’ve never seen a World Market before. It looks like they have a lot of nice things!
I love Cost Plus! I have always found some really unique things there! Looks like you all had fun!
Great tips! I would love it if you joined and contribute your awesome posts at my link party at City of Creative Dreams, starts on Fridays 😀 Hope to see you there at City of Creative Dreams Link Party.
I’d love to!! Thank you for the e-vite 🙂
I LOVE World Market!
Great party tips. We don’t have a World Market close by or else I’d be in trouble.
Summer tome is indeed a fabulous time for parties. When I was young I would come to El Paso Texas from Paris France to spend the summer with my cousins and we spent most of our time outdoors. My grandma always had ample amounts of fresh fruit on hand.. we also loved picking peaches from our tree and making fruit leather with them. We’d puré them, spread them on a cookie sheet and pace them out the dry in the sun. Another favorite was when it rained, the streets would turn into little rivers. We’d put on our bathing suit and go ride our bikes laughing our hearts out as we spayed water as we went
Great ideas! We are working on a patio right now and I can’t wait to have a party to celebrate. I have always loved World Market. I know for a fact I will be checking in them and purchasing some neat party items.
I like the idea of giving kids their own place to play and splash. A summer party can get crazy if you’ve got bored kids.
We always have the waterslide up and running when we are entertaining too!
These are some really awesome tips. Thanks for sharing them. I’m not a great party planner, but these tips will definitely come in handy.
Great tips, I am always paranoid I would be the mom that gave everyone food poisoning with potato salad that got too warm! It looks like you had a fun little party!
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