Family Celebrations
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Use these summer BBQ ideas toplan a summer BBQ that the neighbors will be talking about for years to come – in a good way! From the invitations to the food, drinks and games, I have it all covered.
Planning a Theme
Before you get started, you are going to need some basic planning supplies – whether that means a paper notebook and a pen, the notes app on your phone or Evernote. How to use Evernote for Party Planningfrom Wife.Mom.Geek outlines how you can use Evernote to effectively plan your party.
Next you need to start brainstorming themes! This is the fun part. Start a Pinterest board for all the great ideas you find. Here is my Party Ideas Pinterest board that you can Follow to get started with.
Invitations
Once you have your theme, you can start getting down to the party details. What kind of invitations do you want to use? Will you go paperless with Evite or DIY a cute printable invitation? Here are some great ideas for invitations:
- DIY Summer Party Invites from Inner Child Fun
- Chalkboard Style Invitations Printables from Real Life at Home
DIY décor
Keeping in mindyour chosen theme, you will want to start planning your decor. I love DIY and this is a great excuse to make something pretty. For example, if you are throwing a pool party, you might want to decorate with somePool Noodle Wreathsor check out some otherPool Party Decoration Ideas.
Signs are also a great way to decorate and provide useful information at the same time. You can try something like thisDIY Pallet Board Sign from My Paper Craze.
Then you might also want some table decorations. TheseMini Strawberry Pinatas from Woods of Bell Trees are SO CUTE and would make a fabulous centerpiece.
Kid drinks
Drinks are important too – and kids love cold and fruity drinks at parties! Our favorite is a kids “sangria” that’s super easy to make! Here is a quick tutorial on how to makeFresh Squeezed Lemonade from Happy Hooligans. Here is a recipe forPeach Lemonade Slush from Mom Endeavors. ThisOrange Juice Frosty from The Educators Spin On It looks so easy for kids.
Adult drinks
Adults usually like something cold and perhaps fruity to drink at parties too. My go to drink is some kind of sangria. I prefer a white wine sangria for summer, but a classic red wine sangria is great, too. TheseMason Jar Margaritas from Peace But Not Quiet are too clever. Mason jars are cheap and easy to get a lot of them too. You won’t need to worry about how to serve your guests or rely on plastic cups.
Appetizers
Appetizers may be the most important food at a party (besides dessert, of course!). Everyone is going to show up hungry and you need to have some yummy treats to give them right away. Here are four delicious and cute appetizer options to choose from:
- Cucumber Sandwiches from The Gracious Wife
- Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos from The Classy Chapter
- Brie and Fruit Skewers from Growing Up Gabel
- Bite Size Taco Saladsfrom Simplistically Living
Main Course Meals
We have finally reached the main course decision! There are so many ways you can go and this is a very big decision. This is an Epic BBQ, so you will obviously need to pick a main course that will be grilled.
You could go traditional, easy BBQ style with some hot dogs. Check out these15 Surprising Hot Dog Recipes for tons of inspiration. Another traditional option is burgers. Mix it up a little bit with theseTaco Burgers from Meaningful Mama or theseCilantro Feta Turkey Burger Wrapsfrom Living Chic Mom.
Barbecue ribs are also a crowd favorite, although they may take a little longer to cook than hot dogs.Crazy Adventures in Parenting has a great recipe forThe Best BBQ Ribsyou could try.
If you want to get really adventurous, I suggest thisTeriyaki Chicken Pineapple Bowl from Pennies Into Pearls. I have never seen anything else like it and I can bet your guests haven’t either. Wow them with a pineapple bowl!
Side Dishes
Salads and grilled veggies make the perfect side dish for a BBQ. ThisStrawberry Quinoa Salad from Practical Mommy looks so healthy and flavorful. You can also add onto the mason jar theme with theseMason Jar Saladsfrom The SITS Girls.
For veggies, grilled corn is always a winner andThe Classy Chapter has a great recipe forGrilled Corn.ThisGrilled Asparagusfrom Pennies Into Pearls also looks quick and easy.
I love corn in the summer and corn on the cob in the slow cooker is a great way to prep corn for a party. Broccoli Salad with Bacon is another classic party side dish as is good old fashioned baked beans.
Dessert
Mm, dessert! Last but not least. Here are some delicious recipes I found for you to try. Making desserts for a large party is great if you love to cook but you’re trying to keep your calories down. Everyone else will eat the goodies and you won’t be stuck with a full batch of sweets.
ThisChurro Cupcake from Formula Mom looks absolutely amazing. Cupcakes are great for parties since they are usually pretty easy to eat, and one per person.
If you are thinking about ice cream sandwiches, you will have to look through this list of 25 differentIce Cream Sandwiches. Ice cream cupcakes are another fun make ahead dessert that’s great for a crowd.
Who doesn’t like s’mores? ThisS’mores Refrigerator Cake from Study at Home Mama would be perfect for the crowd.
TheseWatermelon Pops from The Gracious Wife would be perfect for the little kids to eat on the go. Plus they are healthy – bonus!
Games
You can also set up some outdoor games for the kids. ThisBowling with Coconutsgame from Fun a Day looks like a lot of fun. Or you can play anAngry Birds Water Balloon Gamefrom No Time for Flashcards. Two other options for fun outdoor games for kids is thisSidewalk Chalk Game from Kids Activities Blog or thisDIY Paver Hopscotch from Happiness is Homemade.
I hope this helps plan the most epic BBQ of the season. Come back and tell us all about it in the comments below.
