Summertime at your house = barbecues for your friends and family. This makes summer a focal point for excitement, as you love spending time with those that matter most. However, summertime BBQs are more than that anticipation of good conversation and food from the grille.
This article details how you can design the best barbecue, beginning with the aesthetics and add-ons of your backyard.
Theme Your Backyard BBQs with Tiki Torches, Comfortable Patio Furnishings, and Other Fun Summertime Décor
Your backyard BBQ should be as fun and laidback as you are. Ergo, bring out the comfortable furniture with gorgeous continuous cast bronze, throw up some tiki torches, and string some beautiful shade lanterns from one pole of your deck shade cover to another. If you deck features a built-in picnic table, do up summer décor with a watermelon-themed table cover. Or use summertime colors in the cushions on your lounge chairs and deck benches.
Tip: The comfort of your guests should be priority number one over the décor of your deck. Whatever the theme or color, make sure your cushions are plumps, the lawn chairs are sturdy, and your hammocks or swing chairs are well-hung and cozy.
Create a Menu that Embodies Summertime, like Sweet, Fresh Fruits and/or Veggie Dips
What do you think of when you think of summertime BBQs and foods? Homemade lemonade? True Southern sweet teas? Fresh chunks of mango, watermelons, and strawberries? Make a menu that embodies what you think of when you think of summer yummies. Then create a buffet table of appetizers, like a veggie tray with ranch, buffalo, and Greek dips.
Think of the Kids—Your Kids and/or Your Guests’ Children Need to Have Fun Too
Some of your friends probably have kids, and you might have a few kiddos yourself—in both cases, you need to keep those youngsters in mind when planning your summer get-togethers. Give them something fun to do with classic swing sets, water balloons and a slip-and-slide, and perhaps a carnival area with DIY games, like cornhole, ring toss, and balloon darts.
Tip: If your get-togethers go well into the evenings, keep bug repellant on-hand for all of your guests to use.
