I couldn’t be more sad to say that we’ve reached the end of summer. Sad face.
While I live in a region that gets all four seasons to the max, and I’m eager for the change to fall, summer is always my favorite. In my world, there is just nothing better than a beautiful afternoon sitting outside with family and friends, cold beverage in hand, children running through the grass (or swimming in the pool, even better), music playing in the background, and the grill fired up for some serious eats.
This weekend, we plan to go all out at our family barbecue. For me, this means grilling not only burgers and hot dogs but also filet, ribs, and salmon steaks. To add to the ‘all out’-ness, I love to throw some simple decorations, festive side dishes and desserts, and summer adult beverages together before PSL takes over it all.
Here in the States, we typically celebrate Labor Day to honor and pay tribute to American workers. Because of that, I like to use red, white, and blue to decorate. Bonus if you saved your Memorial Day / Fourth of July decorations!
Grilled Corn Salad with Honey Lime Dressing – this screams summer!
Kid Friendly Patriotic Punch – just add vodka for the grown-ups 😉
American Flag Berry Pie – my mom makes ones every year and they’re almost too good to eat. Almost.
Painted Lawn Stars – a great way to spice up your lawn and greet guests.
Also you can make some fun games for the kids using the stars – I’m thinking hopscotch, bean bag toss, musical stars…
Fruit Cubes – I LOVE to make special ice cubes for parties.
It helps make things look a little fancier, but they couldn’t be easier!
Watermelon Feta Blueberry Salad – Yum. Yum. Yum.
Inside Out S’mores Bars – Because summer = S’mores, no?
Summer Fruit Salsa – so festive, so kid friendly!
Seven Layer Dip – I love this. We all know 7 layer dip, but it looks great as an American Flag!
Flag Craft for Kids – my son and I have started to gather sticks for this one. He can’t wait to paint!
I’m planning to spray this with a sealer over top of the paint so I can save it for next summer!
Colored Rice Centerpieces – so cute, and you can save these for next summer as well!
