Backyard Entertaining Ideas
With the backyard ADU nearly complete and the cement poured for our backyard landscaping, we’ve been dreaming of backyard entertaining ideas. I’m sure it will all be a little makeshift this year as we re-adjust to hosting and learn our backyard, but we can’t wait!!
See the process of our backyard makeover & ADU building as well as the final ADU design!
My husband and I both love having friends and family over for food. After our little guy was born and moving to Sacramento, we had a few get-togethers but not much because of our limited mental capacity.
And then nobody was gathering…and when people did start getting together, we ripped out the backyard and have just been patient (for the most part) until we could get the backyard space back!
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Outdoor/Backyard Entertaining
Entertaining in your home can be overwhelming until you do it enough times that it becomes familiar and so much easier.
While it’s ideal to have seating and tables for everyone, many people – especially if kids are involved – are ready for a little makeshift/impromptu setup. Whether you’re bring indoor chairs out, using camp/folding chairs, or just providing cushions for people to sit on the ground – don’t hesitate to get innovative and don’t fret about it.
And don’t hesitate for a second to have everyone bring something. And I’m for having them bring things you don’t like to do. I’m always down for someone else bringing the drinks and or salad while I handle a main dish and dessert!
Backyard Entertaining Considerations
Depending on the time or day and the time of year, there are a few things to keep in mind for having others over – namely shade!
Food and drinks should be kept out of the sun. And will your guests want shade or a combination of sun and shade?
And what about bathroom access? Is there a clear path?
We’ll have kiddos running around, so bathrooms are always important!
Sustainable Outdoor Entertaining Ideas
- Use ice packs to replace ice in coolers and buckets. Summer calls for cold drinks, but instead of using all that ice and having to constantly replace it, try filling coolers and buckets with ice packs too.
- Make sure to have lids or towels over cooling buckets to keep cool air in and warm air out.
- Reusable over Disposable. it’s easy to do paper plates and plastic silverware, but try not to! Reusable cups, plates, and cutlery are great options. For easier cleaning, get everyone to scrape off their plates, so you’re just dealing with plates and not food for cleanup.
- Plan food accordingly. It’s easy to have too much food, so try your best to plan accordingly to limit any waste, and make plans for leftovers!
- Offer homemade drinks instead of individual packages. These homemade iced tea recipes are always fun. And see below for some adult drinks!
- If you have mosquitos, read how to use mosquito dunks – they’re natural, effective, and life-saving!
Summer Entertaining Recipe Ideas
Everyone has their favorite recipes for potlucks. You can follow this summer dinner party menu ideas or just pick a few favorites!
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