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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Friends, Parties, Shay's Ways ·

25 Keys to Outdoor Summer Entertaining


Friends, HAPPY JUNE!!  Just in time for summer, today, Andrew and I are sharing 25 Keys to Outdoor Summer Entertaining!

You guys, we LOVE TO ENTERTAIN OUTDOORS DURING THE SUMMER!!!  Let’s be clear, Andrew and I just really enjoy having people over, so it’s just an extra bonus when we get to have them over and eating outside.  This time of year, I thought many of you might be hosting outdoor gatherings (whether big or small!), so I thought we would share our tips.  Of course, we’re not experts…we’re just two people that like to get together with friends and family and enjoy a good meal outside.  Some of these tips might be no-brainers, some of them might be new to you, but either way, I just hope that when the post is over it inspires you to gather with others, put your phones down and enjoy the time spent together outside.

Andrew and I host little things at our house so frequently that we don’t really need a lot of time to prepare for outdoor entertaining.  Over the last four weeks, we’ve had my parents over for a very last minute dinner on the patio, we’ve had the Slaughters over for an impromptu pool party, and we’ve hosted a Cinco de Mayo party for eighteen.  We follow the same structure and routine whether we are hosting big or hosting small.  I think we’ve figured out what works best for our yard, our house, our lifestyle and basically rinsed and repeated a lot of parties but with a few new menu items/themes/decorations/music.  For us, what’s most important is for people to come over and have F-U-N.  That’s the #1 goal for us!

Whether your party is about being in the yard/patio OR swimming, we have some tips to make it easy and fun for you and your guests.

In no particular order, here are our 25 Keys for Outdoor Summer Entertaining:
1: Set the mood with music.  Whether it’s a fiesta or an island party, current day hits or country classics, music always sets the tone for any social gathering.

2: Have bug spray and sunscreen out where your guests can easily find them and use them.  We like to have them in a basket(s) out on the table and/or by the pool so they’re within reach.

3: Make sure the way to the bathroom is clearly marked.  We have a little sign that says where the bathroom is so that people can easily locate it.

4: Make the entry easy.  If you want people to walk around instead of coming through the house, make sure there is a sign posted for that or else make your entry inviting (balloons/signage) so that they know it’s okay to ring the bell.

5: Have separate, clearly marked, drinks for the kids and then also clearly marked and away from the kids’ drinks, adult beverages. 

6: You can never have too much ice.
7: Snacks, snacks and more snacks!  Whether you’re entertaining hungry kids during the day or hungry adults in the evening, snacks and appetizers are a must when people are outside.  Even if you have a nice supper on the way, make sure they have a cold drink and snack as soon as they come in.
8: Rent some fun for the kids!  If you know you’re going to be entertaining kids, renting a bounce house for a few hours and placing it in the shade is always a great way to entertain kids outside.
9: If you’re hosting a swim party, have beach towels out and available for everyone to use. Many people will bring their own, but we think it’s always a good idea to have extra towels out and ready for them to use should they need one or more.  Speaking of which…
10: Use one type of towel at your house.  This year, we invested in some navy and white towels from Amazon to have out during parties so that it’s very easy to see which towels are ours and which ones belong to other people.  Plus, the cohesive look of uniformed towels just looks nicer outside than a big random variety.
11: Have fans outside.  Whether they’re ceiling fans under a porch or an oscillating fan you just have setting out, put a fan outside for those who need extra air.
12: Put your dogs away.  No one loves pups more than me, but while you’re entertaining, put them away.  Many people are not dog people, and it’s simply not fun for them if your dog is a part of the party.  Plus, as much as I love my dogs, it’s super gross if they’re near/around the food, so it’s just easier to put them away where they’re happy, safe and sound during the party.
13: Have a Plan B for bad weather.  Whether your Plan B is to postpone or to bring the party inside, just having one provides peace of mind.
14: Budget about 8 ounces of protein per person for dinner.
15: Don’t be afraid to set an ending time for your party in advance.
16: Keep the menu simple.  You can make everything if you want, but try and make most of it in advance (like my Mama’s Corn Salad, my mother-in-laws Pepperoni Pasta Salad or the BBQ Green Beans!).You can also make one thing and then buy the other things from the store.  Keep it simple.
17: Keep the drinks simple.  You don’t have to have a full bar.  Offer water, maybe tea and then a signature cocktail.  You can also just offer cans of hard seltzer and beer if you like.  Don’t make it complicated.
18: Have trashcans out and available.
19: Let the kids use paper goods instead of regular plates.
20: Don’t do the yard work the day of the party.  Doing yard work the day of a bigger party only adds to the stress.  Try and do that the day before.
21: Use a gas blower to blow off the patio before the party starts.  Use it again after the party to blow away bits of food so that your patio area doesn’t attract those lovely little creatures…rats.
22: Think ahead if you have lighter colored cushions.  If your guests are going to be swimming and you’re concerned about color transfer, put towels on pool chairs so new swimsuits don’t bleed on to the fabric.
23: Add pool floats for fun!  Large, colorful floats are pretty to look at and fun to ride on too!
24: Make homemade ice cream!  There is just nothing simpler or better than homemade ice cream during the summer months.  We use THIS counter top ice cream maker that’s really easy to make ice cream in and it’s easy to clean.
25: If you’re having a pool party, hire an extra set of eyes to watch the pool.  Anytime we have small kids at a pool party, we pay someone just to watch the pool (sometimes, more than one person).  It never hurts to have an extra pair of eyes on the pool if you’re entertaining families with small kids.  Even if parents are out there watching, you just never can be too safe.  We have many teenagers in our community that also work during the summer months at one of the public pools or country club pools, and they’re always happy to help at a party we’re hosting too.

Now, if you liked today’s post, make sure you go back and read my 25 Keys to a Peaceful Morning and my 25 Keys to Maintaining our Yard!

If you’re ready to entertain this summer and want something delicious to serve, I’m also sharing…

…our Classic Cheeseburger recipe today too!

Happy June, friends!  I hope this inspires you to turn on the music, fire up the grill and invite people you love over for the season! xx

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Comments

  1. Erika Slaughter says

    Make some amazing friends that are the best guests and by that I mean they really know how to find that guest bathroom. 🤣🤦🏼‍♀️🤣

  2. Laura says

    Fantastic List!

    Yes to keeping alcoholic drinks away from kids drinks especially if they’re the same color. We had a close call with that once. And yes, PLEASE keep your dog put away. My family is highly allergic to ALL dogs and we’ve left early plenty of times because the host didn’t think to put them away.

    Hiring a teenager to watch the pool is brilliant.

  4. Susie Harrold says

    Cool! Are you going to share the cinco de Mayo party? That sounded fun!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      It was so much fun, but I honestly don’t know that I took pics. It was the same day as the day when I flew home from Boston, so it was fun…but I was busy, busy!

  5. Heather Stanton says

    Good call on the extra eyes on the pool. We always hired older Girl or Boy Scouts.
    We tend to entertain a lot…some nights end up around the fire pit and can go later. I keep an extra snack/ appetizer on hand to serve later. Last week I did Trader Joe’s mini pizza in the air fryer with hot honey drizzled on. Was a big hit!

  7. Sarah M. says

    Yes to the garbage cans! I hate being at someone’s house and not knowing where to put my stuff. And also yes to getting rid of the fallen food. We have raccoons though, not rats, and they are ruthless!

  8. Bev says

    Great tips but the two that stood out were putting the dogs away and hiring an extra set of eyes to watch the pool. Both very thoughtful!

  10. Lindsay says

    This is great! Thank you for sharing! We have a new puppy and I always struggle with that when entertaining. I feel like it is making us entertain WAYYY less which is sad. Where do you put your dogs so that they are away from the party? All tips so appreciated!!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Our three dogs are all crate trained, so they hang out in there during the party.

      • Lindsay says

        Oh my gosh ours is too but I have such guilt. I need to get over that haha. Thanks!

  12. Sheaffer says

    All great tips! You can have us over anytime!!! The Shulls reallllllllllllllly know how to throw a party. 🙂

  14. Nikki says

    Great tips!! How do you store your large pool floats? We have several and they end up taking over our garage each year. I’m looking for a better storage solution.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      We deflate them at the end of the season and fold them up and put them away in bins in the garage!

  15. Dana says

    Great tips!! Love the tip about dogs. I completely agree and get so annoyed when an animal is at my feet begging while I’m eating!

  16. Kelly says

    Great tips! I love the one about the dogs! I would love it if you could post what appetizers, main courses and desserts you serve at a gathering for 18 people. ( your cinco de mayo party!)

  17. Mary says

    Love your tips! Makes me want to throw a party…and buy an ice cream maker!
    Do you have an outdoor trash can you keep on the patio permanently or do you get one-time throw aways (like the ones you can find at a party store?)
    Thanks!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      We do have one that we keep out there permanently, but we always add at least one more if we’re entertaining.

  18. Jen says

    I get where you’re coming from with the dogs… but I have to say that as an introvert, other people’s dogs are the HIGHLIGHT of a party for me! Ha!!

  19. Lori says

    I just got that ice cream maker. Would love for you to share some of your favorite ice cream recipes! Thanks.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I need to share the one we use. It’s Andrew’s mom’s and it’s so easy!

  20. Natalie says

    Hey Shay! I know you mentioned this a couple of years ago but I forget- outdoor movie projector. What all do you need to set one up ? We have home wifi but other than that what do you use? This seems so fun to watch a movie poolside.

  22. Christy Dyer says

    I love all the tips!!! I would REALLY love some ice cream recipes!!! I bought the same machine you have, five-six years ago. I have used it once…. Womp womp! Also, are you able to get the ice cream into the normal consistency or just soft serve consistency?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      For outside summer entertaining? We have a variety! I need to make a list! Just this last weekend, we started listening to the Blink 182 station which is great!

  24. Sarah Shaneyfelt says

    Love all of these!! I think the addition of the bug spray basket for guests is so smart! And yes to hiring extra eyes to watch the pool–so thoughtful and you can make sure your adult guests can enjoy your gathering without constantly watching the water!
    MeetTheShaneyfelts

  25. Detroit Duchess says

    Party City has some great pop-up trash cans (for any theme) and they work great for outdoor parties. We used them for a birthday party and they worked great!

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