erI don’t do much entertaining – my house is too small; I’m not a confident cook; it costs a lot of money to feed a group – I can come up with a whole host of reasons why I don’t often have friends over for dinner or whatever.

But, the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays – primarily because it is mid-summer and the weather is usually sunny and warm…very conducive to outdoor entertaining.  My flower gardens generally look pretty good in early July, so I do usually invite friends over for a backyard 4th of July celebration and in fact, am doing so again this year.

Casual entertaining seems to suit my capabilities better than formal situations.  I can serve fried chicken from the local supermarket and even purchase deli potato salad, coleslaw, etc. so my lack of cooking expertise is not so noticeable.  Dessert can be as simple as ice cream and brownies.  Topping vanilla ice cream with strawberries and blueberries is an easy and fitting red, white and blue dessert for the 4th.

When I do choose to entertain, which I have indicated is not often, my favorite part of the preparations is planning the table decorations.  Of course, for my 4th of July shindigs I always use a red, white and blue theme…table linens in those colors, flower arrangements in those colors (though blue flowers are often hard to come by in my garden which is where I gather the flowers for the table), starred votive candle holders or star-shaped floating candles, star-shaped glitter sprinkled on the table – you get the idea.  All are easy and appropriate decorations for the 4th.

Oh, and RC wears his shirt that looks like an American flag and has words from the Declaration of Independence written on it, so he is decorated appropriately also!

I subscribe to the Better Homes and Gardens magazine and fantasize about throwing the kinds of garden parties I see depicted on the pages of their summer issues…get-togethers where all the attendees are looking relaxed and happy, the gardens are looking well-groomed and beautiful, the candles and little twinkling yard lights strung on the trees are providing a festive glow, the food looks fabulous, and there are NO BUGS!  Unfortunately, in Minnesota, the no bugs scenario does not happen!

So, today, as I ponder and plan my menu, décor and preparations for the upcoming get-together, I am going to try and employ the following tips for hopefully, providing my guests with an enjoyable evening as well as minimizing my stress about hosting so I can enjoy the celebration also.   

I will (and, these tips can and should apply to each time I choose to entertain others) –

• greet my guests with a smile on my face so they feel welcomed
• be prepared by doing everything that can be done ahead of time –
  • table set and decorating done
  • do-ahead menu items prepared or purchased
  • bathrooms and living spaces cleaned
  • bug spray applied to lawn
  • outdoor patio tables and furniture cleaned
  • ice made or purchased, ready for beverages
• take time to RELAX before my guests arrive, so my calmness will allow them to feel relaxed and perhaps they won’t notice the weeds growing in the flower beds or the dust on the end table in the living room.

There, I’ve created my check-list for my entertaining gig this weekend.  Now, it’s acting on the old saying “make your plan and work it“!  I may not pull off a Better Homes & Gardens type party, but hopefully, we’ll have fun.

If any of you have good tips about how to pull off care-free entertaining, I’d love to hear them.  Leave comments below or comment on Facebook.

And, in any event, have a safe, enjoyable and happy 4th of July weekend!