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We've already been planning our outdoor entertaining gear purchases for weeks (okay, months); check out the following links for a little shopping inspiration.
Jan from Poppytalk's subtly patriotic hand-woven table runner
Domino's recycled blue-glass-bottle parfaits—perfect for serving ice cream or fizzy drinks
Dwell's roundup of compact, portable grills for balcony barbecues
Callie's triple shot of pitchers for serving big batches of lemonade, spiked or straight up
Three themed picnic kits to pick and choose from.
Then go to Maggie's recipe roundup for menu ideas from casual to fancy.
Finally, remember to pick up those little things that are so easy to forget and so frustrating (or disastrous, even) when you do:
1. Ice. As annoying as it is for you to buy when you're stocking up on burgers and buns, it's just as annoying for a guest to pick up "on the way" because it slipped your mind. Bite the bullet, buy more bags than you think you'll use, and toss them in a galvanized tub (or even the bathtub) until you need them.
2. Lemons and limes. Because believe it or not, drinks just aren't as good without the garnish.
3. Lighting. If there's a chance your festivities will carry on past sundown—and really, if there's not, you're doing something wrong—it is oh so important to have some outdoor lighting on hand, especially if someone is going to try to keep grilling after dark. Whether you get a beautiful indoor/outdoor lamp like the Luau, or stock up on tiki torches or citronella candles (itchy, bug-bitten guests are also not happy guests!) is up to you.
Happy long weekend, everybody!
