Venture Out

outdoors

As the weather gets warmer, it’s safe to say we all anticipate entertaining outdoors. No matter what type of space you have, it’s easy to turn any backyard into an ideal place to entertain. We’ve gathered some tips on getting your space ready and how to transform a drab concrete slab into something great for guests.

Tidy Up
Before you start decorating or prepping for guests, tend to your space. Mow the lawn, sweep up any leaves or debris that the wind might have blown up. It’s easy to forget about your outdoor space during the winter.

Snuggle up
Gather some quilts and blankets and throw them in a cute basket outside. On any given day during spring in Missouri, we can experience temperatures that mimic summer or fall. So be ready for those chilly nights by the fire pit with some warm blankets for you and your guests.

DYI lawn games
Lawn games are perfect for an evening get together. Here are two easy ones to put together day of:

Tic Tac Toe: Get a piece of wood large enough to draw a tick tac toe board on with paint. Gather up nine stones and paint five X’s and four O’s. It’s the perfect game for kids or friends who might have a shorter attention span when it comes to games.

Lawn Twister: Test your flexibility with Twister. All you need is a round stencil, four different spray paint colors and a patch of grass. Each color gets four dots for a total of 16 dots. If you have the board game, grab the spin board and head outside. Otherwise, designate someone to call out the colors as you play.

Cheers!
An outdoor party isn’t complete without drinks. If you don’t have enough cooler space to keep your beverages cold, find an empty planter or wheelbarrow and fill it up with ice and your favorite drinks.

Light it up
Sometimes a patio floodlight can be a little blinding and can still leave part of your yard a little dark. A simple string of patio lights can do the trick. These are perfect for entertaining and can take your backyard from drab to fab. You can find them at Lowe’s, Menards or at yardenvy.com.

However, if you don’t want to buy new lights, grab some Christmas lights from storage to hang up around the yard. For some additional lighting, candles add a great ambiance and can even help keep bugs away.

Pick a playlist
Music is something people don’t normally notice right away when they walk into an outdoor gathering, probably because they’re busy saying hello to friends. But when the conversation gets a bit quieter, music will add the subtle background noise everyone will enjoy.

Try picking a playlist on Pandora or Spotify, or create your own on iTunes. Quiet country music, John Mayer, Mumford and Sons or The Lumineers offer great tunes your guests might even sing along to.

DIY Kid-friendly drinks
Lemonade is always a winner when it comes to fun drinks for kids. Try making a few different kinds so they have enough options to keep them happy. Traditional lemonade is great because you can use the frozen concentrate from the store.

To add a little sparkle, try putting in some sparkling water. For another spin on lemonade, try adding some other fruit to infuse it with. Raspberry, strawberry or blueberry make great additions to this yummy, kid-friendly drink.

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