With the Fourth of July right around the corner you may be preparing to spend time with friends and family, bathe in the sun with a hotdog in hand, or shield yourself from heat in the day only to light sparklers all evening. However you decide to ring in Independence Day, these will be some helpful tips to keep in mind for having a fun and comfortable holiday!
1. Keep Cool with an Icy Treat 
By the time July hits summer temperatures are in full swing! You’ll want to stay cool with some tasty and frozen treats that the entire family can enjoy. Frozen watermelon on a stick makes a perfect popsicle and freshly refrigerated veggies like broccoli, carrots, or celery taste delicious when cold and served with a side of buffalo sauce or ranch dressing! Your guests can even come together with your favorite drinks and a few popsicle trays, each person fills a few molds with the beverage of their choice, let them freeze for 2-3 hours, and you have a nice cold treat for your Fourth of July celebration.
2. Encourage Conversation with Furniture
A welcoming outdoor seating area is a huge plus to an outside gathering. Comfort while you’re socializing is a must for an event, and one of the best ways to get people engaged is positioning your patio set or lounge chairs to face each other in a circle or half moon around a snack table or fire pit! When your guests are encouraged to talk to each other or engage with the provided activities, they’ll feel more at ease and willing to chat with everyone at the party.
3. BYOD
Planning a gathering can be stressful: from decorations to seating, music to venue, and what seems like a million other little tasks you must remember. Instead, host a BYOD – Bring Your Own Dish! Take some of the stress off by having each guest bring a dish or snack board for everyone to share! As you start inviting people over you can assign them a meal to bring to the occasion such as: entrée, dessert, or side dish. Everyone can contribute and you won’t solely have to worry about providing food for lots of people.
4. Useful Party Favors
One of the best parts of going to a party is getting a fun party favor! Make your party favors useful and entertaining to your guests this July. Independence Day themed folding fans are memorable and will help your guests cool down in the summer heat. Similarly, neck cooling wraps are an inexpensive and unique party favor to hand out to guests as they come. Just soak them in cold water for about an hour prior to the party, and they’re ready to cool anyone down. Mini bottles of sunscreen and red, white, and blue sunglasses are also perfect ways for friends and family to shield some heat at your party.
5. Glow All Night
Evening is when the most fun Fourth of July events take place: Fireworks! Sit back and enjoy the light show in the sky with some lights of your own! Glowsticks, light up toys, and sparklers make perfect additions to your party, adding a dash of glowing fun for the entire family. Lighting candles and lanterns can also add some light to your outdoor setting if you have firework restrictions in your area. These fun glowing activities have easy clean up and are enjoyable for friends and family of all ages.
