Summer Hosting

Summers are for slowing down, soaking up the sun and spending time with those you love.

Whether you like making lemonade or sitting by the pool with a great book, summer is the perfect time to slow down, soak up the sun and spend time with those you love. At the Gardner home, we love to host and do it often. Hosting can be overwhelming if your home is disorganized, if you are overscheduled or if you don’t have the right tools on hand. This blog is to help you deal with each of these three trouble areas and be ready for a summer of fun!

Salt by Sabrina 4th of July table setting.

The first step is to organize your home for summer. That way, you are ready for anything that comes up and your home won’t be causing stress, it will transform into a retreat that you can enjoy. Spring cleaning paves the way for setting up for summer. If you were able to get in some good decluttering, then summer is a great time to freshen up the outdoor spaces and stock your house with a few fun items for summertime fun! Here are a few of my favorites:

Floaties for pool days
Great mineral sunscreen - Bare Republic is a favorite!
Board games are a must and great for the evenings
Soft beach towels
Goggles that don’t get caught in your hair!
Sun hat for mom

The second step is to simplify your schedule where possible. You can’t host and enjoy having people over if you never have the time. It’s helpful to have kids engaged in healthy outdoor activities and camps to keep them busy with good things but don’t underestimate the power of free time. I love when my kids and I can just head up the mountain on a hike because we have nowhere to be!

Sign your kids up for a few summer camps or day activities scattered throughout the summer.
Plan a few vacations or even staycations if you are on a budget to mix things up and take advantage of the time off.
Make sure to have at least some weeks with nothing planned. You will be surprised at how reinvigorating this is!
Be spontaneous. Don’t plan every minute. Have some days you can wake up and just decide in the moment what sounds good!

When you simplify your schedule there is time to connect, savor the process and enjoy hosting.

The third step to great summer hosting is having the right tools on hand. If you have everything you need, it’s a breeze to throw together a summer BBQ.

A great set of knives
Utensil caddy ready to host anytime
Salt container for custom seasoning
Basket stocked with games. We love Settlers of Catan, a deck of cards to play Fruit Basket, or SkyJo.
Water pitchers - my favorite is the glass one from McGee and Co.
Varying sized serving bowls/platters

Acrylic Utensil Caddy by Salt by Sabrina

A beautiful acrylic utensil caddy can elevate every event and simplify the preparation.

I designed this acrylic utensil caddy while on vacation with a friend of mine in Lake Powell. We needed a great solution to hold our plates, bowls, napkins and utensils that we could cart around with us and it could store enough for our large group. We had several different options that we brought with us and none of them worked well. So, as is my trademark, I designed my own! My friend and I sketched it out on a napkin. I sent it to my design team and within a month we had this stunning acrylic utensil caddy that I can’t stop finding uses for. It’s now my go-to for everything from summer bbq’s to the Super Bowl. I give it as a gift at every wedding and mine is continually stocked and ready for Sunday dinners at home.

Bring on the heat, the lazy days and the time outside. Here’s hoping you enjoy every moment.

Happy Summer,