Introducing Patio Parties!

I dearly love a good party, but sometimes it's nice to just have a small get together.  For the next How to Host Series, we're going to be introducing Patio Parties!  The idea behind a patio party is to have 4-6 people over to sit outside and enjoy the weather.  Briana and I have come up with a simple formula to keep costs down and the work to a minimum so you can enjoy your time hanging out with friends.  Let's get started!

Posh Purpose Patio Party Formula

1 Cocktail

2 Savory Appetizers

1 Sweet Treat

To start, pick out an easy to make cocktail with the alcohol you already have available.  For me, I had some boxed wine that I didn't care for and a bottle of sangria mix that I bought from Williams-Sonoma on clearance a few weeks ago (even though it was on clearance, it wasn't expired yet).  I also threw some frozen strawberries in to keep the drink cool and add some extra flavor.  

For food, pick two savory appetizers and one sweet treat.  To make it really easy on yourself, make two of the three from store bought goods and devote your time towards one really great dish.  Bonus points if you don't have to turn the oven on!  Mr. 3 found a great deal on baby back ribs so we served those with store bought mini cornbread loaves.  I also grabbed a bag of peanuts in the shell.  Finally, I made a slab pie with store bought crust, blueberry pie filling, and fresh blueberries.

Invite your guests over around 2 or 3 PM - you won't have to make a ton of food like would you for lunch or dinner which will keep costs down and the event casual.

I hosted my first patio party a few weeks ago and it was a big hit!  Here are a few snapshots from the patio party:

Rather than making a huge formal flower arrangement, I bought $9 worth of gerbera daisies and just plunked them down in a pitcher.  I used paper plates and napkins from Target and Home Goods and I topped off my table with a retro table square I bought a few weeks ago.

We'll be sharing more patio parties as the summer goes on!  Anyone else done any great entertaining lately?  If not, consider throwing an impromptu patio party this weekend!