“You're insanely busy but actually seem pretty easy-going,” a new friend observed the other day. “Deep down, it's like you really just want to eat granola and have a backyard party with a Kumbaya session.”
It's true, I really do. Nate and I (and even the boys) work hard, but at the end of the day our family is totally in our element swinging in a hammock by the outdoor fireplace, bundling up in a wool blanket or chowing down on a casually-concocted fruit bowl. Live and let live, I say, and embrace unstructured moments as an opportunity to reconnect. So when we suddenly found ourselves with a weekend at home filled with absolutely no plans, we hosted an old-fashioned backyard party our way.
Peaceful, easy-going, and with lots of granola.
Our Colorful, Kinda Crunchy Backyard Party
I hung these vases filled with colored water from the fence by the walkway. Such a simple touch for our backyard party, with baker's twine and colored daisies from the grocery store.
Entertainment was easy as ever. I setup a bubble machine, threw out some games and let the kids go to town.
At one point, Sidekick went into the house and emerged wearing his “Junior Park Ranger” vest from Uncle Lars and Aunt Leilani. Seems he felt it went with the theme.
Hand to God, he did this all on his own. Cutest thing ever.
The adults oooohed and aaaaahed over my printables for a bit, while the kids just tore them off and devoured.
This was the easiest little printable craft I've done in awhile – such a cute way to impart a theme to the party without going overboard.
You can download the printable for yourself here.
Another big hit were these flower chains I made.
Did you make these as a kid? I can remember spending countless hours kicked back in the grass, stringing dandelions with my sister. You simply use your thumbnail to cut a slit in the stem of one, string the other through and repeat, stringing each new one through the last. So fun, and so easy.
When's the last time you had a backyard party?