3 ideas for an outdoor movie night.

Outdoor Blanket.  Drink Bucket. Table Cloth. Plates.: Target.

My shirt: Crew Cuts. Jeans: ZARA. (similar.)

  Now that Craig and I have been married close to 12 years, we’ve really got some really great traditions.  One of our favorites is our Friday night movie party.  Pizza and a movie every Friday night. During the summer we like to shake it up a bit and watch our movie in the backyard.   One of my favorite things about being a mom, is the chance I get to make things a little extra special.

I love parties.  Have I ever mentioned that?  I mean, if I could I’d throw some kind of delightful soiree every single weekend.  I don’t really need a reason to make something special, but as a busy mom, blogger and business owner, finding the time to put together those “special moments” can be a little daunting.

I’ve got three simple ideas for taking your “boring-blanket-on-the-grass” movie night from lackluster to amazing that require very little time and even less effort.

1. Buy coordinating outdoor dining and entertaining pieces.  This is a game changer for a mom who needs to throw a party together in a pinch.  Keep them stashed in a convenient place, and you can pull them out on the fly.   Target has a whole gorgeous, fun and colorful line of coordinating outdoor summer pieces.  They’ve all got bright colorful patterns that can (and will) be used over and over again.  You don’t need much to make beautiful green grass pop, and throwing a colorful table cloth on the table, a bright outdoor blanket on the lawn and a cheerful beverage bucket, really makes the whole evening feel intentional and fun.  (And one additional tip: hang on to your past party gear.  Don’t get rid of pennants or banners, they can be used over and over again.)

2. Bottled Root Beer.  Seriously, who doesn’t love an old fashioned bottle of root beer (or cream soda for that matter.)  My kids literally never tire of them.  (I’m pretty sure Ethan has one of the empty pop bottles displayed proudly on his dresser right now…)  I love putting mine in a colorful open bucket of ice as opposed to a cooler.  It’s just a much prettier option and showcases the root beer bottles which add a ton of character.  (Plus when all else fails empty bottles work great for musical instruments and curing boredom.)

;-)

3. Make a simple treat bar.  Nothing says “movie” like popcorn and candy.  My favorite combo is kettle corn with peanut butter m&ms.  (Just trust me on this one.)  But there are all kinds of ways to mix it up in the popcorn department.  Try candied popcorn, or adding different popcorn seasonings to the bar.  Candy jars are always a great idea as well.  To make it extra fun, pick up some popcorn buckets or boxes.  It’ll make your kids feel like they’re really “at the movies.” And you can snag these babies just about anywhere now in any store’s party section.

So there you have it!  Three simple ideas for taking your outdoor movie night up a notch.

Now go forth and party!

also, isn’t she pretty?  I mean those eyes… I die.