Though it may only be March, the weather is marching on like May, and with all this Summer-like weather, visions of summering are dancing in my head early this year.
Summering is one of the most brilliant concepts introduced by our first world foremothers, in which women pack up the family station wagon before Memorial Day and go about the business of creating a second-house home for the kiddies until August threatens to become everything after.
Sorry guys, someone’s gotta stay in Gotham to make that green - I mean, you have two houses.
The real housewives all do it, and so I obviously want to emulate. Though (rudely) no one has offered to sweep me out of the workforce and onto the Michiana shores for the fairer months, by grace of generous family, I get away for a couple weeks each year to lovely and idyllic New Buffalo, Michigan.
Inevitably, we want to share this shared wealth with friends and yet more family, so end up entertaining. In terms of beach house decorum, flip flops are fine, paper plates are passable and grilling is an acceptable solution to any meal worth eating.
For casual entertaining, these are a few of my favorite things (don’t judge me on my muumuu - it’s a summer house).
Summering is one of the most brilliant concepts introduced by our first world foremothers, in which women pack up the family station wagon before Memorial Day and go about the business of creating a second-house home for the kiddies until August threatens to become everything after.
Sorry guys, someone’s gotta stay in Gotham to make that green - I mean, you have two houses.
The real housewives all do it, and so I obviously want to emulate. Though (rudely) no one has offered to sweep me out of the workforce and onto the Michiana shores for the fairer months, by grace of generous family, I get away for a couple weeks each year to lovely and idyllic New Buffalo, Michigan.
Inevitably, we want to share this shared wealth with friends and yet more family, so end up entertaining. In terms of beach house decorum, flip flops are fine, paper plates are passable and grilling is an acceptable solution to any meal worth eating.
For casual entertaining, these are a few of my favorite things (don’t judge me on my muumuu - it’s a summer house).
Beach Toys: Part of the fun of being away is having full days to do nothing but play. Providing toys (for human and other guests) can add an element of excitement to anyone who isn't content to kick back with a Nora Roberts trilogy for the week. Though it may only be March, the weather is marching on like May, and with all this Summer-like weather, visions of summering are dancing in my head early this year.
Wine (duh): If you're lucky enough to be staying the whole summer, you may not want to wash down breakfast with wine every morning, but what better way to relax on vacation than with a glass of cheap white? Having a few cute plastic wine glasses (though I love the ones below, monogrammed for my darling fairy godparents) can save you from adding to the assortment of beach glass with your favorite crystal stems.
Burgers (double duh): Whether traditional or more creative (like my favorite turkey burger pictured below), burgers are a summer staple and require no more thought than whether guests prefer cheese or no cheese (also a good personality litmus test - what kind of serial killer goes no cheese?).
Facilities:
Though the great wide bathroom on the horizon works for most, some guests are squeamish about bathrooms, used towels and other natural parts of lake house living (squares). Make sure you have the things that people should bring for themselves, but will often forget - including beach towels, sunscreen, Diet Coke and, obviously, Amstel Lighte.
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Make the most of each post-Memorial Day moment, because remember... this:
soon turns into this:
For more on being an excellent guest (aka getting invited back), check out the Posts on Post guide to guesting.
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