In the Midwest, outdoor entertaining can be difficult to enjoy with the amount of mosquitoes that linger outside. Adding lanterns with citronella candles add ambiance while deterring bugs.\u00a0 Arm your backyard with bug deterring plants.\u00a0 Planting garlic, basil and peppermint in your garden bed and strategically placing potted plants of lavender, lemon balm, and marigolds around seating areas will do double duty adding color to your patio while keeping your guests safe from bug bites!\u00a0 Also having plenty of insect repellent on hand is a must! ![\"potted](\"http:\/\/www.sroteco.com\/interior-design-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/shutterstock_107231084-2016-Outdoor-scaled.jpg\")
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KEEP FOOD FRESH<\/strong><\/p>\n On hot summer days it is essential to keep food fresh for your guests.\u00a0 If your kitchen is close to the back door, set up a buffet inside on the island.\u00a0 If not, set up the food table near the door to keep temperatures stable and remember to periodically replenish ice.\u00a0 Room temperature snacks are also great to have around seating areas. AVOID OVERCROWDING<\/strong><\/p>\n Planning separate stations for food, drinks and activities combats potential jams and helps maintain a nice flow. Also, creating various seating areas allow guests to easily move around and engage in smaller, more intimate conversations. CREATE AMBIANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n String cafe lights around your patio or along your fence to add instant charm to your backyard. Position a seating area around a fire pit and roast s\u2019mores.\u00a0 Don\u2019t forget the tunes!\u00a0 For those who do not have outdoor speakers, have a Bluetooth speaker ready with your perfectly curated playlist.\u00a0 When decorating your outdoor space, treat it like a room.\u00a0 Adding indoor elements like a rug, pillows, throws and a mirror will create a cozy and inviting place for your guests. PLAN FOR GAMES AND PREP THE POOL<\/strong><\/p>\n Having activities ready creates an enjoyable atmosphere. Whether it\u2019s a round of cards or tournament of bags or washers, games always ensure that guests are having a great time.\u00a0 If you have a pool, make sure to keep extra towels, sunblock, and floats for guests. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Outdoor parties are one of the best parts\u00a0of\u00a0summer.\u00a0 The vibe is relaxed and the focus is on enjoying the nice weather while creating fun memories with friends and family. \u00a0Read our 5 tips for getting your summer soiree just right, and let us know, what are your tricks for a successful party? KEEP THE BUGS … Continue reading Outdoor Entertaining<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[36,40,41],"class_list":["post-100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertaining","tag-entertaining","tag-outdoors","tag-party"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sroteco.com\/interior-design-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sroteco.com\/interior-design-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sroteco.com\/interior-design-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sroteco.com\/interior-design-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sroteco.com\/interior-design-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sroteco.com\/interior-design-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sroteco.com\/interior-design-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sroteco.com\/interior-design-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sroteco.com\/interior-design-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sroteco.com\/interior-design-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"indoor](\"http:\/\/www.sroteco.com\/interior-design-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/shutterstock_1719959857.jpg\")
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