Perfect Alfresco Dining

Image from HONSESTLYWTF

At this time of year, with the weather warming up it is the perfect time to have people round for dinner outside! And I pulled together a couple of tips for having the perfect night;

CUSHIONS AND THROWS. The nature of outside dining tables chairs, is that they are usually wooden so they can last outside, making them more uncomfortable. So throwing tons of cosy cushions all over it, making sure you have some throws out there for when it gets chilly! (Living in the UK of course it will)

LIGHTING. Having lots of lanterns with candles in and loads of fairy lights every where creates such a lovely atmosphere! Especially when it gets dark and a bit chilly. It is one of my favourite moments in summer, having a couple of cocktails, and chilling with friends in low lighting with a blanket. Perfect.

CANDLES. Candles not only make the space cosy, but Cintronella candles reportedly also keep insects and creepy crawlies away from you!

MUSIC. Music just completely sets the mood for whatever evening you want. Create a playlist, or find one on Spotify, kick back and relax.

FOOD STATIONS. My final tip for a stress free evening, is to set up food stations. Make up the salad, the toppings, drink stations etc, serve up the mains on the table too and let your guests serve themselves. Meaning you don't have the pressure or serving up, and your guests can pick what they want!

What are you top tips for Alfresco Dining?

5 Tips for Summer Entertaining

Image from Lauren Conrad

One of my favourite things to do in the Summer is to host gatherings for all my friends and family. Whenever there is a sporting event, or a birthday we use that as an excuse to get everyone together. So here are a few tips for easier Summer Entertaining.

1. Create one main dish, with smaller supporting dishes
2. Be ready when people arrive

Image from redonline

For a summery gathering, something like Pulled Pork is perfect. This one from redonline is amazing (We had this for Ryan's birthday last year!) Keep this one in the oven for 12-18hours, shred it and leave it in the oven to soak up the juice for another hour, meaning that your main is done. Add a couple of supporting dishes, such as coleslaw, salad, buns etc makes this into a 'make your own' dinner, and definitely grill some corn on the cob to go with this too! Being ready when the first guests arrive is imperative for a relaxing gathering.

3. Create a drinks table (Or trolley), they look amazing and they are so practical for guests. You can leave them to their own devices, have whichever drink they would like, leaving you to chat to everyone and make your food is all looking lovely.

Image from So Haute

4. Lighting! This sets the scene for the evening. Having dimmed lighting and way too many candles makes the room feel cosy and your guests will settle down and really feel at home.

5. Lastly, make sure you have a summer playlist going. This sets the mood, and music makes everyone happy!

Hope you have some fantastic, chilled gatherings this Summer and have lots of yummy food!