One way to spend time with friends without cleaning your house is to have a party outside. Below are four easy-to-implement, fun, and low-effort parties you can do in your backyard so you can have friends over when your house isn't clean enough.
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Is a messy house keeping you from having friends over?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of cleaning your house to have guests over, don’t! Don't clean, that is.
In a recent poll, many of my readers expressed that their number one barrier to having guests over is that they feel their houses aren't clean enough, their guests would judge them for a less-than-perfectly clean house, or they don’t have time or energy to clean the house as much as they want.
While there is a lot we can do to shift mindsets to help us feel more confident about having friends over no matter the state of our house, it doesn't solve the immediate problem of feeling those feelings now.
So, if you want to have guests over but don’t want to deep-clean your house, do something outside.
Below are four simple party ideas that can be done on your deck or patio, relieving you of the responsibility of deep-cleaning or even tidying your main living areas.
Potted Plant Party
Get small pots, a flat pack of small flowers or herbs, and a bag of potting soil. Set up a table outside in the backyard, and lay out all the equipment and supplies you’ll need to repot plants.
Most greenhouses will have younger plants and sell them in bulk. Using smaller plants in smaller pots keeps expenses down and still helps you have people over.
If you’d like to add some charming elements for a plant party, here are 3:
- Find spoons at thrift stores to use as mini shovels, and send them home with guests as party favors.
- Create mini plant labels in advance.
- Paint or decorate the pots in advance.
Top Tip: Playing some quiet classical music in the background adds a lot of ambiance and energy to an outdoor gathering.
Related: Hosting a Favorite Things Party
Bouquet Building Party
Make mini bouquets using mini Dollar Tree vases or thrifted mugs.
To keep costs down, ask each guest to bring a small bunch of flowers while you provide the fillers, such as baby’s breath and other supplies.
Set up a table with scissors, floral tape, floral foam, and several pitchers of water.
Tip: A charcuterie board can be an excellent addition to any outdoor party.
Related: Great drinks for an outdoor party
DIY Lemonade Party
Serve lemonade in a big punch bowl or drink dispenser and have guests customize their drinks with flavored syrups.
Make sure you have plenty of cups, several flavored syrups, ice, and straws.
Set out casual and easy-to-play activities, such as simple-to-learn card games, checkers, or a croquet set that guests can enjoy while sipping their lemonades.
Note: Typical lemonade has one part sugar, one part lemon juice, and two parts water. For a lemonade party I recommend making an extra tart lemonade, using one part sugar, 2 parts lemon juice, and 4 parts water. This will prevent the lemonade from becoming overly sweet once guests add a flavored syrup or two.
Flavored Syrups:
Check out even more options on the Syrups page.
Backyard BBQ
A backyard BBQ is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and keep your guests fed and entertained.
To make things easier, turn it into more of a potluck. Ask guests to bring a side dish, salad, drink, or dessert while you provide the main dish, such as grilled chicken, steaks, or fish.
Disposable plates make for easy cleanup. And if you want to add some elegant touches, use outdoor plastic tumblers such as these: Better Homes & Garden Plastic Tumbler.
Are you feeling excited!?
Are you convinced to throw a backyard party?
Hopefully, you’re feeling like hosting a party outside is a good workaround for when you don’t want to clean but still want to have your friends over!
If you’re still feeling stuck or overwhelmed about how to make it happen, leave a comment or send me an email to share your reservations or concerns and let's see if we can work through them. I’m here to help!
Cheers!
Susan
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