One of our family’s favorite holidays of the year is almost here! This year is definitely looking far from normal-there’ll be no celebrating with parades or large gatherings like we normally do, and it’s clear that our country is far from perfect right now. This is a great time to think about how we can all help to make our country or our communities a better place to be-we just donated to our local Meals on Wheels.

It’s also still important to us to celebrate the Fourth of July with our families and to honor the good things about our country and to create special memories from this time. The good news is that this day is so much about the simple pleasures-spending time with family, cooking outdoors, and music. We decided to create a simple menu and festive table setting that would make it a special night for our family-add some music, margaritas, and red, white and blue outfits and it’s an instant party!

Setting the Table:

We love decorating in blue and white, so we were able to pull together this table from things we already owned. The tablecloths are actually one of my favorite party decorating tips. I have a bunch of inexpensive white tablecloths from Amazon that I use as a base layer and are practically indestructible. Then I bought seersucker fabric by the yard and layered that on top to add some summer vibes and a touch of blue. You can hem the fabric if you want (my mom does and it looks finished and nice), but I’m lazy, so I just leave the hem raw for a more casual look. You can wash these and use them again and again and both layers cost around ten dollars each.

To finish the table, we cut some hydrangeas from my yard (you can buy them inexpensively at Trader Joe’s if you don’t have your own) and put them in low glass vases. Hydrangeas are my favorite summer flower and I can never get enough of them. Then we used some raffia placemats, an assortment of red, white and blue floral napkins, and some lanterns and votives. We put some silly patriotic headbands from the grocery store on the plates to add some patriotic flair. It’s also so festive to add flags to the flower arrangements, and you could buy those or make them out of construction paper and a straw or skewer.

Menu Inspiration:

The food for summer parties should be easy, especially for the Fourth when picnic style food is practically required. I usually try to talk Chad into grilling steak or burgers and hot dogs. Then I’ll make a few salads that can be done ahead, like my favorite Barefoot Contessa Corn Salad and her Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad (I skip the olives in this recipe). I’m also really into this tomato, cucumber and avocado salad that I found on Camille Styles and have been making it every chance I get.

For dessert, which is of course the part the kids look forward to the most, we usually cut up some watermelon and toss it with honey, lime and mint and then make a classic flag cake, or we do a berry crumble with blueberries, strawberries and vanilla ice cream on the side. This year, the kids are begging me to make patriotic ice cream sandwiches, which I do by making chocolate chip cookies and then spreading vanilla ice cream in between them and rolling the melty ice cream edges in patriotic sprinkles.

For drinks, this is the perfect time to try one of our favorite margarita recipes or to break out the rose, along with seltzer and lemonade for the kids.

Finishing Touches:

For entertainment, we love a big Jenga game or cornhole! A sprinkler or slip-n-slide is also always a winner for outdoor summer fun. Add in some red, white and blue outfits and some inexpensive headbands, necklaces or temporary tattoo’s to complete your look. We created a Fourth of July playlist on Spotify or you can make your own. Then all you need are some sparklers or little fireworks and you’re ready to celebrate!