Just because you choose to live thrifty doesn’t mean you have to throw a thrifty picnic. Here at Simply Thrifty we looked at tips for an elegant and inexpensive potluck

At Declutter It you can read five tips to help you organize your summer BBQ. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch by Robust Cooking

Watermelon Raspberry Lemonade at All Holiday Cafe

Rice Krispie Treats at Keeping the Castle

Homemade Oreo Ice Cream at Chocolate Bytes

Cool Summer Snacking at Inside Motherhood

Pasta Salad at Thrifty Mommy

Baking Delights is bringing enough chocolate for everyone to catch a chocobuzz with her favorite brownies

Nothing like sweet tea on a hot, summer day…Wait..I taste lime..mint…is that a non-alcoholic Mojito? Kettle and Cup has the answer.

Blogfabulous is serving up a super easy, keep your butt out of the hot kitchen solution to Hors’ devours.

Weary Parent is serving Chocolate Puppy Chow, a snack that’s bound to be popular with the kids

Offbeat Homes is sharing details on how to hold an offbeat picnic in four easy steps.

Tree Hugging Family shares 10 tips for an easy green picnic or green potluck

10 Summer party ideas and themes for your next backyard barbecue, or potluck.

Add some backyard Olympic games to your next barbecue, in honor of the Summer Olympics

And speaking of games, Marriage Actually is bringing a fun game for the grownups. Life Stories – a fun way to find out more about your spouse, friends and extended family.

Cyndi won’t go anyplace to picnic unless she can grill, but she doesn’t want to spend all day doing it. Try her tips for Grilling Chicken Fast, and get a jumpstart on your next picnic!

Who says picnics have to be complicated affairs? Keep it simple with cheeses, meats and homemade bread. Brewha-ha.com has a few suggestions – including a recipe for Polish beer rye bread

Whether you’re having a picnic, a barbecue or just looking for a fun activity to do with your kids outside, Susan at PlayLibrary offers a list of 50 outdoor toys and games that are perfect for summer.

This time of year there are bugs everywhere, don’t forget to bring the bug repellent along with your favorite dish to your next cookout.

Christine at Mad Cropper not only shares her favourite winter or summer recipe but also shares that you can turn recipes into creative works of arts. Find out how!

And while you’re out having all the fun and good food you can handle, don’t forget your pets – they enjoy special summer treats too!

At Quilting and Patchwork enjoy an array of potluck foods and memories from the Food Bloggers.

You never know what medical emergency could happen while your are picnicking…Marye at Simply Home Remedies is bringing the antidote for nearly ANYTHING!

Eliza at Babylune provides a checklist of tips to consider when taking baby picnicking.

Finally, when it’s all said and done – perhaps you can kick back with a nice frozen beverage. MomGadget prefers the Dominican Coco Loco

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Potlucks are known as a thrifty alternative to other dinner parties, but rarely do the terms elegant (or cool), and potluck go together. Here are some inexpensive ways to liven up the typical potluck event.

Have a theme. Same old potluck = dull. Create a theme; like an around the world potluck, a fiesta, a Hawaiian potluck, or a nature based organic potluck. You’ll still only be called upon for a dish or two, but a theme will bring something creative to the table.

Have a nibbler potluck: Have people bring their best appetizers, deserts, and cocktail fixings. This is a more adult gathering than your typical casserole potluck event.

Make your decorations work double time: Create a neat centerpiece that can actually be devoured. Use fresh fruits or edible herbs. You can freeze tiny violets or lilacs in ice cubes for pretty drinks, or even create ice bowls to use for serving. Learn how to make an ice bowl.  Ice bowls are especially nice with fruit salad or sorbet inside. Other decoration ideas can be inexpensive summer paper fans as place markers, flowers from your garden, or a plain white paper tablecloth livened up with stamps.

Shiny drinks: If you have an old tin bucket – or can find some sort of tin bin at a thrift store, cover it in clear glue, and sprinkle on the glitter. Fill with ice, and use for holding cold drinks. This looks better at night, with say, torches shining light on it. If you do it well, it’ll look good during the day as well though.

Lighting: Pull out last year’s holiday lights and hang them up. It’s an inexpensive way to create a nicely lit evening potluck. If you don’t have any left over lights, snag some LED string lights. They’re not always cheap, but one, you can find great deals online, and two, the LED lights conserve energy and will last and last.

Another idea that does double duty – lighting plus keeping bugs away, are these bamboo citronella torches. They’re a great deal for a set of six, and would look really nice either on the beach as shown, or you could place them in sand, in pretty containers or big garden pot.

What other ways can you think of to liven up a potluck; maybe bring in some extra style? 

Post from: Thrifty Mommy