Just about every city in the country celebrates the 4th of July in some fashion or not. Here in Albuquerque, New Mexico we celebrate in our neighborhood with a huge block party. It most definitely something the kids on the street look forward to all year. In fact, families regularly plan their vacations around the 4th just to be sure they are in town for the fun event. The street closes mid day in time for a fun water fight to start off the festivities. Later in the evening it’s one big potluck in the street. We use one house as the main headquarters of the party but otherwise it’s fun all up and down the street. At some point a parade forms and kids, neighbors, pets and sometimes people on stilts make it down the street for the parade, the parade goes up and down a few times then dissipates into just pure fun. Kids running around, parents enjoying watching their kids being entertained, neighbors catching up with each other and community being built one conversation at a time.

If you can’t have a party on your block be sure to just have a party. It can be easier than you think to prep for one. I share four tips for prepping for a outdoor party below.

1. Quick clean your patio. Grab your leaf blower and blow down the patio, any leaves or debris around. And if you’d like to go one step further, grab your broom and your hose and let’s get all those spider webs from all the nooks and crannies
2. Prep your table and chairs. Grab a cloth and wipe it all down with a little dish soap plus water. Or just spray it down with a hose. Pro Tip: While you have the hose out, spray down your pots, water features, sculptures, and outdoor rugs etc.
3. Good lighting really sets the mood in your yard. All it takes is a few candles, or overhead string lights. The lights by Feit are some of my favorite commercial grade lights. You can get them at your local Costco store or here.
4. Keep it simple. Make it a potluck and ask your friends to bring a side dish and something for the grill. You provide beverages like ice cold water and lemonade. Then set up a variety of condiments or fixings needed for the grilled items.