Need a Refill?

Tequila? Check. Margarita mix? Check. Blender? Check. Salt for the glasses? Check. Shot glass? Um, where is that thing? Don’t let this happen to you! Friends are anxiously awaiting their drinks and you are without shot glasses. Or maybe those friends are anxiously standing by the keg while you open and slam kitchen cabinets trying to locate beer mugs. Friends don’t let friends stand by aimlessly while looking for the proper drinkware. With summer here, get yourself and your tiki bar ready with an assortment of products that will make any bartender smile. Opt for fun bar products like the 1.5 ounce blinking shot glass, 12 ounce margarita glasses, the wine petal set, and cool gel glow ice cubes. Sure, you have to make sure your bar is well-stocked with the beverage goodies, but it doesn’t help to only have the mixer ingredients and none of the necessary tools. Don’t be caught in this embarrassing situation. Be prepared ahead of time and friends won’t ever be without a drink in hand!

Pack It Up or Pack It In

Chances are you have a trip (or five!) planned for this summer. Heading to the beach? Hopping on a plane to visit relatives? Gassing up the car to take a long drive to visit ballparks or museums out of state? Wherever you go and whatever you do, make sure you’ve packed the essentials for that long trip If you are packing the car, you’ll need bottled water, lots of snacks to keep the kids happy, sunscreen and bug spray, and your trusty GPS. Air travel can be a little trickier since there are requirements that you must follow. Just don’t forget the things that are essential for your various getaways. Plan ahead and make a list of necessities so that you can check them off as you gather the items. Also, pack a day or two before you leave so that you don’t forget any of the basics. And to make your life easier, here are a few things you shouldn’t leave home without:

· Deluxe travel toothbrush kit
· Air safe toiletry kit
· Kids ID tags
· Patterned luggage spotters
· Compact mending kit

Get Out and Play!

School’s out. The kids are home. The economy has left a lot of people with fewer dollars in their pockets so more children are home this season unlike other summers when they headed off to camp. If you are looking for inexpensive yet fun things to do with your kids, think outside the box. Head to a local farm and pick your own produce – your youngsters will learn where their food comes from while spending a day getting down and dirty. Take the troop to see a second-run movie at your local theater. Play in the sprinkler. Have an evening picnic in your backyard. Bake a homemade chocolate cake. Camp out under the stars on your deck. Create a scavenger hunt of sorts complete with a treasure map and clues. Then, let your kid dig for buried treasure with a box filled with some simple toys like: nutty putty, light up yoyos, 2 inch juggle balls in a bag, bubbles, 3 inch silver sparkle spring, puzzle magic cube, magic answer ball, and flyers. And once that treasure trove is found, have a seat on the grass and blow bubbles together or ask teach each other how to juggle. The economy might be poor, but you will soon discover how very rich you truly are.

Keep Your First Aid Kit Handy

Ever stand there in your kitchen chopping onions for dinner when you suddenly slice your finger and not that slippery vegetable? Or how about when you finally get those perfectly diced onions into the frying pan only to spray yourself with hot grease? It is a trial and tribulation of being a cook. Spend too much time in your kitchen and sooner or later you will find yourself the victim of some horrible culinary injury. Then, you search high and low for some ointment and a bandage only to discover that those well chopped onions have burned in the greasy pan while you were off on a scavenger hunt of sorts. Instead of setting yourself up for wound care disaster, be prepared with an express first aid kit within easy reach – like one of your kitchen cabinets. It’s easy for you to find when you’ve injured yourself in the kitchen and also centrally located for when one of your kids returns from the outside with a scraped knee. Oh, and after you have cleaned your cut finger with an alcohol swab and bandaged it nicely, do yourself a favor. Forget reaching for the knife again. Pick up the phone and order out for a pizza instead.

Get the Kitchen Organized for the Party Season

Summertime means lots of get-togethers with friends and family members. Whether it’s a weekend barbecue with your friends from the neighborhood, an impromptu weeknight dinner outdoors on the patio, or a big shindig complete with 100 of your closest relatives, summer is the season for entertaining. Make your parties and soirees simple – ask every guest to bring a favorite appetizer or dessert, set up a buffet on a large kitchen island or on the dining room table so that each person can help himself to goodies when a case of the munchies hit, and choose easy menus so that you aren’t spending most of your time watching the pots on the stove and missing out on schmoozing with attendees. Keep your kitchen well-stocked with the items that will simplify your parties and not make you go diving into drawers. Here’s a quick list of stuff to keep on hand:

· House jar opener
· Icon beverage wrench
· Two tone coasters
· Supreme pie and dessert saver
· Deep-tone beverage napkins
· Elite wine stopper
· Ice cream scoop
· Pizza cutter

There. Now, your kitchen is officially ready for summer! Get partying, people!