10 Summer Party Ideas

Summer is my absolute favourite time of year. I just love all aspects of it, hot weather, barbecues, beer gardens and road trips. But most of all I love spending time with my friends and family, and I've come up with a few fun things I want to do this year and I thought I'd share some of them with you.

• Decorate biscuits! This is ideal for a small group, and you can either buy the biscuits yourself or make them if you're feeling fancy. My boyfriend and I recently did this together and it was so much fun, the results may have been a bit wonky but they still looked cute.

• Make cocktails. If everyone brings the ingredients for a different cocktail then it isn't too expensive and you still have a lot of fun new drinks to try! The more you have the more challenging they are to make too ;).

• Have a Mexican themed do. There's no better weather for enjoying a buffet of fajitas and nachos while rocking a sombrero and maybe even a fake moustache. Also, how much fun are piñatas and tequila??

• Have a pool party. No pool? No problem. Just fill a paddling pool with warm water and it'll be almost as much fun as a real one! Just be sure the dog doesn't get it's teeth stuck into it...

• Have a fancy tea party. I know not everyone will enjoy this, but I love dressing up and sipping coffee while I scoff my face with tiny cakes and sandwiches. It's so lovely, especially if it's sunny and you can sit outside and soak it up!

• Have Tapas! Get everyone to bring a different dish, and everyone can pick and choose which ones they want. Kind of like a buffet but more fun. (I highly recommend tomato bread or cheese croquettes).

• D.I.Y. Pizzas. Lay out the ingredients, hire a pizza oven and let your guests feed themselves! This is especially good if you have fussy eaters or people with allergies in attendance. Just make sure you have plenty of toppings!

• Have a henna session. If your guests are brave enough that is! Lay out templates and some drinks and make sure you only draw on areas that can be covered easily at work. Have fun but be practical!

• Have a book club. This may not be great for a wild summer party but it can still be fun, especially if you're a book worm like me. 

Whatever your style, I hope that some of these ideas have inspired you for this summer! Whatever you do, I hope you have a wonderful time :)

10 Date Ideas

I love going on dates, but since I have been at uni both James and I don't really have the money to go on as many as we'd like to. This has meant that we have come up with cheaper ways to spend time together, and save money for the occasional fancier outing. Here are some ideas for dates based on some of our favourites.

• Short road trips. Just take a day out to drive somewhere you haven't been before, or somewhere that means a lot to you and go there. You can spend no money at all, or lots of money depending on what you do or where you go. My favourite was when James took me to Bourton-on-the-water and we had a picnic and spent some time wandering around the beautiful little town before heading to the bird zoo. I just love spending time with him, and even the car journey is a great opportunity to listen to music and just enjoy each other's company.

• Long road trips. If you have more time, this is a great thing to do. Spend a couple of nights in a hotel, either in one place or travelling around. Maybe on a city break, or maybe to the beach? I can't wait to do this with James this summer!

• Go for tapas! Or if you can't afford to, make your own! We fell in love with tapas when we were in Barcelona, as they are delicious and the process of sharing the dishes means we actually chat rather than just wolfing down our food in silence. Tomato bread and nachos were particular favourites of mine, and I know my parents enjoyed a wide range of fish dishes when they first tried them.

• Go for a picnic. I know this is a classic but it's just so romantic and lovely in summer. You can choose from any beautiful location, and if the sun is out it is just wonderful. You can spend as much or as little as you like on food as well, from champagne and strawberries to sandwiches made from scraps you had at home it'll be great fun all the same.

• Ice skating! Another classic. But so so fun, and not too expensive. James and I have been twice and he's much better at it than I am (but don't tell him he'll get a big head!). I really love going and when he's not busy speeding away from me, he'll sometimes hold my hand which is lovely and romantic too.

• Go on a cultural visit. I'm currently doing a degree in history so this is probably more fun for me than it is for a normal person but I don't care! That being said, James loves going to museums and sight seeing when we're on holiday together, and he doesn't complain when I make him go to castles and ruins close to home either. It's just something interesting to do and twice as fun when you're with a person you love.

• Do a sport together. This can be anything from going on a run together, to rock climbing, to swimming, to trampolining. Just make sure you only do it to a level you're BOTH comfortable with otherwise it'll be no fun.

• Do something you would have enjoyed as a child, and still enjoy now. For me this is things like going to the zoo or safari park or an aquarium, but for you it may be going to a theme park or something like that. You could even do something like Go Ape which is essentially a grown up's playground! I love it so much, and it makes me feel like a little kid again.

• Do a craft together. James and I love to bake together, especially around Christmas time when we can make gingerbread and Christmas cookies and cakes. We also like to do jigsaws together, even if it does get a little competitive sometimes.... I know my uncle and his wife have done lots of things like this, including pottery, cheese making, basket weaving and bee keeping! It's really up to you how much you want to spend, and what you think you'll enjoy doing. It may be a good opportunity to try something new.

• Go for cocktails! This gives you an opportunity to dress up all fancy without having to spend loads and loads of money. If you only go for one, you can spend less than £10 (or in some places less than £5 even). They're delicious and great fun and just a perfect quick and cheap, yet classy date.