Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day to everyone! Aside from being the last day of summer – and the end of the world in the eyes of many school children – it’s a great day to take some time and look at what you have accomplished over the course of the summer. Show it off to the world – throw a Labor Day picnic that everyone will enjoy!

The Labor Day Menu

There are plenty of menus to choose from for a nice Labor Day cookout – website like Delish can give you ideas for extensive, creative menus. But let’s face it, you don’t need to go fancy, you only need a few staples-

• Hot dogs, hamburgers, and sausages
• Rolls, of course
• Barbeque chicken
• Chips and dip
• Vegetable tray
• Mixed salads, like macaroni and potato salads
• Condiments

If you think it sounds too ordinary, well, there’s a reason why that is the classic Labor Day picnic spread that has been laid out for years. Easy to put together ahead of time, caters to everyone’s tastes, and lets you spend more time with your guests instead of cooking and cleaning up.

Drinks and Deserts

Of course, it’s not just about the appetizers, meats, and salads – although for many of those, that’s what makes the picnic meal. You’ll drinks can keep the party going late into the night, while the kids – and the adults who still have their inner child – will enjoy something sweet.

• Popsicles – who doesn’t like a Rocket Pop?
• A peach or blackberry crisp to celebrate the fruits of summer.
• Cut-up fruits with dips, such as sweet cream cheese, peanut butter, or caramel.
• Some good craft beer – pick a local company and support your neighbors
• Combine drinks and sweets with Apple Pie Moonshine. It’s not really moonshine, but a sweet and smooth mixed drink.

Games, Games, Games!

Your guests will want some entertainment during the Labor Day picnic,and lawn games are always fun. If you’ve spent the summer meticulously maintaining your lawn and don’t want to carve out traditional horseshoe pits in your sod, or pound volleyball nets into the soil, consider the following lawn-friendly games:

• Build your own Cornhole set, following the directions found here. You can paint it in whatever team colors, designs, or with whatever logos you like. Same goes for the beanbags – go ahead and make a Cubs set, a Bears set, whatever you like.
• Kubb, also known as Viking Chess, has become quite popular recently, and you can find sets at places like Target.
• Washers is a lot like horseshoes, but without the lawn damage – or the possibility of a heavy piece of metal taking a bad bounce through a window.
• Break out a deck of cards for some poker, pinochle, hearts, or other card games – drinking games are always fun too, just don’t drink and drive.

So make your Labor Day Picnic a blast… and speaking of blasts, leave the fireworks to the professionals. Instead of taking the chance of blowing a hole in your yard, sit back and watch the local spectacular and let them deal with the clean-up afterwards. Less headaches for you. Have a great day!