Organize the perfect summer barbecue!

Serve up a backyard barbecue with your family this summer and enjoy the warmer summer weather! By planning and preparing ahead, you can spend time with your loved ones and experience a stressed-free meal.

What to Make

The best summer barbecue recipes are ones that use common ingredients found in your kitchen and can be made in advance so you can spend more time with your loved ones.

When it comes to making a refreshing beverage, try this Make-Ahead Summer Punch from Brit + Co for an easy to put together pitcher of drinks. No need to individually assemble! For a summer-inspired non-alcoholic option, try The Busy Baker’s recipe for Sparkling Mojito Lemonade made with healthy ingredients. The ingredients for this recipe can be made ahead of time for a quick mix together when the meal is about to begin.

Having a simple but delicious appetizer is a must to keep you and your family satisfied while you’re all waiting for the grill to heat up. This Tuscan White Bean Bruschetta from Whatcha Cooking Good Looking can easily be made a day or two before your barbecue and stored in the refrigerator. Pair it with fresh bed from a local bakery – to stay safe and make sure you don’t run out the day of, place an order online or over the phone ahead of time so it can quickly be picked up before supper.

 A side dish is a must – whether you go with simple grilled vegetables or a salad, make sure you find a recipe that doesn’t take up too much time and can also be made the day before or earlier that morning to cut down time spent in the kitchen before and during the meal. Recipes like this Mediterranean Pasta Salad from Becky’s Best Bites can be prepped and put together well in advance so all you need to do is place it on the table before eating!

Whatever you’re cooking on the barbecue will be the main event of the evening – so make sure you choose something that is not only tasty but doesn’t take you hours to put together! Consider grilling up a recipe like these Prize-Winning Baby Back Ribs from Allrecipes. With an easy-to-put together rub that doesn’t need to marinade or sit for hours ahead of time, this can easily be mixed together the morning of so it’s ready to rub on the ribs with some barbecue sauce right before grilling.

For the grand finale, serve up a dessert that is perfect for a warm summer evening! This Rasperry Summer Sensation Dessert from Food needs time to freeze and put together, but you’ll be happy it is done and ready to eat when you need it!

What to Prepare

Besides the meal itself, there are still a few other items you’ll want to make sure you have ready to use before the barbecue. Don’t forget to take some time before the meal to wipe down outdoor furniture and make sure other drinks are stored in a cooler or the fridge. With mosquitos flying around, it’s important to make sure you have plenty of bug spray and other equipment like Off Lanterns or candles to keep them from disrupting your meal. Umbrellas to block out intense sun rays are also helpful and consider bringing out a lawn game or frisbee to play together after the meal is over.

Organize your yard for outdoor entertaining

Social distance outdoors with a smile! By organizing your backyard right, you can safely enjoy the warm summer weather from the comfort of your own yard.

After you’ve cleared clutter from your yard, it’s important to plan a functional space that stays organized and allows you to enjoy the great outdoors. Especially at a time when social distancing is essential, you can create a space that also allows for safe entertaining.

Having designated sitting and play areas can increase the usability of your yard and maintain organization because each space has a purpose and its own storage solutions. This way, each member of your family can also enjoy the yard without getting in the way or having to move items around before use.

Organization is much more than just a one-time project. Setting up the right space in your backyard can help you make sure it stays that way. An important part of any outdoor space is seating. Set-up a space that is large enough to accommodate whatever furniture you have, whether it’s a lounge set or outdoor table. Having extra room for additional seating if needed is also a good idea. Make sure that enough space can between the seats so people can maintain proper distance if necessary. 

Storage solutions, whether it is an ottoman and/or shelving unit, should also be placed practically in this area and easy to access when items need to be put away. Seat covers, cushions, and other entertaining items need to have a safe and weather-protected place to be stored when they aren’t in use, and it is more functional to have a dedicated storage place close to where they are used.

While backyard sports and activities can take place throughout a yard, make sure that your storage space for toys and other gardening tools is close enough to access but out of the way enough that it doesn’t get in the way when the backyard is in use. The shed or storage cabinet should be easy for everyone in your family to access so toys and other equipment can be stored easily after they’re used.

 During the summer, make sure you enjoy your time outside by setting up a functional backyard that everyone in your family can use!

Lending a Helping Hand

A few months ago, Calm Order received a call from MKL Design Studios – one of their clients was in the middle of moving into a new home when a member of their family had a health emergency.

The clients were in the middle of two homes, with some of their belongings already in their new home, but the majority of their items still in their current home. Moving became a low priority in the midst of visiting the hospital and caring for their loved one.

When Calm Order received the news, Karen and her team jumped at the chance of giving a helping hand. Within a couple of hours of getting the call, Calm Order had assembled a team of organizers and movers, all willing to donate their time for free to help out the family. They also booked a time to start the moving and unpacking process to take place in the next couple of days and got to work with the preparations needed. This included doing a quick survey of the current and new home to develop a plan of action. In this time, Calm Order was also able to connect with the client to get a full picture of their move, lifestyle, and new home to develop the best organization plan for unpacking in their new home.

On the day of the move, the team started working at 9:00 a.m. including the owner of MKL Design Studios, her daughters, and a team from Get A Move On, which donated all the boxes and packing materials the team used throughout the move. Over 18 people in total came to help – and as Karen described, it was a true sense of the community coming together to help a fellow neighbour in their time of need.

The first step was to clear out the larger items that didn’t require packing, like larger furniture and appliances. The moving team got started on loading those items up and taking them to the new house, while the organizing team started to pack boxes with smaller household items. The first rooms the team focused on were the kitchen and the bedrooms, as these homes require the most time to unpack and organize. They’re also the most used and needed to be ready for the homeowners to use at the end of the day.

From here, part of the organizing team moved on to the new house to focus on unpacking while the rest of the team continued to pack up the rest of the house and the garage. In a matter of hours, the small but determined team had everything in the former house packed, moved, and unpacked to an organized state in the new house. The client was able to spend the morning and afternoon visiting their family member at the hospital and return to a finished house at the end of the day.

For everyone involved in the project, it was a pleasure to be able to help a fellow community member out. Moving can be a stressful process at the best of times but is the last thing on anyone’s mind when an emergency occurs. Calm Order and the rest of the team were happy to be able to help this individual and their family get unpacked in a new and organized home!