Entertaining Outside In the Colder Months

With the holidays approaching and the ongoing pandemic, families and friends might still want to gather outside and that gets harder as the months get colder. What can you do if you are hosting?

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First do an anonymous survey to see how many would be comfortable meeting inside and outside. If the vote is split or leans heavily for outside, don't let the cold deter your gathering.

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If you have outdoor heaters, put them out. If not, check your local hardware stores for options. There are table top and floor options (make sure if there are going to be small children present you take that into account). There are a lot of price choices as well. Another option for heaters is to "go in" with friends or family and the heaters then can travel to the next person's house.

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Once the outdoor heater situation is done, plan for a couple of more things: 1. throws. Layer throws on outdoor chairs or have in a box outside so that people who want a throw can grab one. You can purchase low cost throws at Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx and again, you can "go in" with others to defer costs. The last thing you can do is set up a coffee/hot chocolate/warm adult beverage bar using color coded thermos. This can include hot chocolate toppings and stir sticks for hot adult beverages. 

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You don't have to stop entertaining just because it is colder outside, you just have to plan a little better and depending on your budget and how much you would use outside items, share the costs.

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