Summer is a great time to host friends and family in your apartment. However, summer parties in an apartment community can present some challenges, especially if you are planning a pool party. Let's explore some tips and tricks for hosting during the summer to make sure all of your guests have a terrific (and safe!) time.
Keep Your Guests Cool and Comfortable
One of the biggest challenges of hosting during the summer is the hot weather. To make sure your guests are comfortable, make sure that your apartment is well ventilated and that you have plenty of fans or air conditioning. If you don't have central air conditioning, you can open windows and doors to create a cross-breeze or provide your guests with handheld fans, misting fans, or even small fans they can plug into the bottom of their phone. Remember: even if your apartment is typically comfortable, when you have multiple guests the temperature will climb quickly, so keep your apartment about five degrees cooler than your normal setting.
Another way to keep your guests cool is to offer them chilled towels or ice packs to help them cool down. You can also provide plenty of shade by setting up umbrellas or a canopy along with a fan on your balcony or patio.
Serve Refreshing Mocktails
Summer is the perfect time to experiment with fun, new mocktail recipes. Mocktails are non-alcoholic drinks that are perfect for hot summer days, and they're just as tasty as their alcoholic counterparts. Some great mocktail ideas include a fruity mango margarita or a citrusy lemon-lime cooler.
To make a mango margarita, you'll need some non-alcoholic margarita mix, mango juice, a mango, and a lime. Start by placing some glasses in a freezer overnight. The next day, gather all your supplies including your chilled glasses, ice, salt to rim the glasses, and a cocktail shaker. Start by rimming each of the glasses with salt and placing ice in each glass. Next fill the cocktail shaker with margarita mix and mango juice and give it a good shake. Once you've shaken all your mocktails, pour them into a glass and garnish with a slice of mango and lime.
To make a citrusy lemon-lime cooler, you'll need some lime seltzer, some lemonade, a lime, and a lemon. Start by placing ice cubes in each glass and fill each glass with half lime seltzer and half lemonade. Then mix each drink and garnish each glass with a lemon and lime wedge.
Along with your fun, fruity cocktails, make sure you have plenty of water to keep all of your guests hydrated in the summer heat.
Follow Pool Etiquette and Community Rules
Before inviting guests to the community pool, you'll want to check with your leasing office for any requirements or restrictions. There may be a limit to how many guests you can have, or certain things, like alcohol, might be prohibited. Be mindful of quiet hours, as well, if your party will be in the evening. The pool may close at a certain time, so plan your get-together accordingly.
To ensure safety, make sure that all of your guests follow the pool rules, such as not running or diving in the pool, and not playing loud music or making excessive noise. You should also not have glass cups by the pool since they could easily break. If you would still like beverages by the pool, consider plastic cups for mocktails and plastic water bottles.
Be considerate of other residents who may be using the pool. Remember: this is a community space so others might be using the pool at the same time as your get-together. If you schedule your party during a time when the pool is crowded, limit how long you and your guests are in the pool to make sure all residents at the pool have time to use it.
Another important aspect of pool etiquette is hygiene. Be sure to shower off before getting in the pool and avoid getting in the pool if you or your guests have any open cuts or wounds. If young children will be in attendance, make sure they use the restroom before getting into the pool to avoid accidents.
Hosting during the summer can be a fun and enjoyable experience if you take the time to plan ahead. By keeping your guests cool and comfortable, serving refreshing mocktails, and using some basic pool etiquette, you can create a fun summertime memory for everyone involved.
Happy Summer, Renters! <3
