4th of July Entertaining: Balanced Babe style

snow cone bar

Happy 4th of July week!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday (and hopefully a long weekend to boot) filled with memories and time with friends and family, and moments of mindfulness to show gratitude for our freedom. This week, my fiance and I are celebrating our anniversary (and third trimester of pregnancy – eee!) so I’ll be spending my 4th picnicking, indulging in festive treats, lounging on rooftops and ending the evening watching fireworks by Navy Pier.

I’m not sure if it’s me being in “nesting” phase, or the fact that from now on I’ll be able to entertain my new family **oh em gee** for future 4th of July celebrations to come, but I’m on a major transition into enjoying home projects, entertaining guides and all sorts of…dare I say..homemaking topics lately?! If you knew me a year ago, you’d know that I was a true city girl spending my weekends at the newest restaurants and lounges with girlfriends, focusing on growing my business, and pretty much living peak single and no bun in the oven life.

Now that I’m happily starting a new chapter of my life, I get excitement from planning dinner parties, family gatherings and activities that I can enjoy with my fiance and soon to be here bubby boi! Oh how times can change in just a year. Even though I won’t be entertaining this 4th of July, I still get a kick out of getting ideas (for next year and the years to come I suppose).

So, here’s a roundup of decorating, entertaining, healthy food and all sorts of indulgent ideas to keep your 4th of July fun a beautiful balance of healthy and indulgent, Balanced Babe style!

4th of July Entertaining

DIY:

Growing up I was very artistic, taking art classes and making crafts. Since adulthood I feel like we get so wrapped up in the daily grind that our touch for creativity dwindles as time goes on, the less we nurture it. So this year I’m making a goal to take on some DIY projects for our home, bubby boi’s nursery, and every holiday to come. Here’s some awesome idea’s I’ve found for the 4th of July!

4th of july entertaining

Red white and blue napkin rings : These are incredibly easy to make and add an extra touch of festive decor to any table setting.

4th-of-July-Party-Poppers

4th of July party poppers: I’m pretty sure adults would become addicted to popping these off at night just as much as kids.

4th of july lights

Patriotic luminaries:  If we lived in a house, I’d love to decorate our front porch and front lawn with these luminaries. I suppose for now we can deck out our balcony with these!

4th of july decorations

Burlap flag banner:  This is the type of DIY project that you make once and can then reuse every single year. I love the rustic vibe of this burlap material.

4th of july garland

Star garland: And, if you’re not in the DIY mood, you can scoop up cute festive garland like this one from Etsy!

 

4th of July Food

Whenever I think of the 4th of July, I think of grilling out and enjoying beautiful weather. If you’ll be BBQing yourself, I created healthier 4th of July grilling recipes (even a healthy festive cake) that you can make just in time for the 4th! But of course, a party can’t be a party without some indulgence. Here’s a roundup of festive treats I found on some of my favorite blogs.

4th-of-July-Strawberries-Recipe-TheFrugalGirls.com_

Red white and blue dipped strawberries: I feel like I include some sort of dipped strawberry in almost every single holiday roundup that I create. I can’t help it that this healthier sweet treat is so dang easy to make and delicious!

snow cone bar

Snow cone bar:  I absolutely LOVE this snow cone bar idea. I haven’t had a snow cone since I was a child, so creating one of these for a summer party would bring back so much nostalgia for me, and you know any kids at the party would love it to (sans the booze of course).

red-white-blue-sangria-5

Red white and blue sangria:  You can’t have a party without booze! This sangria adds some extra patriotic flare to your meal, and you can feel balanced knowing you’re getting antioxidants from the fruit with every sip.

4th of july cake

Confetti cake:  I love confetti, and I love cake. Combine them and you have the perfect ending to a July 4th meal.

 

4th of July Ambiance

Last but not least, I had to add in some table settings because for those of our readers that are throwing their own bash at home, who wouldn’t want some ambiance inspiration?!

4th of july setting

Keep it minimalist: All you need are a few American flags and a few pitchers, and voila. Minimalist centerpiece.

Chinet-4thofJuly-Hero

Super themed:  For those of you that want to go all out with the red white and blue decor.

garden setting

Outdoor garden table setting:  Outdoor parties are complete with this floral chic table setting.

Do you have any other ideas for your 4th of July party? Share in the comments or tag us on Insta!

main photo source: sugarandcharm.com

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