4th of July tablescapes for the picnic table from my front yard, perfect for Independence Day! 

I hope you love the photos of our Fourth of July tablescape and seeing the many elements broken down simply.

Red, white, and blue patriotic accessories adorn this (mostly) child-friendly table setting with plastic dishes, including plates, chargers, and stemware.

This table was set up for a dessert-only meal late one night prior to the Fourth of July.  You can see that the only foods on the table are sugar-free fruit popsicles, bowls of red and blue M&Ms, and red and blue cupcakes!

The cupcake platter was our patriotic centerpiece for the 4th of July tablescape.  The middle cupcake has “USA” spelled out in red hot candies.  The poor cupcakes were starting to melt due to the heat, so the USA is sliding off of the side in the photo!

Here is one table setting (minus eating utensils, because we had finger foods only).

Some of the little pieces which went into this 4th of July holiday table setting are easy details that make a big splash:

• Decorative colored glass gems in mini dessert bowls.  These were also sprinkled across the tablecloth to reflect sunlight and add shimmer.

• Curled metallic ribbon, leftover from Christmas.  These small coils of ribbon were sprinkled on the table and also used to accent the napkins (which were gracefully folded by my daughter, London).

• Small square mirrors (available at craft stores) were placed under the popsicle bowls to add depth to the tablescape.

Our tablescape came together quite nicely, as the result of a whole-family team effort.  Happy 4th of July!

Love Independence Day?  Check out our 4th of July party menu with recipes and our 4th of July party house cleaning tips.

Find more beautiful tablescapes with Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Related Articles:

• Table Setting 101: How to Properly Set a Table
• Tablescapes: Budget Table Settings that Look Expensive
• Recipes: 4th of July Party Menu Texas Style
• How to Get the Lowest Prices on eBay for Tablescapes & Household Items
• How to Design Budget Tablescapes that Look Expensive

Housekeeping Heaven: 4th of July Holiday Housekeeping

While your family is boasting over 4th of July parades, bonfires and fireworks, you might be silently praying that they’ll all agree to go somewhere public rather than invite over your friends and family on the 4th.

Holiday housekeeping is at the top of the “most dreaded” list for most homemakers. In reality, holiday housekeeping is the easiest cleaning you’ll ever do because you don’t have to do all of it!

Let’s think about the holiday parties you’ve been invited to. Have you honestly ever gone through someone’s entire house (including closets and dresser drawers) and complained that it wasn’t spotless? Probably not. If you have children, have you ever walked into some other child’s bedroom and expected it to be neat and tidy? Definitely not.

Unless you have a friend or family member that has serious Mysophobia (fear of germs), you won’t have to worry about it either. Your friends and family are there to have fun – not rummage through your home wearing white gloves.

4 Tips for Fourth of July House Cleaning

1.  Start by making a list of the obvious high traffic areas that your guests will be viewing. Estimate how much time it  will take you to clean each area. This way, you will know if you should schedule an entire afternoon or the entire day prior to the party to get it done. Check things off your list as you complete tasks and you’ll feel that much better about all that there is to do.

2.  Delegate tasks. Your list won’t seem to overwhelming if others pitch in to help. Only delegate tasks to other household members if they are capable of doing that task in a timely manner. For example, do not delegate the task of cleaning mirrors to your daughter if she is easily distracted by her own reflection. This is housekeeping – not acting school.

3.  Think ahead. Plan the food menu days ahead so that you can get a head start on the cooking and baking. If a cookout is your thing, remember you can make pasta salads, cookies, pies, and more ahead of time (and reheat the day of if needed). This will save you time on party day.

Try to spread out your to do list as much as possible. You will drive yourself crazy if you try to do all of the cooking and cleaning the day of the party. If you plan on polishing silverware or need to put the leaf in the table, these are tasks that can be done prior to cleaning day.

4.  Keep it simple. I know some holiday parties are going to require more detail than others, but stick to the norm as much as possible. In other words, don’t bother digging out the fine china and family heirloom silverware when you host a backyard barbeque. Don’t worry about cleaning your teenager’s bedroom when you plan to host the party in the living and kitchen areas. Close all of the doors to the rooms you will not be using during the party.

However, do put a sign on the bathroom door to make it easier for your guests to find it when you direct them down the hallway to do their business. Don’t bother cleaning rooms that you don’t plan to use during the party – unless you have the time and just want to. This is about having fun! You won’t have any fun at all if you wear yourself out beforehand.

Enjoy yourself and your guests will enjoy your 4th of July party.

Next week, check out Housekeeping Heaven for “How to Clean Your Garage”. Make sure you don’t miss any of Courtney’s housekeeping and cleaning posts by getting our free updates now! Learn more about how to subscribe.

Get more helpful tips at Works for Me Wednesday.  Photo by stock.xchng.

Related Articles:

• Recipes: 4th of July Party Menu Texas Style
• 4th of July Tablescapes- Red White & Blue Picnic Table
• Watercooler: Michael Jackson Tribute & 4th of July
• How to Clean Your Garage
• How To Clean A Rug

Nessa is a full time wife and mother of two. She loves stirring up new creations in her country kitchen. Catch her on Twitter @Nessa_TX or check out her blog Ramblings of a Texas Housewife.

The 4th of July is a big event around here! It is the perfect time to have a big get together with family and friends, enjoy some great food, and celebrate our freedom. I wanted to share with you what we will be serving at our big 4th of July party this year. You might want to give some of these yummy recipes a try!

Appetizers

Last Call Jalapenos – These are my personal favorite snack! I look forward to these whenever we cook out. Be sure to wear food prep gloves when working with the jalapenos.

Side Dishes

Pinto Beans – This recipe makes the best pinto beans I’ve ever tasted.

Main Course

Bar-B-Q Chicken

Dessert

This is my menu plan for the 4th of July. They are all tried and true favorites that my family really enjoys. I hope your family enjoys them as well! Have a happy and safe holiday!

Stay tuned next Monday for In the Kitchen with Nessa.  Make sure you subscribe to our free updates so you don’t miss any of her great kitchen how to articles and recipes!

Find more cooking articles at Kitchen Tip Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, and Homemaker Mondays.

Related Articles:

• 4th of July Tablescapes- Red White & Blue Picnic Table
• 4th of July Holiday Housekeeping
• Watercooler: Michael Jackson Tribute & 4th of July
• Menu Plan: Cook on the Grill BBQ Recipes
• How to Have a Backyard BBQ on the Cheap