The long weekend typically marks the end of summer, in terms of attitude if not in temperature. Here in the Coachella Valley we can expect another month and a half of summertime temps.
But no matter where you live in the US, Labor Day signals back to school and back to work. Are you ready to make the most of it?
Party on
Grilling?
Don’t let anyone go home with an upset stomach… or minus some skin from a flame!
Only grill outside, and make sure your grill is on a flat, level surface. Check for any leaks before you fire it up (literally!)
If there’s a fire, someone needs to keep an eye on it. It’s also a good idea to have a spray bottle handy, so you can douse smaller flames that can occur when the fat drips into the grill. Also, just in case, have a fire extinguisher nearby too.
Keep your food for grilling separate from your other tasty treats, and keep meat refrigerated. Just like your parents told you (and you’ve told your kids) – wash your hands! Before and after grilling. Don’t let the yummy juices touch any other surfaces or utensils, or even other food. A food thermometer will tell you if you’ve reached the right temperature, and then you don’t have to worry about overcooking your food either.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your grills.
Watching fireworks?
If you’ve got community fireworks, the best way to enjoy them is probably to pull up a chair and enjoy them from afar.
Want to blast off your own (assuming you live in a place where it’s legal)? Take it one item at a time, always outside, and with plenty of space around it. Think social distancing from your fireworks too.
Pets don’t love the noise that fireworks make. Remember their hearing is much better than ours, so those fireworks are VERY loud to them. If you let them run around outside for the party, let them run around inside when you get to the explosions.
Planning on some adult beverages?
Have non-alcoholic drinks available as well. Water, soft drinks, or even mocktails. Stop serving booze about an hour and a half before you expect people to leave. This gives people time to sober up before getting back on the road.
Speaking of which, don’t let people who are obviously unfit to drive behind the wheel of a car! If ridesharing services like Uber or Lyft haven’t made it to your town yet, have the number for the taxi service available.
You might consider hiring a bartender. They’ll ensure they’re not overserving anyone. If you have heavy drinkers, mix the drinks yourself.
Summer parties are all about the food. It doesn’t have to be fancy, and for summer parties, the messier the better. Get out your fun seasonal napkins!
Saving backs?
Is your catering staff standing around with their hands to their backs, wincing and flinching? Does your back hurt because you have to bend over too far to pour drinks for your guests?
If you’ve got a folding table, you can lift it up to either kitchen counter height or bar height, in many cases. Then you and your helpers can get drinks without strain.
Make sure that there are plenty of places to sit down too. Chairs help support everyone’s backs while they’re checking out the fireworks or eating some great grilled food.
It’s a festive occasion, so make sure everyone is having a good time, no back pain or neck strain!
Taking it to the pool?
Drowning accidents are unfortunately all too common when it comes to summer. It doesn’t matter how shallow the pool is, and taking your eyes off them for just a few seconds can lead to a catastrophe.
Have someone, preferably an adult, in charge of the pool while the kids are in and near it. You can rotate this task to make sure everyone has time for a good time at the party, but always make sure that someone responsible is there and watching.
Dealing with the late-summer heat
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
Even if you don’t feel thirsty, you still need to drink. Water goes fast in hot weather. Don’t like it warm? Toss in some ice cubes. Don’t like it cold? 86 the cubes.
Add (sugar-free) flavorings like fruit infusions to improve the taste if you need to. And get your own fun BPA- free bottle – plastic bottles are wasteful and destroying the things you love like the oceans.
Wear loose, lightweight clothing and a hat
Keep the sun off your face and off your skin. Tight clothing will heat you up, as will heavy clothing. Stay away from heavyweight denim. Long sleeves, surprisingly, are often better than short sleeves because they help protect your skin from the sun.
Keep the car a/c running if you’ve got people or pets in it
The interior of a car heats up FAST, and leaving a window cracked doesn’t help. If you need to run errands and kids or pets can’t come in with you, leave them at home instead.
Check your backseat when you leave the car to make sure that you don’t accidentally leave a sleeping child behind.
Stay in the air conditioning as much as you can
Sometimes you need to be out and about, but head for the a/c when possible. Shopping centers, libraries, and community centers are usually cooled.
Avoid going hard in the heat
Many of us like to exercise outdoors, but summer in the middle of the day is not the best time. Get up early or stay out late to take advantage of cooler temps.
Other Labor Day fun
Park-n-play
What’s going on at your local park? There might be something special for the long weekend, but if not, it’s worth taking a walk. Kids can identify animals and plants, or run around like maniacs making up their own games.
If you enjoy it, you can bring a frisbee or football or soccer ball (or baseball or softball or beach ball) with you for some impromptu games.
If not, that’s OK too. Just being outside in nature is a known stress reliever.
Walk or fun run
No worries about coming in first, because these “races” are designed for the whole family to enjoy. If you have very small kids, you can often bring your stroller and walk or run with it. Some of them invite you to wear costumes, which can be especially fun for kids, and may provide some goodies at the end.
Go exploring: make your own obstacle course or scavenger hunt
You and the kids can design and build an obstacle course in your backyard for your own personal use. You can also design a scavenger hunt, which is great at the park too. Kids often love collecting, and they can take or draw pictures of the objects that they find.
Play a game
Tag and capture the flag are good, in addition to things like flag football or soccer or other sports. Remember this is about fun, so don’t worry too much if your kids aren’t all that coordinated. Just get them (and you) moving in a fun way.
Indoor fun
If the weather’s bad or for some reason you can’t get outside, you can try an indoor adventure. See if there’s a rock-climbing wall near you, or laser-tag or other fun things to do indoors.
Younger kids should probably avoid paintball! Just make sure that wherever you’re doing is age appropriate.
Standing behind a folding table for any of your Labor Day activities? Folding table risers lift up the surface to save your back! See the full product line (yes, including the tall people among us!) at our online store.
Lift Your TableⓇ… SAVE YOUR BACK!
