Beat the Winter Blues with a Summer-Themed Party

I am against Christmas in July. With our overzealous retailers, Christmas advertising will begin in a month or so, anyway. We don't need to go dragging it into our summer months. Winter is long enough, and the summer season is too short. Summer is fun on its own, and needs no gimmicks or themes to jazz it up.

We do, however, need July in January. January is the lull after the holiday season ends, and we are faced with more months of snow and darkness. The Christmas cookies have by now gone to your hips, your lips are chapped, the needles from your holiday tree are ground into the carpet, and summer is far away.

Here's how to have a great July in January party:

Music

This is a great place to start. I'm a fan of reggae for my July in January parties, but you can use whatever makes you feel like it's summer.

Set the Mood

Put out beach towels for splashes of color. You can find a lot of great things at your local party store. Have a basket of leis at the door to give your guests as they arrive.

Attire

For a fun twist wear a hula skirts and a coconut bra over your long shirt and pants. Or crank up the heat and put on a bikini. Guests can be encouraged to wear Hawaiian shirts and flip flops.

Beverages

This is self-explanatory. You'll need your blender, little umbrellas, and fixin's for your favorite slushy drinks. A lot of fruits might not be in season, but you can buy them canned or frozen.

Fire Up the Grill

With a gas grill you can get away with sneaking outside to cook up some flame-broiled treats. Consider skewers with chunks of meat and vegetables. Use a teriyaki marinade and rubs to add flavor. The winter landscape may be dull but your summer food need not be. Put some tiki torches in the snow and thumb your nose at Old Man Winter.

Relax in the Pool

For some campy fun, put out a baby pool filled with some water. Scatter some beach balls around the room, put away your breakables, and let the summer fun begin.

A July in January party is a fun way to make winter a little less depressing. Stock up on supplies for your party during the summer when they are readily available. When Christmas in July rolls around, you can feel confident that your season-swapping soiree will be much more fun. Santa is no match for sangria!