Shake off that gloomy end-of-summer feeling! The season may be coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop now. Labour Day weekend is THE time to plan a barbecue! If you’re not travelling or attending an event yourself, this is your opportunity to take advantage of the last warm weekends, and put on a great cookout for friends and family.

Before you get busy in the kitchen, there are a few tips we thought were important to keep in mind while planning your outdoor cookout. With these useful pointers, your outdoor ambiance will be just as pleasant as you plan it to be!

Create a critter-free space:

Protect your friends and family from unwanted guests by setting up bug-repellent candles. They can even double as décor accents if you add the right touch! Find some cute candle holders here.

Break out the outdoor entertainment:

One of the perks of hosting an outdoor event is that the food and fun can all be in one space! Put out a beach ball or set up a table for some games to help bring the party level up a notch. You can check out our tabletop games here.

Keep it cool:

We’ve been saying it, and we’ll say it again—it’s still summer. That means the sun and the heat will (hopefully) be just as strong as ever! Give guests options for cooling off, whether it be sitting under trees or an umbrella, playing in the pool, running through a sprinkler, or enjoying a refreshing drink (you can find some delicious summer cocktail drinks here).

Impress your guests, but don’t blow them away:

Wind can often cause havoc at an outdoor event. You can use decorative accents or vases with flowers to weigh down napkins and tablecloths so they don’t get taken by the wind!

Create a fun vibe → Grill-tastic!:

Don’t shy away from using your grill! Your guests are expecting it, so why not prepare your sides and appetizers on the grill as well? If it’s possible timing-wise, it’ll make life easier!

A  BBQ is a great opportunity to make good on those promises you made for summertime catch-ups and hang-outs. Hosting a gathering everyone will remember is just the thing to end the summer on a high note! A successful barbecue is easy to plan when you have our handy tips, and the help of blogger and recipe developer Anne of @lafille.du3eme! She’s planned not one, but three jaw-droppingly easy and delicious recipes for your Labour Day cookout. You must be wondering: What makes these recipes so hassle-free? Well, they’re all skewers, which makes cooking and serving a breeze! What’s more? These recipes feature a variety of food, which provides a mix of flavours that will satisfy any palate: Spicy Pineapple-Mozarella Skewers, Tex-Mex Veggie Skewers and Potato Duo Skewers.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started on your epic end-of-summer cookout!

Helping you end the summer with a bang,

I consider myself a passionate person. I have a passion for life, for everything it brings and the experiences it provides. I grew up surrounded by people who have a passion for cooking. Inevitably, this has influenced how I decided live my life. I obtained a technical diploma in dietetics at Cegep de Saint-Hyacinthe. Afterwards, I started working as a technician at the Montreal General Hospital in Food Service Management. I learnt that there is a strong relationship between health and nutrition and enjoyed the chance to apply the knowledge I gained in my education to the real world. Although I loved nutrition, hospital environment was not for me. I decided to make a career change and I worked as a supervisor at Starbucks. I enjoyed being in a leadership position and wanted to study in a field that would help develop my leadership skills. I completed studies in Industrial Relations at Université de Montréal, which opened my eyes to the world of entrepreneurship—something I found incredibly interesting and appealing.

My interest in entrepreneurship gave birth to new dreams and ambitions: my blogger identity and brand (thegirlfromthe3rdfloor), my culinary blog, and the goal of one day opening my own café-boutique.  I work hard every day to accomplish my dreams and I am very proud of what I have achieved so far. The path to where you want to be can be challenging, but if you listen to your heart, you will achieve your goal.

Follow Anne on Facebook, Instagram and on her blog: www.thegirlfromthe3rdfloor.com