I originally shared these ideas for summer entertaining as a guest post over on Design, Dining and Diapers. But since I’m in the midst of planning my son’s birthday party, I figured this would be a good time to remind myself and you how to save money on your summer parties.

Summertime around my house means lots of barbeques and family parties. As much as I love entertaining, it can get pricey to host all of these events. So today, I’m going to share some tips for summer entertaining on a budget.

Focus on one stand out dish.

Don’t plan a menu full of new, complicated or expensive dishes. You’ll end up frustrated and frazzled on party day. I like build my menu around one stand out dish and add some simple favorites to round out my menu.

One of my favorite summer entertaining meals is pulled pork in the slow cooker. Grab a couple bottles of fancy BBQ sauce from the store and pair with canned baked beans, fruit salad and potato chips. And a bonus…no standing over the hot BBQ or oven!

Or you could focus on a stand out salad, like this recipe for Greek Orzo Pasta Salad. Pair with grilled chicken, corn on the cob and watermelon for a light summer dinner.

Let Your Guests Help Out

As the hostess, we seemed trained to say “No thank you, I’ve got everything handled” when a guest asks what they can bring. But in my experience, if someone asks to help out….you should let them. If you want to handle the majority of the menu, let your guests bring some of the accompaniments. Ask guests to bring hot dog/hamburger buns, a tray with all the fixings for hamburgers, fruit salad, chips.

Be specific, but not too specific. Don’t give your guests a copy of the exact recipe you want them to make. Not that I know anyone who would do that (cough::mymom::cough!).

Decorate with What You Have

Unless you are planning an elaborate themed party, you probably have everything you need around the house to decorate for a summer party.

Mason jars filled with flowers are one of my favorite ways to decorate.

Or fill a large bowl with lemons and limes for a splash of color.

I’m planning a beach themed party of my son’s birthday in August. I plan on using clean sandpails (from the dollar store) as serving bowls. And decorating with shells and other treasures from our recent beach vacation.

Hit the Dollar Store

You can find tons of items at your local dollar store that are perfect for summer entertaining. Pick up paper plates and plastic cups and utensils. And bright colored table clothes and napkins.

Plus, you can find things like bubbles, bouncing balls or coloring books to keep your younger guests occupied and happy.

Think Beyond the BBQ

If hosting a full barbeque is out of your budget, consider a less expensive dessert get together. Grab some ice cream and have all your guest bring their favorite toppings for an old fashioned ice cream social. Or provide graham crackers and marshmallows and have your guests bring s’more toppings for a backyard bonfire.

Happy Summer Entertaining!

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When I think about having Girls Night In, I think about good drinks, yummy food and kicking back to relax and laugh. And of course, every Girls Night In needs a little flare. There is nothing like a little decor to set the mood and turn an average night into an event.

One of my favorite places to shop for decor is World Market. They have a great selection of items to jazz up a party, decorate your house, or accessorize yourself. They also have an amazing food and beverage section with treats from all over the world.

I headed to World Market to check out their new Kingdom Animalia Collection. This collection is inspired by an African safari and has some really amazing items.

I love the neutral colors of this collection with the pops of animal print and rich colors.

I want this entire display of globes for my living room.

How fantastic is this steamer trunk/bar? So many fun options for ways you could use this.

I had such a great time shopping at World Market. One of my favorite things about World Market is their selection of “basic” pieces. They have so many great glasses, serving dishes, and neutral accessories that you can easily mix and match with their featured collections.

I spent forever in the store just trying to narrow down my choices. I wanted it all! After over an hour, I finally had the perfect items to create a gorgeous table for my Girls Night In.

I just love how this turned out. It’s exotic, refreshing and fun all at the same time.

I love this bobble head giraffe. And he was as steal at $12.99. And I like how he looks like he is ready to dive into the cucumbers. And check out that cute bowl. Each one was a little different and I chose one with a lighter pattern to contrast the table runner.

I used two napkins to create the table runner. And at $6.50 for two, they were about 1/3 of the cost of a full table runner. Score.

Of course I had to check out the clearance sections around the store and I found the palms leaves for Buy One, Get One Free.

The orange lantern and the white dip bowl are two of those “basic” items I was talking about before. They were just $2.99 a piece and I’ll use them over and over again.

Glasses were just $1.99. And the impressions in the glass add great character.

And I couldn’t resist these great elephant coasters. They add the perfect pops of color and texture to my table.

My best friend’s mom calls gin & tonic a “lovely ladies summer drink” and I couldn’t agree more. It is the perfect refreshing drink for a warm summer night. I picked up a couple bottles of interesting tonic water and some sparkling meyer lemon soda for the non-gin drinkers.

Because gin & tonic is such a light drink, I wanted to keep my snacks light as well. I picked up some Ras El Hanout spice mix at World Market and made this amazing carrot dip (recipe coming tomorrow) with it. Seriously, this dip is to die for and it doesn’t hurt that the color goes perfect with my theme. I served it with sliced cucumbers and crackers.

World Market had everything I needed to create a “wild” Girls Night In. From decorations to drinks to food, I found it all. If you are headed to World Market this week, be sure to check out your Sunday paper for the World Market ad which contains a $10 off $30 purchase coupon.

Want to take your Girls Night In on the road? World Market has an amazing African Safari sweepstakes going on right now.

Grand Prize package includes:

• A trip for two to Africa (5 day Trip for 2 to Africa- includes airfare, accommodations and excursions)
• A $1,000 World Market gift card

** There will also be 3 runner up prize winners that will each receive a $500 World Market gift card!
**The African Safari Sweepstakes runs from  July 14 to August 17
**If you share the sweepstakes with 5 of your friends (via FB share or email) you can receive 5 additional bonus entries. This is part of the registration process when entering. Users can also enter daily for more chances to win.

 Head over to the World Market website to enter to win.

You can also connect with World Market on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Do you shop at World Market? What’s your favorite item you have found there?

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Cost Plus World Market and Pollinate Media Group, but all my opinions are my own.