Backyard Movie and S’mores Night

This post is in partnership with Christmas Tree Shops andThat!, a brand I love. All opinions here are my own.

A few years ago, we spent a week glamping in Maine at a small waterside resort as a family. The 6 of us, along with my mom and my step dad.  It was so much fun! We were looking forward to spending a week there this summer and then Covid happened. We were so bummed out to find that although we could have continued on with our vacation,  we would have had to quarantine ourselves the entire time! Ummmmmm, no thanks!

 

So when Christmas Tree Shops reached out to see how we are staycationing at home, I thought it was the perfect time to create a fun summer staycation night for my kids and a couple of friends:  staying home, but enjoying the fun things we would have been doing up in Maine.

I’m so thrilled that our local Christmas Tree Shops is back open for business, but if you’re feeling uncomfortable venturing into stores, you can take advantage of their curbside pickup—I shared all about the process in my stories.

How to Create the Perfect Summer Staycation Night

1).  Get Gaming

No, not video games!  Pick up some good old fashioned yard games, such as: bean bag toss, giant 4-in a row, giant Jenga and Twister are all great options.  I purchased the 4-in a row and bean bag toss at Christmas Tree Shops for the best prices!

 

2.)  Create a Unique S’mores Bar

 

One thing I love about Christmas Tree Shops, is that some items are a constant there, like my absolute favorite marshmallow roasting sticks (you get 10 for $1!!!!  I always stock up on them), and then sometimes you never know what you’ll find as their ever-changing assortment gives you that awesome treasure hunting experience every time.

 

For the S’mores bar, I picked up some Tate’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, some Reese’s Thins in Dark Chocolate, some Ghiradelli milk chocolate caramel squares, and a bunch of marshmallows (regular and giant sized).  I also grabbed some graham crackers and some round crackers to change things up a bit.

I fell in love with this modern planter(above), and thought it would be perfect used as an ice bucket.  I also grabbed the cute little statue vase to hold the roasting sticks. I love using items in unconventional ways.

Unique S’mores Ideas

• The Caramellow:  Graham crackers, Ghiradelli milk chocolate caramel square, and regular sized marshmallow

• The Salted Caramel S’more:  Round Salted Crackers, Marshmallow, and Ghiradelli milk chocolate caramel squares

• The PB Mallow S’more:  Round Salted Crackers, Marshmallow, and Dark Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

• The Chocolate Chip S’more:  Chocolate Chip Cookie and a giant marshmallow

• Giant Stuffed Roasted Marshmallows:  We love stuffing marshmallows with chocolate and then roasting them, for some ooey-gooey goodness, and the Giant marshmallows are perfect for that!

3.)  Have a “Drive-In” Movie Night

Set up your projector, or just grab your laptop and enjoy a great movie by the fire.  We borrowed my mom’s projector, and I grabbed some movie theater box candy, popcorn and some specialty sodas while at Christmas Tree Shops to snack on while enjoying an outdoor movie in the evening.

4).  Make it Magical

And for a magical way to finish the evening, light up some sparklers or small fireworks! If you don’t have access to them, hang some string lights and/or fill lanterns with battery operated candles, or twinkle lights to add some whimsy to your evening.

 

You guys —if you’re lucky enough to have a Christmas Tree Shops AndThat! near you, be sure to stop in because they have everything you need for your stay cation and more!