This #WaterOnlyBetter shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias
Sometimes I feel like the luckiest girl alive to have such incredible friends. And I don’t have a zillion friends to go out with every day of the week. I have a great group of women who are there to talk to (whine to, moan to, complain to) and laugh with whenever I need them. I hope they know how much they mean to me! To celebrate the amazing women in my life, I invited five of my friends over for an afternoon beach-inspired spa party with a portable infrared sauna. Can I be cheesy and call it a “Beach Sparty”? That may just work!
I wanted this to be a relaxing afternoon for this awesome group of girlfriends. A time to chill out with some snack foods and a drink in hand in a soothing environment. I served a few light dishes I knew they would love, foods that reminded me of a simple beach picnic.
I purchased a few pre-made snacks that are some of my favorites: a flavorful hummus served with multi-grain chips and sliced celery, a salad with chicken, cheese, and a southwest dressing, wraps sliced into pinwheels, and lemon cookies. I prepared the wraps by spreading a thin layer of chive cream cheese on a spinach wrap. I topped this with sliced chicken breast, pepper jack cheese, and alfalfa sprouts. It was delicious! And the cookies? Lemon Snowball Cookies (some of my fave!) with a lemon glaze I made by mixing together lemon juice and powdered sugar. These were definitely the hit of the party!
To complete the food portion of the table, plasticware, paper plates, paper straws, and paper napkins were perfect for this casual event. I mean, I should get to relax, too, right? And doing tons of dishes? Not so relaxing!
The candles really set the mood. I filled large glass vases two-thirds of the way with beach sand and placed a tea light inside. I also used two blue lanterns leftover from my Luau Party. They were perfect for this event, too!
Next up? Drinks. I purchased Canada Dry® Sparkling Seltzer Water in Original, Mandarin Orange, and Lemon Lime. I placed them in a large tub of ice to stay cool while we relaxed. What’s great about this sparkling seltzer water is that it contain no calories, sodium, or artificial flavors.
I set up a table outdoors with drinks that we could enjoy while chatting. This drink is my Sex on the Beach Spritzer. It was a beach-themed party, right? I needed a refreshing beach-y beverage perfect for a warm Florida afternoon.
Then, we sat outside and talked. Several of us have children beginning Kindergarten next year. It’s such an emotional transition, having little ones who are ready to start school full-time. While it’s bittersweet for me personally, I am so happy to be sharing this experience with my girlfriends. Their support during tough times is beyond words.
So while we were drinking our cocktails outside, I couldn’t forget about my friend Lindsay who is pregnant. I shared her pregnancy story last month. I’m so excited for her as she gets to embark on this unbelievable journey into parenting. I created a special Creamsicle Mocktail for her {recipe below} that she said was delicious!
My husband may have crashed the party momentarily. He couldn’t resist a sip of this delicious Sex on the Beach Spritzer {recipe below}. Don’t worry… we chased him away quickly to take my kids to their swim lessons that evening.
To complete our spa treatment, Beach “Sparty” Gift Buckets! How cute are they? Each bucket takes just a few minutes to assemble and contains everything needed to have a little spa time to yourself.
Here’s how you can make these Beach “Sparty” Gift Buckets. Begin by purchasing tin buckets from your local craft store and nautical style rope. I glued the rope right along the edge of the buckets with craft glue to give them a beach-y feel.
Next, fill each bucket half-way with sand. You can purchase this type of sand in the garden center at Walmart.
I purchased a variety of spa items to fill the buckets, including a bath sponge, small wash cloth, light aqua nail polish, nail files, face scrub, lip balm, and moisturizing lotion. Most of these items can be purchased in travel sizes, perfect for this gift bucket.
Arrange the items in your nautical bucket and they are ready to give to guests at your party. How cute are these “sparty” favors?
I love how they really capture the beach theme, especially on this tablecloth, which looks like sand. The shells and tumbled stones added the perfect accents!
It’s nice to relax and treat yourself sometimes. Moms especially rarely find them time to take care of themselves. A nice spa treatment at home or with friends is the perfect way to take a few minutes to unwind.
So, on to the most important part of the party – beverages! I know you want these drink recipes, right? Here’s the first recipe: Sex on the Beach Spritzer. I made a large pitcher of it for the party, but here are the directions for a single serving. Just multiply the recipe to serve the number of guests at your party.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces cranberry juice
- 2 ounces orange juice
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce peach schnapps
- Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water in Mandarin Orange
- ice
Directions:
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add the cranberry juice, orange juice, vodka, and peach schnapps. Stir. Top with Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water in Mandarin Orange and serve immediately. If you are going to make a pitcher, omit the sparkling water, pour individual servings of the cocktail, and top each with the Canada Dry at the end.
And for the Creamsicle Mocktail, perfect for moms-to-be who may attend your “sparty”.
Ingredients:
- 3 ounces orange juice
- 3 ounces Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water in Mandarin Orange
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Directions:
Pour orange juice into your glass. Add the scoop of vanilla ice cream. Pour the sparkling water over the top, and serve immediately with a straw.
Want to host a Beach Spa Party with these delicious drinks in your home? Head to Walmart to purchase Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water in a variety of flavors, including Lemon Lime, Cherry Pomegranate, Mixed Berry, and Mandarin Orange. Now, you can SAVE 50¢ on one (1) 12-pack cans of any flavor Canada Dry® Sparkling Seltzer Water.
Follow Huppie Mama’s board Beach Spa Party Ideas on Pinterest.
txtypeamom says
This party looks amazing! I love the drink recipes and that you were so kind as to make a mocktail for your pregnant friend! #client