Labor Day Weekend… summer’s last hurrah! A time to celebrate with friends and family while eating good food, dancing to music and best of all – relaxing before the busy and hectic days of the “ber months.”
You can’t wait for the long weekend and all the fun you’re going to have as you celebrate together. But what should you pack? You’ll want to be practical and also think of easy ways to turn the weekend get-together into a real party, so here are some ideas for essential items to put on your list.
1. Health and safety necessities
No trip is without its occasional minor mishaps. Make sure to pack plenty of sunscreen, bug spray and a good, basic first aid kit, just in case. Items like extra batteries and chargers along are also lifesavers. This way, you can rest easy knowing you’re prepared for anything, so everyone can relax and have fun!
2. All the best snacks and beverages
Pack fun, warm-weather-appropriate meals, snacks and drinks you know everyone will love, and that are easy to transport and clean up, whether you’re headed to a cabin, a beach or someone’s home. Divvy up your food and beverage list with the other partygoers so you’ll know you’ve all got the essentials covered, without too many duplicates. Make sure to consider the weather in your planning — for example, if you’ve got ingredients for s’mores on your must-have list, store chocolate bars and marshmallows in your cooler to prevent them from melting en route.
3. Don’t forget the ice
If your get-together will be located in a place where ice is readily available, you can pick up ice at the last minute. If not, be sure to pack plenty of ice in a good quality cooler along with other cold items. Grab a few ice packs for your cooler, too — especially if you’ve got a long drive ahead of you, or the temps are especially high.
4. Bring on the music
A party isn’t a party without music. Party like a boss by bringing along a portable, easy-to-carry LG PK5 Bluetooth speaker from LG Electronics USA for up to 18 hours of non-stop music. The speaker offers amazing sound, with enhanced bass and clear vocals. You can also boost the fun factor using its built-in flashing colorful LED lights that synchronize to the rhythm of the music, creating a pulsing light show, turning your party into a disco floor. The LG PK5 goes anywhere with the Grab & Go handle, weighing less than three pounds and offers easy Bluetooth pairing and high-definition streaming anywhere you go. Now, all your friends can connect and add their favorite tracks to the party playlist! And don’t worry about water splashing it — the water-resistant speaker is built to play in less-than-ideal conditions.
5. Games and activities
Depending on the age of your partygoers, you and the other guests will want to plan for plenty of fun things to do together, especially if the weather doesn’t cooperate all weekend. Include a few indoor activities like decks of cards and board games. Pack age-appropriate outdoor items like swimming gear, outdoor games like balls, hula hoops, plus sparklers (following any local ordinances and safety rules, of course) if you feel a little patriotic.
6. A good book
What? Bring a book for a fun weekend? Isn’t it an oxymoron? Well, not really… If you have to drive for several hours to your weekend getaway, then listening to an audiobook is a good intermission between radio and your playlist.
Also, this is a long weekend, which means you have at least two nights away from home, three if you leave Friday night. Chilling for a few minutes with a book before going to sleep will help you relax after a hectic day. It’s better than counting sheep.
And our recommendation – Hide and Seek by Mary Burton.
If you are a fan of Criminal Minds and police procedurals, then you will find “Hide and Seek” a good read. It follows FBI profiler Special Agent Macy Crow and Sheriff Mike Nevada, Macy’s former colleague and one-time lover.
It was a cold case turned high profile with the discovery of bones of Tobi Turner, a high school girl who disappeared fifteen years ago. Macy and Mike discover a link between Tobi’s case and several others that occurred around the same time as her disappearance.
In a race for time to find the perpetrator, Macy uncovers a sinister picture of a stalker who graduated to sexual assault and then murder. But, it came at a price. Macy has become the target, the phrase – the hunter has become the prey turned into a harsh reality that can cost Macy her own life.
Hide and Seek is a great listen and a great read also. But, if you have children under 14 in your car, better use your Airpods or other Bluetooth earphones. The violence is not appropriate for little ears.
With that last one in the bag in a manner of speaking, just remember that with just a little bit of planning, you and your friends or family can have a great, fun-filled weekend celebration. It’s all about enjoying your time together and making the most of the occasion for an amazing Labor Day weekend.