Our Fourth of July celebrations are including more kids and chaos every year! And we've learned that the key to having a good time is to plan on the chaos, and adjust expectations accordingly :). So our get-together this year will probably be low-key, but here are a couple of simple ways to celebrate the red, white, and blue while keeping everyone happy!

Most importantly, we give the kids a way to get their energy out! I love this patriotic-themed balloon dart game for older kids...and I imagine the younger ones (and adults) will have a blast with an old-fashioned water balloon fight. As long as you tell people to pack swimsuits, everyone can be fair game!

My biggest find of the summer so far has been Turkish towels - they're so light, but big, and dry in a fraction of the time that normal towels do! They also roll up into nothing, so they're easy to store...I'd buy a bunch to have on hand after the water games!

And while we'll also probably grill, have sparklers, and read the Declaration of Independence out loud (a fun tradition, especially if you have some dramatic readers :), one thing we always have now is a variation of this cake:

You can use any cake recipe you like, but I usually do a vanilla layer cake (though the bundt one in the picture is fun!) with homemade whipped cream as frosting, and piled high with blue and red berries. It's light, tastes like summer, and if (a big "if") there happen to be any leftovers, it can be the best breakfast the next morning, too :). 

Happy Independence Day!