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Plan a Pool Party

By:   Vanessa Greaves

Make your pool party the hottest ticket of the summer.

Chill out a sizzling summer with a totally cool day at the pool. Want to rock a pool party theme? Let's go Hawaiian. Aloha!







Hawaiian Punch

  • Send invitations with bold tropical images. Hint: remind guests to bring swimsuits, towels, and dry clothing.
  • Drape tables with oilcloth--thin vinyl backed with cotton--printed with hibiscus flowers or palm trees. (Check your fabric store or search online.) Beach towels, inexpensive sarongs, or tropical print bed sheets work as table coverings, too.
  • Can you splurge? Order a big bouquet of tropical blooms such as anthuriums, birds-of-paradise, proteas, tuberoses, red ginger, and orchids for your centerpiece. To keep costs down, heap a large platter with bananas, papayas, mangos, and coconuts.
  • Greet each guest at the door with a big "aloha," a kiss, and a flower lei (fresh or paper). Or have a basket of loose flowers for guests to tuck behind their ears (left for married and right for single).
  • Party stores have lots of island-themed accessories. Buy table skirts in raffia or plastic grass. Cut them into lengths for individual grass skirts fastened with ties or Velcro.
  • Light up the tiki torches when night falls and battle the biters with citronella candles.


    Play it Safe

    • Kick boards, foam noodles, and inflatable rings are fun float toys, but they're not meant to be water safety devices. Strap the little swimmers into US Coast Guard-approved life vests, and get right in the pool with them.
    • Reapply sunblock frequently, following manufacturers' guidelines.
    • You might not notice but swimming is sweaty business, so be sure to keep the kids properly hydrated.
    • Anytime you plunge people into water, safety is a major consideration. We recommend you hire a qualified lifeguard to watch the kids. The American Red Cross has a great site with practical advice for pool parties: everything from where to find lifeguards for hire to how long you should wait after eating before diving in.

       
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