School’s out, summer is here full swing and as the Fourth of July is quickly approaching, family days are upon. I love spending time with our extended family, relatives, and loved ones but often times we find ourselves in the same routine of sitting in a circle talking, while our kids run around. It’s fun to mix up family gatherings and plan a great family gathering without spending a pretty penny. 

1. Game night. My family loves game night because we are all highly competitive. It’s a great way to disconnect from technology and actually spend fun quality time with every member of the family. Simply buy some snacks and drinks at the local grocery store and you’re all set for a few hours of fun. From the youngest to the oldest, everyone participates in the fun. We play games like Taboo (a family favorite!), UNO, Monopoly, Charades, Heads Up, etc. Other honorable mentions for smaller crowds are Poker, Phase 10, and Spot It. All of these games comes with lots of laughs and feels great to simply kick back and have a blast with our loved ones.
2. Barbecue day. Barbecue season means summer is here! Whether it’s a park day or a barbecue in your backyard, it’s always a great idea. We recently moved and my husband loves to take advantage of our new yard. He enjoys inviting family over for a barbecue day for an excuse to grill. Aside from steak, steak burgers are a must because everyone loves them. We are currently raving over Chop House Steak Burgers (found in Publix). It’s our top pick at barbecues because they boast proprietary, butcher-style grinds so they’re bursting with flavor and frozen fresh. Below is our favorite burger recipe. Other barbecue favorites also include hot dogs and chicken shish kebabs, with a side of homemade potato salad.  (ENTER $50 Publix Giftcard GIVEAWAY BELOW)
3. Movie night. We haven’t had a movie night in a long time. I admit, it could be difficult to find one movie the entire family agrees on. But movie night reminds me of when I was younger and all of my siblings lived with my mom. Because it was so many of us, oftentimes, the family budget would not allow us to head to the movies, so we had several movies nights where we would throw pillows and blankets on the floor and lie down to watch a movie together. Those are fond memories I will always cherish. Now, just because we are all grown up and have kids of our own, does not mean we can’t have a movie night. The only problem is agreeing upon a movie. A great idea is to cast votes on the top 3 movie choices, or pick one at random but with discretion on ratings. Sometimes, we “Google” best movies of the year and pick from the online list. Make some popcorn and have drinks and snacks handy and you’re all set!

It’s always lovely to be able to spend quality family time with your loved ones. I believe it’s important to disconnect from technology in order to connect with each other. Give your loved ones respect and your undivided attention – be present when you are together. Those are the moments that matter most! So take advantage of this summer to host a memorable summer family gathering. 

I’VE PARTNERED WITH CHOPHOUSE AND PUBLIX TO GIVE AWAY A $50 GIFT CARD TO 1 LUCKY WINNER. ENTER BELOW:

Disclosure: This is a paid partnership post for Chop House Steak Burgers. Although this is a paid partnership, all opinions in this blog remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.