I’m a Hamilton Beach Ambassador & have been provided a Wave-Action Blender to facilitate this review & giveaway. All thoughts are mine.
What would summer be without a Block Party? Who doesn’t like to celebrate?! It’s wise to get to know your neighbors, what kind of car they drive, when they’re normally home… these are all things that will help us keep each other safe. My neighbors all know what our cars look like and are familiar with our schedules. If they ever see anyone suspicious around our home, who doesn’t belong there-they will not hesitate in calling the police. I’d do the same for them-and I have in the past!
So, what goes into having a great block party? I’m going to share a few things we did at our last party and hopefully it will assist you in planning one for your neighborhood.
Block Party 101
1.) Pick a day & time that will work for most. I say ‘most’ because you can’t please everyone. Get an email survey out to your neighbors, or go door-to-door asking them what dates will work – give them 2 or 3 days & times to choose from.
2.) Decide on a menu. We chose to have a potluck – bring what you want and let’s all share. As a backup, we (the families that hosted the event) purchased meat for grilling, drinks, and a few other basics (plates, cups, napkins, plasticware, & balloons). We live in a very diverse area, so we knew there would be a smorgasbord of culinary delights. Be sure to include vegetarian options, for instance, we had both beef patties and veggie burgers on the grill.
You can really tell the difference between the veggie burgers, on the left, & the (still raw) beef patties in the pic above.
3.) Block off the street and set up tables & chairs for everyone. We used a few tables to put all the food on and then folks brought their own chairs to sit in. Once we filled our plates with food, we just took a seat in one of the chairs & sat our plates on our laps.
4.) Plan an activity everyone can participate in. One of our neighbors brought out their ping-pong table & we set up a Ping Pong Tournament, complete with prizes for the winners! We had the kids go first, and then the adults had their turn. Both young & old participated & everyone had a blast!
5.) Label the food, so everyone knows what it is before trying it. You never know what other folks are allergic to-so it’s best to put labels on the food containers (or tape them to the table near the dish).
We contemplated hiring a food truck (for gelato), but their rates were too high. Instead, we just set up a dessert table! 
You know what else is a big hit at Block Parties?!
Smoothies!
Strawberry Banana Smoothie Combo!
The Hamilton Beach Wave-Action Blender is perfect to whip up all those Block Party Smoothies.
Add a little versatility to your kitchen counter with this powerful & durable blender. I live in a house full of boys & men – a durable blender is a must! The Hamilton Beach® Wave~Action® Blender easily makes smoothies or shakes, & it’s also great for making soups, sauces, or salsa. Ordinary blenders spin contents around the walls of the jar, which can leave whole chunks untouched by the blades. The unique Wave~Action® System is designed to continually force the mixture down into the blades for consistently smooth results.
Giveaway
I’m giving away one of these amazing blenders to one of my readers! You must be 18 or older, reside in the U.S. and provide a mailing address (No P.O. Boxes) if you win. I hope my Block Party tips will help make your next party a celebration! Good Luck!
Update: The winner, Lisa B. was notified & rec’d her prize.
