Back to School! I dreaded these words as a kid, but as a parent, it brings a bit of relief. Gone are the careless days of summer, where the kids sleep in, there’s no homework, and sports commitments are minimal. But, I crave the routine that school brings and quite frankly, by August, we are ready to go back. To celebrate the new academic year and see friends I haven’t seen all summer, I invited a few of them over for a Hallelujah Lunch – as in Hallelujah, the kids are back in school!聽
Catching up with friends after a summer hiatus!
It鈥檚 such a busy time of year, so I made sure this party was as easy as possible. This is the time to call in for help – and I enlisted my favorite fast, healthy restaurant for take-out. All that was left to do was arrange everything on a platter and enjoy catching up with friends.
The Table
Set a few days before the party, I used what I already had for table decor, making sure that it was bright and cheerful. Home Goods had this gorgeous Kate Spade floral table runner聽and聽napkins, so I grabbed those earlier in the summer as soon as I saw them.
A bright and happy table for my lunch gets everyone in a good mood
The table was a set a few days before, so there was one last thing to worry about when school started
Gerber daises were very easy to arrange – alternating colors of orange and hot pink give off a fun vibe and coordinate with the Kate Spade table linens.
Pink, orange and navy combine beautifully for a whimsical centerpiece
The Place Setting
Lenox is one of my favorites for entertaining. Their聽dinner plate聽and聽accent plate聽from their gold-rimmed tulip-shaped collection is one I go back to time and time again. It鈥檚 so versatile – all I need to do is add a fun salad plate like this gold polka-dot聽one by Kate Spade for Lenox, a vibrant napkin and placemat or unique napkin ring and I can completely change the look of these.
My most versatile dinnerware – Lenox tulip-shaped gold rimmed dishes. A polka dot appetizer dish from Kate Spade for Lenox gives a fun vibe to the setting.
Favors are always appreciated, so I found these darling boxes of inspiration notes and gave each guest one to take home. Bunches of pencils are a whimsical touch, reminding everyone that the kids are definitely back in school!
Boxed inspiration cards and pencils are a fun party favor
Flatware is my newest obsession (sorry napkins – you鈥檝e had your turn and now I have more than I can handle) and these from Lekoch do not disappoint. They are a knock-off of the Cutipol brand, which is so lovely, but very expensive. Check out this gold and white flatware聽link for all of the color combos available. Quite frankly, I think these are just as stunning and make such an impact. At one-tenth of the price, I could get a another set! Hmmmm . . .聽
Flatware is a great way to change up a table setting – but it can be pricey. Check Amazon for knock-offs of more expensive brands!
The Food
Flower Child聽is a local favorite restaurant of mine – I ordered a couple raw veggie plates with avocado hummus and pita bread as a healthy appetizer. I used a cake platter to give some height to the table and make it more interesting than a flat plate or tray.
Fresh veggies with an avocado hummus are a light starter to this lunch
Kale salads are a mainstay at my house during the week and are a great choice for plan-ahead entertaining. This lettuce is sturdy enough to hold dressing for several hours if needed. Just pour the vinaigrette or dressing on the bottom of your platter and toss about 30 minutes before you want to serve.聽
Don’t be afraid to order take-out. It can take a huge amount of stress off of food preparation!
Ask the restaurant to package any fruit, cheese, nuts or extras separately so they remain fresh until ready to serve
Hand-tossing the vinaigrette is the best way to make sure every piece gets covered
Ready to serve and only took me minutes!
With segmented grapefruit, black currants, aged cheddar, smoked almonds, and an apple cider vinaigrette, it鈥檚 no wonder this is their most popular salad. Here鈥檚 a great recipe for the apple cider vinaigrette.
This large oval platter is perfect for serving guests
Big enough to place in the middle of table – everyone had their own spoon to dig in, community style!
Beverages and Desserts
Serving alcohol on the first day of school seemed a bit aggressive, so I opted for an energizing green tea that I garnished with fresh lemon slices and mint. I also offered a refreshing blackberry lemonade with strawberries and basil snipped from the garden.
Green tea with lemon slices is a perfect lunch beverage
Blackberry lemonade with strawberry slices and fresh basil
Baking has never been my fort茅, so I always look to the pros for store-bought desserts. Barb’s Bakery is a favorite here in Phoenix and they always have the cutest and delectable cookies – flip flops were a perfect send-off to the summer. My other favorite is Tammy Coe Cakes聽– her round, glazed sugar cookies have just a hint of lemon and nutmeg for the best flavored treat in town.
Cute flip-flop shaped cookies and colorful sugar cookies are a great treat – bonus that they are store-bought!
For more ideas on the best store-bought desserts, check out my blog that I dedicated entirely to this subject!聽Bad Baker Desserts: Best Store-Bought Treats
Cheers to a great school year!
Best wishes for a wonderful and safe school year with happy, healthy kids and teachers.聽Here’s hoping you can host your own Hallelujah Lunch! Xoxo聽
A casual & fun afternoon! The table setting was comfortable & beautiful. I loved the favors too!
Thanks so much for being there Vicki! It was so great to catch up over a yummy salad and great conversation!
I am just dying over the idea of a Hallelujah Lunch! We don’t go back until the 20th, so we still have three more weeks here and I am not quite ready for them to go back, especially since it is my son’s senior year. 馃檨 The table runner and gerber daises are fantastic! Beautiful post girl!
Aww, thanks so much sweet Holly! I’m so grateful for your support! Xoxo
All great ideas! In ten days I鈥檒l be an empty nester, so it鈥檚 a big hallelujah in a sad way. I may need to do Kleenex boxes down the table! But I鈥檓 excited for all the new adventures coming all of our way. Love the Kate Spade runner and tribute.
Thanks for sharing your relaxing party ideas!
Thanks Leslie! So appreciate you following and your nice words. Good luck with the empty nester situation – I’m sure it will be hard, but what an exciting time for your daughter!!