My Favorite Parts of Independence Day

Happy Independence Day! Since I’m not in the U.S. this 4^th of July, I thought it’d be fun to celebrate vicariously through a blog post by sharing all my favorite parts of the holiday and, of course, another patriotic outfit. Have you noticed this red shirt has been on repeat?! It’s my go-to for festive looks. So without further ado, here are some of my favorite ways to celebrate Independence Day.

Barbecuing outside. Of course, is it even the 4^th of July without a little BBQ? I loves me a good hot dog or burger and a massive pile of watermelon. It’s my favorite fruit for the summer! I once hosted a 4^th of July party when I was little and made a ton of Pinterest-worthy foods, including hot dogs on skewers with pieces of cheese so they looked like rockets/fireworks and a homemade Edible Arrangement with strawberries dipped in white chocolate and blue sprinkles for a striped red, white, and blue effect. Such fun!

Going to a parade downtown. I don’t always go to the 4^th of July parades, but they’re always fun when I do go. I feel like you’re never to old to elbow little kids out of the way in order to grab the candy people are throwing! Just kidding (or am I?). My favorite part is probably seeing the super old cars drive by. I once spent Independence Day in Iowa and watched the parade there and boy, let me just tell you, the Iowans know how to do a parade right. I was so impressed by the show!

Exploring outside. I don’t usually know anybody who hosts a big 4^th of July party (boo-hoo), so I often spend the day just hanging out and sitting around until nighttime, when the real fun begins. But I like to try to spend the day doing something outside, something that’s quintessentially summer. Options include going for a bike ride, having a picnic in the park for lunch, destroying your brothers in an intense water balloon fight…You know, all the goods.

Wearing a cute outfit. As I mentioned in last week’s post, 4^th of July outfits can be a little tricky, but I still love brainstorming looks nonetheless. I remember very distinctly wearing a black and white striped cowl-neck blouse, jean shorts, and a red flower in my hair when I spent the holiday in Iowa. I had slept-over at my friend’s house the night before but forgot a real bra, so I was stuck wearing a neon green sports bra beneath my white shirt! It was not a good look. For a bunch of cute 4^th of July outfit ideas, check out the links below:

Patriotic Outfits Already in Your Closet

Red, White, and Blue

Watching the fireworks. Of course, no 4^th of July is complete without a spectacular fireworks show. In Iowa we watched them shoot off over the Mississippi River as our ice cream melted in our hands and the sun set into a twilight glow. My all time favorite firework memory, however, was on the Puget Sound in Washington state. We watched all the houses on the entire perimeter of the water launching off their own fireworks, while overhead a thunderstorm raged on, displaying streaks of lightning across the sky with fireworks in the foreground. It was like nature wanted to celebrate the U.S.A. with us!

Do you love the 4^th of July? I know a lot of people who have chosen Independence Day as their favorite holiday. How do you celebrate, and what’s your favorite memory of the 4^th?

Have a fun (and very safe) night tonight!

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Red Blouse: JCPenney, $18 // White Skirt: JCPenney, $20 // Blue Bandanna: Francesca’s, $5 // Navy Striped Heels: CL by Laundry via DSW, $40