If I can pick one thing that blogging and creating content for A Fabulous Fete recently has taught me, it's that taking the time out to plan little adventures is SO worth it! As i've been sharing my entertaining ideas with you this summer, it's forced me to think outside of the box about fun things you can all do around your home too, outside of the standard glass of wine that we always fall back on. I think we forget about all of the simple things we can do that don't take a ton of effort to organize. My number one example is heading down to the beach! We are always there on the weekend, but rather than creating something special, we head to our favorite restaurant... not the most memorable.

I wanted to get my friends together to enjoy one of our gorgeous summer sunsets at the beach. My goal this time though, was to make it as effortless as possible. It's not fun to lug down bags and bags of stuff to the beach. So I'm going to share some tips for creating a stunning, but EASY beach picnic. If you're not by a beach? No prob, head to your local lake, park, river or whatever it is you have! The only mandatory items are yourself, friends and a good view (oh, and wine never hurts).

One thing we always have plenty of at our get togethers is food.

So while I wanted to have our usual spread of fruit, cheese, etc. I also wanted to make sure it was portable and easy to serve. I packed up 2 trays and stopped at the store on the way. I picked up crackers, nuts, olives and some grapes. The key was nothing had to be prepped when I got there, nothing to cut, wash and definitely no utensils. Grocery stores always have a great section with snacks and meals ready to go, so opt for that to make sure you aren't working once you get down to your spot!

Oh, and we definitely ordered a pizza. And yes, they delivered it to the beach for us. If you can do a beach delivery I highly recommend it! No figuring out how to get all the food down without dropping something along the way.

And finally, we paired our snacks with a little Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore. In my opinion, you can pair anything with prosecco, it's my favorite. But I think it went perfectly with our light snacks!

Choosing your spot.

While it's not always possible, do a little research beforehand to find your most secluded spots. If you're headed to the beach, avoid surf spots, anything with incredibly easy access (ie. lots of parking) or main beaches close to the "downtown" areas in a city. We are always popping in little coves during our time at the beach just to check it out and see if we want to come back.

So, what about decor, right?

Well, if you're anything like me, you'll want it cozy, and definitely ready for any photo ops. We each carried down a blanket and a pillow and we were set! I love our oversized quilts as a base and then having smaller throws on top to use once the sun starts to set.

I also grabbed a bunch of flowers at a stand on the way down. If you are hosting a special occasion, this is the perfect way to add a floral touch without going overboard with an arrangement. I tucked them in one of my straw totes on the way down and didn't even know they were there.

If you plan on bringing any plates, cups, etc. just roll them up in your blankets to save space. I almost always bring along cloth napkins as well which work great around serveware! It saves space but also keeps your things safe.

It ended up being a gorgeous sunset and such a fun time with friends. I'm always so glad when I take the time to plan things out a bit and make them extra special.

What are you guys doing to get out more this summer? I hope these tips make planning a get together a tiny bit less daunting!

And don’t forget that you can enter Santa Margherita’s weekly contest on Instagram! More details below.

• Follow @SantaMargheritaUSA on Instagram and show us how you are enjoying a glass of SMA Wines by uploading a photo, tagging them and included #SMSUMMERCONTEST
• Enter weekly, Thursdays through Sundays only
• Prizes include:
  • Weekly Santa Margherita-inspired summer prize packs
  • (1) $2,500 backyard makeover Grand Prize
• No purchase Necessary to Enter or Win. Begins 6/15/17 at 12:00:01 p.m ET, ends 8/6/17 at 11:59:59 p.m ET. Open to 50 US & DC legal residents, 21+. Void where prohibited. For official rules visit www.santamargheritawines.com/contestrules. Sponsor: Santa Margherita USA Inc.

Post in partnership with Santa Margherita Wines

Images by Chelsea Loren Photography