Christmas by the pool

Christmas around the pool

If you're the lucky one who will be holding Christmas celebrations for your friends and family this year, why not take advantage of our beautiful weather and outdoor lifestyle and hold your festivities out around your pool?

The kids will certainly be kept entertained and happy, and maybe the adults will jump in too! To take off some of the pressures of hosting the main celebration, we've put together some great ideas, hints and tips for a successful Christmas lunch in your backyard.

Deck the halls
Before your family arrives, it's time to deck out your deck with some festive items.

Some cool paper decorations with reversible designs from polli.com would look great hung up round your balcony. Plus, they are made from 100% recycled paper, which adds the feel-good factor to decorating. Alternatively, whip out some colourful paints, paper and sparkles and recruit the kids to help you make some colourful paper stars, Santas, angels or reindeers to hang on the pool fencing or around your outdoor areas.

If you are planning a late lunch or early dinner celebration, some fairy lights in festive colours will get everyone in the mood to party. For those wanting a more classic look, plain fairy lights or candles go down a treat too.

Eat up
There's nothing better or more Aussie than a BBQ for Christmas lunch. Set yourself up around the outdoor table with some yummy treats that will be sure to please everybody.

We are lucky to have access to some amazing seafood here, so why not pop some garlic or chilli prawns onto skewers and whack them on the BBQ, or wrap some salmon in foil to slide in there too! If you're thinking of a more traditional Christmas lunch with different sorts of meat, ask your relatives to each bring something, such as some ham, turkey or beef. With these contributions, hosting Christmas will be so much easier for you!

To go with your meat or seafood, whip up a few simple, fresh salads. A cold potato salad or hot potato bake is always a favourite, or try something a bit different such as a cranberry, walnut and rocket mix with honey mustard dressing, or roast vegetables with haloumi cheese.

Finish off a gorgeous meal with a platter of beautiful bright fruits, such as mangoes, berries, kiwifruit, rockmelon, watermelon and grapes.

A great idea for the kids is to let them take charge of dessert and make their own flavour of ice cream. Simply purchase a few tubs (depending on how many people you are feeding) of vanilla ice cream from your local supermarket and let them soften. Choose a packet of your favourite chocolate biscuits or bar, and crush them into small chunks. Once the ice cream has softened, mix in the crushed biscuits then refreeze the ice cream.

Some family favourites include Oreo biscuits, Tim Tams, Mars Bars or Malteasers.

Spoil them rotten

While we are feeling inspired by all things outdoor, why not get your loved ones a gift they can use in the pool? Swimart has an array that are ideal.

For the kids:
- Junior swim pack (goggles and swimming cap)
- Spike n Splash volleyball
- Xtreme Aqua Board (available in blue and pink)

For the pool:
- range of underwater light shows (small, medium, large)
- pool cooler

For the adults:
- South Beach Sling Chair
- Lay About Pool Lounger
- Assassin/Demon goggle