Memorial Day is around the corner, and for most of us that means a long weekend...and that means barbecues and cookouts! If you’re thinking about having some people over for a Memorial Day backyard party but you haven’t quite worked up the motivation to get ready yet, never fear: here’s five things you can get that are sure to help make your barbecue a success! Furniture, Etc: The biggest thing to think about when having guests over is making sure everyone has places to sit and keep their things! Set out a variety of patio furniture of varying sizes (just in case someone brings their kids!) to give everyone a place to sit and enjoy their meal, and make sure there’s enough table space to hang onto everyone’s food and drinks - there’s nothing worse than not having enough room to eat! A Nice Clean Grill & Cooking Equipment: Of course, the barbecue isn’t going to work out too well if there’s no way to cook anything! It doesn’t take much to clean a grill and get it ready for use, just a big strong brush and some hot soapy water. You might also want to consider bringing a kitchen island outside to hang onto ingredients and utensils, and some chrome wire shelving would come in handy to keep things right at hand for the next time you need them (and safe in any kind of outdoor weather!). Enough Food For Everyone: This might sound kind of obvious, but we don’t just mean quantities! You need to take the tastes and preferences of your guests into account: sure, there’s always hot dogs and hamburgers, but everyone has that friend who’s dabbling in being a vegetarian or won’t eat red meat, and the eternal debate between cole slaw and potato salad rages on to this day. Make sure you try to provide something for everyone’s tastes when you go shopping - and failing that you could always tell people to bring their own dishes, just in case! Something to Drink: In a similar vein, you’ll want to provide a variety of beverages for your guests depending on taste...and age-appropriateness! For the adults, you’ll want to get an agreeable beer and spirits selection, and then get some juices and sodas for the kids. This might also be a good time to enforce a BYOB policy - not only is it more economic for you, it’ll make sure everyone can get what they want! Something to Do: As much fun as it is to eat, drink, and socialize, sometimes you might need to break things up a little bit! Set out some lawn games like horseshoes or beanbag toss to liven the mood and give people something to do...at least until the dinner’s done and it’s time to eat!