Rubber ducks of course! Throwing a party without rubber duckies is like going skydiving without a knife and fork…is just don’t make sense. 

For about buck a duck you can grab 12, or 24 or hell…get 48 of the little guys. Why not? I always order rubber duckies by the case. It just seems to make sense. 

Now here is something I simply never knew. Are you aware that they make many, many different kinds of rubber ducks? Perhaps I’m just totally naive or simply don’t pay attention as much as I should. I was under the impression we had pretty much just the one style of rubber duck and yet I was wrong, so very wrong. Here are just a few of the dozens of styles out there for sale…it’s mind blowing really…

…to see about 15 more styles, with names like “American Indian Rubber Duck” and “Race Car Driver Rubber Ducky” check out all the styles right here - Rubber Ducks. It’s pretty weird.

What you know you need is a ton of wooden matches. Real wood matches. These things work for everything. Candles, smokes, lighting the grill, everything. You buy them and stick them in a drawer. 

The nice thing is you can have smoke bombs, red plastic keg cups and matches delivered right to your door. It’s a wonderful country.

Now, for those of you who fully understand why you without a doubt need smoke bombs at a deck party here we are: assorted colors, a case of 72 and they can be shipped to your doorstep. To your door! Remember the good old days were you’d have to go out into the middle of nowhere to the fireworks stand to get something as simple as a smoke bomb? With the wonder of the Internet you can order them online and they send them to you…it’s fantastic!

Depending on how close your neighbors are you may or may not want to let them know about the upcoming smoke bombing. A couple of beers + a few smoke bombs + a fussy neighbor = fire fighters and/or cops. No good. It’s just better if those fellas either stay away from a party or are specifically invited. Best bet is to simply have all your neighbors at the party in the first place. Order smoke bombs right now.

The nice part about this style of firepit is that you can customize the look of it to fit with your style or location. If you’re in a beach type setting wrap this thing in sand and seashells. Got rocks? Go to town. More of a brick type person? Do it up. 

You can also easily change the look from one party to the next so you’re not “stuck” with just one firepit. You can make this one look however you like! Perfect for you “theme” party people that go totally nuts on customizing every aspect of your deck party. Take a look at this neat little firepit, they call it the “Outdoor Patioflame” which has a nice ring to it.

Everyone likes to scare the hell out of someone else once in a while, right? And pretty much everyone likes to make a ton of noise for no real reason, especially at a party. And, if at all possible, most people like to try and get the person throwing a good deck party in trouble with their neighbors. What magical treat can accomplish all of these things for less than 8 bucks? Party Poppers. 

Oh yes. For less than 8 bucks you can get 72 of these things. They go “POP” and blow stuff all over the place. Great for kids and grown ups acting like kids. Birthdays and deck parties are made for these things. Party hitting a lull in the excitment? Pull out low grade explosives…works every time. Grab a few boxes of these things and have them around for your next party. When’s the last time you heard, “Gee, it was a great party but I wish there were fewer party poppers.” Never. You’ve never heard that. Because everyone always wants more party poppers.

If you’ve got the cash you can spend $5000 on a grill if you want or you can be normal and just get a nice functional barbecue grill for say, around $350. I’m not that good at math but I’ll start out with that one. 

Weber makes a great gas grill that works. It’s easy; roll the thing out, push the button and pow…you’ve got flame. With a gas grill there’s no need to screw around with bags of charcoal, lighter fluid and matches (which, admitedly, can be a pretty good time) and the chances of blowing yourself, and your house, up are greatly reduced. 

So, spend about $350, get the thing delivered to your doorstep in around 3 or 4 days and you’re good to go. Easy. You won’t look like a scumbag with a dirty old rusty grill. You can check it out right here - affordable gas grill. You’ll be happy, your friends will be happy and your steaks will be happy.

The classic look of the Weber grill is only outmatched by it’s simple utility. It works! Insert charcoal, apply match, place grill over heat and add meat. You can pick up a new one for way less than $100. You’ve gotta love it. 

I never realized the standard style comes in several different sizes like 18″, 22″ and 26″ and more. The nice thing is that they have added one really needed feature to the new barbecue grills. They’ve got the Silver One Touch system, shown in the pic, which lets you clean the grill far easier and faster than you probably remember. I recall dragging our old grill across the back of the yard and dumping the charcoal in the weeds at the back of the lot but no more! This is a better system by far. Check it out right here - Weber Grill.

Oh my. If you’re looking for a hot tub, and you’ve got a bit of cash set aside, then you might as well go all out. Check this puppy out:

Called the Mountain Mist Luna Spa this thing’s got almost 30 therapy jets to massage the heck out of you, LED mood lights to, well…set the mood, a 10 jet air blower system and more all powered by a four horsepower jet pump. 4 Horsepower! Did I mention the waterfall yet? Yeah..it’s got a waterfall. Why not?

It’s easy to operate with a digital control panel so you won’t have to run around looking for the owners manual when you’re party is just getting going. That’s embarrassing, right? Hot Tub’s full of folks, having a great time and you can;t figure out how to set the mood lighting and crank up the bubbles!? For shame! Not on this model…it;s got you covered.

This hot rod hot tub measures about 7 feet by 7 feet and almost 3 feet tall. Packed with features that not only make it easy to clean and maintain but all very energy efficient. Wrapped in quality cedar wood this beauty not only will offer you years of enjoyment but is sure to get your deck and patio parties cranking.

The Mountain Mist Luna Spa (I love that name) comes with a years worth of cleaning and maintenance supplies and a high quality cover. No fuss, no problems and no worries. You’ve always wanted a sweet hot tub. Now is you chance! Check out this eight person hot tub and compare it with other hot tubs on the market today. These things have come a loooong way in the last few years…take a look!

(Click pic for more info)

We all like fire, that much is for sure. But some of you like a good old roaring fire and that’s just what this Metal Deck Fire Bowl is made for. At about three and a half feet in diameter and a bit over two feet high this thing is made to throw off the heat and light up the night. A must have for evening or chilly deck and patio parties.

The open side vents in the design allow for tons of air to get in there and the screen top comes with to keep those sparks out of trouble. It’s sturdy and finished in an oil rub bronze so it looks pretty good too. At around a hundred and seventy five bucks it’s an affordable and must have item for your next party.

Beyond fire, and the cool crackling noise, and the heat and the light these things are great for other stuff. Like making smores, and that popcorn in the foil pan thing, and cooking hot dogs on a stick. Or Brats. You could cook brats on a stick too. All sorts of meat on a stick could be cooked over the Fire Bowl!

Of course if you’ve got friends like mine you may want to have a handy dandy fire extinguisher on hand, or at least a good long hose. You know what I’m saying.

Yeah, it's a real book. Click the pic for more info.

(This has nothing to do with deck parties in any way, shape or form. It’s just fantastic.) For the rest of time I will never forget the day my buddy, Sommers, walked in the door of my house with a small bag in his hand. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. His face was red. He may have been drooling a small amount. I was concerned, perhaps even a bit scared. Was he okay? What was the bad news? Who had died?

He slowly, carefully, reverently removed a brand new copy of “Cooking With Pooh” from that bag. And shortly after handing it to me, in the same manner a Doctor of Archeology would handle a thousand year old pot, he fell to the ground in hysterics. I believe there was snorting involved. His stomach hurt for a day. “Cooking With Pooh” holds a place of honor not only in Sommers kitchen but mine as well. This is a real book, about our little buddy Pooh, and you can get it for a few bucks. The book - a few bucks. The shipping - a buck. Owning your own copy of “Cooking With Pooh“? - Priceless.