Low Key Pool Party Ideas

I'm getting a few friends together tomorrow for a low-key pool party.  I hate to even call it a "party" because then my psycho snobby brain starts thinking I need favors, labels, a dessert buffet... you get the jist!  But, "pool get-together" doesn't have the same ring.  I think I'm calling it a pool play-date.  Ooo-kay, this is turning into a tangent that needs to end!

Anyway, here's a few ideas that are inspiring me:

I am thinking of giving the girls this cute free printable in 4x6 from Vintage Marigolds:

 I don't have a source, but I have this on my pinterest board and it looks easy enough:

This one is like the pool party in my dreams!  The Joys of Home Educating has the cutest idea for serving food at a pool party, I might end up with a version of this if my friends are lucky!!!

And MMMmmmm, I think I must make these pina colada cupcakes from Keri at Pressed Down, Shaken Together:

*update!!  Of all my fun ideas, I actually only did the pina colada cupcakes, here's mine:

They were sooooo good!  But they seemed slightly more pineapple upside down cake that straight pina colada.  I did use the pineapple juice I had leftover from the can to add to the buttercream instead of as much milk.  I liked it better than I was feeling about the buttercream.  So just FYI :)  But head over to her site and try this recipe out!

And I saw a recipe in the latest issue of Family Fun, but there isn't a picture.  It's for a "pool noodle" salad.  You use ziti pasta so that it looks like pool noodle toys, cucumber rings, and watermelon cut into balls.  And it doesn't have mayo so it should outlast the heat.  I know it needs a picture, but here's the recipe anyway from Family Fun's website:

Hands-on Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

Pool noodles, swim rings, and beach balls -- this splashy pasta salad has it all. Plus, it's mayo-free for easy, delicious picnicking.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ziti pasta
• 3 pickling cucumbers
• juice and grated zest from 1 large lime
• 1/2 cup vegetable or light olive oil
• 1 tablespoon suger, 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons slivered fresh mint
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 2 cups balls cut from a seedless watermelon

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Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook the pasta until just tender, and drain.
2. Cut the ends off the cucumbers, then use an apple corer or run a wide drinking straw through the center to core them. Slice them into rings. Whisk together the lime juice and zest, oil, sugar, salt, and garlic.
3. Toss the still-warm pasta with half of the dressing, then add the cukes, mint, and feta, toss again, and taste. Add more dressing and salt to taste, then fold in the melon.

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