Red, White, and Who Invited Everyone?

Hey Pops,

It’s July 2nd, and your “small family BBQ” is already spiraling.
The Fourth isn’t here yet, but the guest list keeps growing, the stores are picked clean, and you’re realizing you might actually have to pull this off. Good news: there’s still time to make it look intentional.

Here’s what we’re tackling today:

• Backyard games that don’t suck (and don’t cause lawsuits)
• Conversation starters that don’t die after “So what do you do?”
• A crowd-feeding strategy that won’t leave you chained to the grill

Let’s fire it up and make this one to remember.

THE SITUATION:

You've got ages 5 to 55 at this party. The kids get bored after 10 minutes, the adults are awkwardly standing around with beers, and somehow you're supposed to orchestrate fun for everyone without it turning into Lord of the Flies.

ASK CHATGPT:

"Create 5 simple party games for a mixed-age 4th of July BBQ that work in a backyard, require minimal setup, and keep both kids and adults engaged. Include backup options if something flops."

BONUS PROMPT: "Design a backyard tournament bracket with 3–4 easy games that creates natural teams and gets people mixing instead of standing in their comfort zones."

REAL TALK: The goal isn't to be a cruise director. It's to give people permission to act like kids again. Sometimes the best game is just handing out water balloons and stepping back.

THE SITUATION:

Your backyard is full of neighbors, coworkers, and that guy from down the street whose name you still don't know after three years. You've exhausted weather and work talk, and now everyone's standing around looking at their phones like it's suddenly fascinating.

ASK CHATGPT:

"Give me 10 conversation starters for a neighborhood BBQ that go beyond small talk. Include follow-up questions and ways to keep conversations flowing naturally without being weird or intrusive."

FOLLOW-UP PROMPT: "Help me prepare interesting stories or topics I can bring up if conversations stall. Make them relatable for a mixed group of parents, neighbors, and family members."

REALITY CHECK: The goal isn't to become a talk show host. It's to help people actually connect instead of standing around waiting for someone else to break the awkward silence. Sometimes the best conversation starter is just asking someone to help you with something.

THE SITUATION:

You need to feed 15+ people without spending your mortgage payment or turning into a short-order cook. The grill can only hold so much, kids want different things than adults, and someone always forgets to mention they're vegetarian until they're standing in your kitchen.

ASK CHATGPT:

"Design a crowd-friendly BBQ menu for [number] people including main dishes, sides, and drinks. Focus on items that can be prepped ahead, scale easily, and won't require constant attention during the party."

BONUS PROMPT: "Create a grill timeline and prep schedule so I can actually enjoy my own party instead of being chained to the BBQ all day."

PRO TIP: Ask for "make-ahead sides that transport well" if people are bringing dishes. Coordination beats chaos every time.

D-ID – Make George Washington invite your friends to the BBQ.
Upload any photo (your face, your dog in a flag, a founding father), type what you want it to say, and D-ID turns it into a talking video — mouth moving, voice included.

Try:
“Come over at 3pm for burgers, bad decisions, and fireworks. BYO lawn chair.”

🔹 Free trial gives you a few short videos to test it out. After that, it’s paid if you want more or longer animations.