With July comes sunny weather, holiday parties and endless excuses to host friends and family for grilled food and drinks on warm evenings. As fun as these events are, though, we all feel the pressure to upgrade our hosting space with what’s trendy, while remaining practical in buying items that will get used far past just one night.
To help chill some of this summer stress, Jenna Bush Hager has some recommendations for summer entertaining essentials. From reliable saucepans to some adorable fruit-shaped salt and pepper shakers, you’re sure to find something on this list that’s worthy of making an appearance at your next event.
Here are her favorite hosting picks, plus scroll down for more trending items to shop for the season.
Jenna’s Bookshop — July 2026
Majority of Caraway’s offerings are coated with non-toxic, non-stick ceramic for effortless cooking and clean up pre- and post-meal. The minis duo above includes the same benefits inside a small fry pan and sauce pan for eggs, soups and more.
For those summer BBQs or outdoor feasts, keep your leftovers fresh with these sleek food storage containers. It comes with five bases and five lids in varying sizes that are all color-coded to their respective pairing. Plus, they’re airtight and leak-proof, per the brand!
It wouldn’t be summer hosting without some seasonal decor. Swap your old shakers this season with this salt and pepper set shaped in adorable fruit.
End your summer evening with a sweet treat, and use this dessert plate from Zara with a fruit illustration (comes in a tomato, lemon or pear art) as the cherry on top.
More summer hosting items to shop
Who doesn’t love a dishwasher-safe decorative plate? These melamine plates feature a timeless design reminiscent of classic china patterns that can be easily matched with preexisting table setting pieces already in your collection. Not to mention, the material makes them resistant to chips and breaks.
Your guests are sure to compliment these colorful plates with their classic tobacco leaf pattern. You’ll never have to worry about leaving these for special occasions — while their sturdy weight makes them feel high-end, they’re still dishwasher safe.
Coming from Amazon, you can guarantee they’ll be here in time for your next summer event. Whether you’re snacking by the pool or putting on a big dinner, these plates are also dishwasher safe, making post-party clean up easier than ever.
This heirloom tomato candle set is the perfect way to get guests talking at your next summer soiree. Scentless, these candles take away any worry of triggering those sensitive to smell and make them perfect for just about any home.
This orange candle works as a decor piece and room scent all in one. With a scent derived from essential oils, you can bring summer inside your living room.
Gone are the days that you feel you have to hide your pool floaties for company with this blue-strip pool float. It’s easy to let your troubles swim away with this adorably simple design that even features a built-in drink holder that makes it easier than ever to enjoy your favorite beverage while trying to stay cool on a hot day.
This small fan is battery operated and will blend in wherever you put it, but not go unnoticed. These fans are highly-rated (over 4.4 stars) for their ability to keep bugs away effectively and with minimal effort. Not to mention, these fans are an environment-friendly alternative to classic traps and repellent sprays.
These bowls make it easy to prep, store and serve all in the same go, minimizing dishes and making post-meal clean up quicker and easier than ever. With a set of four coming in a variety of sizes, you’re covered no matter what you make or how many people you’re serving.
Whether you want to keep the kids amused or you’re hosting a movie night for yourself, this projector makes it easy to have a night under the stars with minimal set up or effort. Easily portable, all this projector needs is a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection for an evening of outdoor binge-watching.
Meet the expert
- Jenna Bush Hager is an author, journalist and the host of Today with Jenna & Friends. She joined TODAY as both a correspondent and contributor in August 2009.
How we chose
These picks were chosen by Jenna Bush Hager. Additionally, the Shop TODAY editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources, comb through customer reviews and even use our own personal experiences to make shopping easier for our readers.
As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think TODAY.com readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to help readers on the hunt for the latest trending products make their lives easier. Items are sold by individual retailers, not TODAY. Pricing and availability are accurate as of time of publication.
