Ice Cream Social: With a Cherry on Top

Is there anything better than an ice cream sundae on a gorgeous summer day?

Maybe (shirtless) Ryan Gosling serving you an ice cream sundae on a gorgeous summer day...? 

I wasn't able to deliver the Gos, but we did organize a fun ice cream social to celebrate the beginning-of-the-end of summer. We had it at a very nice and extremely quiet park just down the street from our house, so there was a great playground for kiddos and we were pretty much the only ones there. E was a saint for helping set up our patio umbrella, a shade tent we really didn't end up needing (plenty of trees), and some lawn chairs and lawn games. 

The umbrella with the little lanterns
looks like a sombrero, no?

The bubbles and hula hoops were the best $5 spent on this event--
kept little (and big) kids entertained all afternoon.

We had plenty of toppings and disposables made the clean-up easy... and I was THRILLED that the park had a recycling bin for paper and plastic, so everything pretty much made it in there.

We had some pretty fierce cornhole competition going...

And some fun with the "photo booth."

And of course there was ice cream... and root beer floats and (gluten-free, fat-free, dairy-free) popsicles and ice cream cone-shaped marshmallows. With whipped cream. And a cherry on top. 

The one thing we didn't have was my favorite flavor (I kept it simple with vanilla)... Toasted Coconut from MooTime, this local ice cream parlor where E and I both worked one summer in college.... Lawdy how I miss the free ice cream because that homemade, premium ingredient stuff is sell-your-firstborn prices (maybe not quite, but...). What I don't miss is the crazy boss lady we had that summer, but I digress. 

What's your favorite ice cream? What are your favorite sundae toppings? Do you shoot whipped cream straight from the can into your mouth (and if so, shame on you)? Is anyone planning an end-of-summer party or are you already planning football tailgates, pumpkin carvings and Halloween parties? Do you microwave your ice cream like I do because you like it soft (#TWSS)?

So long, sweet summer (**raises a spoon in salute**)...