Enjoying Summer On Our Patio

 

We love our patio, as I told you a little while ago. It's been hotter than usual this summer so we've spent a lot of time with our water gear. It's a great way to get everyone outside without dying of heat exhaustion. Because being outside is magic, remember? Hardly no fighting and lots of energy expelled. (Chalk up two wins for mommy!) As you can see, Caden loves dumping full buckets of water on his head. This happened to be a bucket full of cold water. Oops... I forgot to fill the pool ahead of time so it could warm up. He didn't seem to mind. "Here, Porter, let me help you." Porter doesn't like the ice cold water. But, he does love his water table. And Caden thinks it's perfect for reloading his water gun.

What activities do you and your family enjoy on your patio? Answer the question below and one of YOU will win a $25 Sears gift card!

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|This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.|

Backyard Summer Escape

Is it just me or are children happier when they're outside? My boys have started fighting and bickering a lot - I have a feeling this is the next 18 years of my life. (Help me!) When we're outside, the fighting almost goes away. It's magical and pure bliss. Needless to say, we've been spending a lot of time outside this summer.

I've been working hard on transforming our backyard patio into a summer escape. And by working hard, I mean buying a patio set and lots of water toys. Because, really, that's all we need to be happy. A comfy chair for me to kick my feet up while the boys run around getting wet.

We also eat outside quite a bit. Not only because Caden loves it, but when Porter decided to see how far he can launch his plate of food, it's a lot easier to clean up outside.

A few must-have pieces on our backyard:

• Water table


• Basketball hoop


• BBQ


• Sprinkler


• Water guns


• Patio table

This list is by no means all-inclusive, but they are some of our favorites. Do you spend a lot of time in your backyard during the summer? I would love to know what you have done to transform your backyard into a summer escape. Comment below to be entered to win a $25 Sears gift card!

Need help finding your own pieces for your backyard? Sears is bringing the ease of searching for those perfect pieces with their recently launched iPad digital catalog. On your computer? Don't fear, Sears has an amazing digital catalog built just for you.

|This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.|

Swinging Outdoor Bed

If only I had a patio big enough.  This would be the first thing that goes there:

Isn't this lovely Swinging Bed awesome?!?   Unfortunately she will only deliver within 350 miles of NYC.  But, Good news:  Ana at Knock-Off wood made some plans so we can build our own!

Monday Redesign: Colorful Patio

Happy Monday everyone!  Anyone else ready for summer? Nothing makes me happier than the bright sun, great food, and entertaining friends.  Since it's still a little cold and cloudy around here, I'm living through this redesign.  I hope it rubs off on the weather around here.

Now for a breakdown of the goodies:

1. This redesigned started with this great patio dining set.  I love the chairs and the colors are perfect!


2. Aren't these bamboo plates wonderful?  I love them paired with this Amy Butler fabric as napkins.


3. This space will be perfect for entertaining outside and every outdoor party needs a spigot pitcher.


4. I love this dark coral outdoor rug.  It's a perfect compliment to the dining set.


5. No outside space is complete without a grill.  Can you taste those perfectly cooked kabobs?  The grilled pineapple is my favorite.


6. I love paper laterns and this color palette is a great fit with the rest of the space.

Are you as ready for summer bbqs as I am?  Bring on the great food and fun late nights with friends!

Monday Redesign-Corey, Kris and their Backyard

So this week we've got an outdoor space that needs a makeover!  Corey and Kris need a little help with their backyard:

Here's their answers to my design questions for them:

What are your favorite design store/home décor stores?  They can be brick and mortar stores or online stores.

Lowe's, Hobby Lobby, Target, Sam's

What 3 words would you use to describe yourself?

laid back, simple, organized

What is the most important thing you’d like done with the space?

Create a more inviting backyard.

What are two of your favorite colors?

Tan, Green/Neutral Colors

What are two of your least favorite colors?


Orange, Blue

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

Flowers/Plants: Bright colors-Yellow, Reds, Purples
We would like to keep patio furniture-it is very similar if not the same as the set pictured here.


What are the overall dimensions of your patio space?

Approximately 23' wide and 8' deep.

Ready for their inspiration board?

1. Great fabric that easy pillows can be sew with. I like this pattern because it is classy without screaming "I'm an outdoor fabric!"  Also, with just one yard you can make enough pillows to accent the chairs!  Standard decorator fabric is between 54'-60" wide.  So one yard of this fabric gives you a piece that's 54" wide by 36" long.

2. Rustic wood shelves-Make these yourself with some reclaimed wood planks.  Just add brackets and you've got a shelf!  Add them to either side of the large window for a little symmetrical balance.

3. Potted plants/herbs for shelves. Neutral with the green would be great to bring a little color to the space.  Add these to your rustic wood shelves.


4. Metal art above rustic wood shelves.

5. Outdoor furniture that you've already got.

6. Large mat to create a welcoming atmosphere.

As far as the landscaping is concerned,  I would most definitely add some curves around your patio area!   This will also extend your patio and make it feel wider than 8'.  By adding to the outside instead of putting planters around the edge you have preserved the narrow patio space for your lovely patio furniture and leave plenty of room for entertaining.

This will soften up all the right angles everywhere.   Use a mixture of evergreen and decidious plants.  That way you'll have greenery year round.  See your local landscape/nursery store for plants that will work well for your planting zone and area of the country!

Thanks for letting me design your backyard space!