Author: Sara May

Outdoor Lighting Ideas, Outdoor Living Spaces

Light Up the Night with Decorative Patio Lamps

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Catalina II Patio Lamps         Starlight Lanterns

Outdoor rooms are the best place to spend time on cool evenings during summer, whether alone or with company.  When daytime temperatures soar, it’s a relief to look forward to more refreshing air when the sun goes down.  Proper lighting is a priority, though, when you’re spending more nights outside on the patio or deck.

When looks matter, decorative outdoor lamps are the ideal choice for providing lighting in your outdoor spaces because they are safer than indoor lamps.  With weighted bases, weather resistant materials, and weather-proof grounded cords and plugs, outdoor lamps are perfect for use on decks, patios, and in outdoor rooms.  Their stylish designs complement indoor as well as outdoor decor, though, so they can be used effectively and beautifully in interior spaces, too, if desired.

Taking advantage of the cooler evening temperatures this summer can be more meaningful when enough light is available to do more than just sit and relax.  Enjoy a book, work on a hand crafting activity, or share smiling conversation with family and friends.  Shedding a little light opens up more possibilities for your outdoor spaces.

Beach Accessories, Innovative Solutions, Outdoor Living Spaces, Portable Fun

Add a Little Swivel to Your Sunbathing

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Swivel Beach Chairs

Sun worshippers — how many times during your outdoor tanning sessions do you have to get out of your beach chair, pick it up, and move it to keep up with the position of the sun?  It’s no secret that the sun moves across the sky continually throughout the day, and sun worshippers everywhere must constantly adjust the position of their chairs to compensate for that movement.

Achieving a tan that is even in color on all exposed parts of the body is the summertime goal for many beach bums and swimming pool lovers.  It’s a constant hassle, though, to keep adjusting your seating arrangement.  Sunbathers who fall asleep or become engrossed in a good book can end up with a lopsided tan that is difficult and time-consuming to remedy.

The smart solution comes in the form of a Swivel Beach Chair.  Lightweight and easy to carry, the swivel beach chair allows you to plop yourself down by the poolside or on the beach and simply turn yourself to follow the sun as it moves overhead in the sky.  With a swivel beach chair, you never need to get up to adjust the chair’s position.  And, turning away from the sun is just as easy when you’ve had enough.

Backyard Fun, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

What George Washington Didn’t Know About 21st Century Civility

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George Washington

George Washington.  The founder of our country, first president, and man whom we admire even today for his bravery and courage was also a stickler for polite manners.  In his Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation, he instructed readers not to sleep while someone is talking to you, touch yourself in public, or blow your nose at the dinner table.  All good rules of civility that still apply today.  Some of George’s ideas about behaviors to avoid are thankfully out of date, though.  Here are just a few:

  • George wrote: “Spit not in the Fire, nor Stoop low before it neither Put your Hands into the Flames to warm them, nor Set your Feet upon the Fire especially if there be meat before it.” 

I agree that spitting in the fire is gross, and you shouldn’t prop your feet up near a fire where people’s food is cooking, but thank goodness he’s wrong about putting your hands near the flames to warm them.  What else would one do on a cool evening when gathered with friends or family around the Outdoor Fireplace?  When hands are cold, and there is a deliciously warm fire nearby, the natural instinct is to put the two together.  Warm your hands, George!  No one will think less of you for doing so.

  • George wrote: “When you Sit down, Keep your Feet firm and Even, without putting one on the other or Crossing them.” 

Clearly, George did not own an ottoman or a lounge chair of any kind on which he could prop up his feet after a busy day running the country.  In fact, keeping one’s feet firm and even doesn’t even sound comfortable.  Perhaps a rule of this sort still survives in fancy living rooms and sitting rooms.  In outdoor living areas, though, kicking back and lounging around on comfortable Patio Furniture is the only acceptable behavior, even in company.

  • George wrote: “Make no Shew of taking great Delight in your Victuals.” 

Sorry, George.  Food is one of the greatest pleasures we have, which is why cooking shows and food channels are so popular.  To not delight in one’s food, especially when that food has been carefully and lovingly prepared by friends or family, would be rude.   When we can enjoy our meals cooked outdoors on a Gas or Charcoal Grill, the delicious food combined with the fresh air makes for an even more pleasurable eating experience.  If he could experience it himself, even George would agree that a few oohs, ahhs, and yums would be acceptable.

Sure, times change, and so do ideas about appropriate behavior.  It’s fun to read George’s long list of 17th century manners and discover what is still relevant.  Not surprisingly, much of what he has to say about personal comfort and how to behave with friends has changed dramatically.  Perhaps he’d be appalled if he could see us today.  Or, perhaps he would feel a renewed sense of freedom.  Go ahead, George, kick back, enjoy your meal, and be sure to warm your tootsies by the fire.

Outdoor Fireplace / Firehouse Cosabella 3 pc. Club Chair Chat Group Electric Grills and Smokers

Backyard Fun, Outdoor Entertaining, Portable Fun

Celebrate BBQ Month with Grill Tips and a Delish Recipe

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Outdoor Grill

Did you know that May is National Barbecue Month?  What better way to celebrate it than by cooking dinner out on the back patio or deck?  Thanks to the generally pleasant weather experienced by much of the country in May, you can celebrate National Barbecue Month just about every night.

What type of Outdoor Grill do you prefer to use?  Gas Grills and Charcoal Grills are perhaps the most popular grills found in backyards across the country, but Electric Grills, Brick Ovens, and even Portable Grills make cooking out with family and friends a delicious affair, too.   If you don’t already own a grill, or if you’re in the market for a new one, make sure to consider the following questions when you go to buy:

  1. How much space do you have for storing and using a grill?  Know where you want to put a grill and measure that space so you know what size limitations you’re working with.
  2. How do you want to power your grill?  For example, some people prefer to use charcoal grills because of the flavor it adds to the food, while others like to have optimum control over the temperature of the flame and choose gas.
  3. How much cooking surface will you need?  Larger families require a larger cooking surface so that everyone’s food can fit on the grill at the same time.  Small families, on the other hand, may not require as much cooking surface.
  4. What kind of features are most important to you?  A grill that is easy to clean?  Easy to move around? One with a warming rack above the main grill surface? Or with additional work space and grilling tool hooks?  Knowing what features you require will help you narrow the field of choices.

With a grill at the ready, you can celebrate National Barbecue Month this month as well as all summer long.  While you’re at it, you can easily celebrate National Hamburger Month, too, which is also in May.  Here’s a delicious hamburger recipe to get you motivated:

Teriyaki Hamburgers

  • 1-1/2 pounds of lean ground beef or ground turkey
  • 2 slices of white bread, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1-1/2 Tablespoons of sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons of soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Blend well.  Shape mixture into 6 patties.  Grill for 10-15 minutes about 5 inches from the flame, turning once.  Serves 6.  Enjoy!

Backyard Fun, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

One Hot Solution for Summer Staycations

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Thanks to record-high fuel prices, many families are choosing to vacation at home this summer rather than spend hard-earned cash filling up the gas tank.  One of the most popular additions homeowners are bringing to their backyards to create an at-home vacation experience is a fire ring.

Fire RingFire rings are generally constructed of durable cast iron, and the most appealing ones come apart panel by panel so they can be stored away easily or transported from backyard to campsite.  A fire ring brings warmth to any outdoor setting, and it invites gatherings of friends and family to cozy up for marshmallow roasting, song singing, and story telling.  Some fire rings even come equipped with a cooking grate on which you can roast campfire fare like hot dogs, burgers, and potatoes.

Vacations at home don’t require much work or preparation, and they go a long way toward saving homeowners money.  Fire rings offer one solution for creating a summer “staycation” that’s affordable and memorable.