Category Archives: Outdoor Entertaining

When the weather warms and your parties move outdoors, try these simple ideas. Entertaining doesn’t demand any elaborate decor, just simple food, good company, and your patio.

Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

Iron Patio Furniture for Extreme Climates

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If you live in a cold climate, or one with any extreme weather, choosing the right patio furniture can be a challenge. You can bring it in during the winter months, but the hassle of doing so may be more than you care to deal with. Choosing a furniture type that is made to stand up to extreme weather is the key! Iron patio furniture is a great option! This furniture has a special powder coated finish for exceptional durability in any kind of weather. It resists chipping, fading, and cracking for years to come, ensuring that your furniture will stay beautiful. Iron is easy to clean and easy to maintain. You will be able to buy an affordable set and make it last!

Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

A Hot Idea for Increasing Restaurant Traffic this Season

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Commercial Patio Heater

Restaurant owners and managers would agree that the struggling economy isn’t helping to increase business in their establishments.  Now that colder weather is on the way, restaurants and cafes that rely at least partially on patios and other outdoor spaces for serving hungry customers may see an even more dramatic decrease in business.

Preventing this double whammy to the bottom lines of restaurants all over the country can be as simple as ensuring that outdoor dining spaces remain comfortable for patrons, even when temperatures plummet.  Setting up commercial patio heaters throughout patio dining areas is one easy solution for providing comfortable warmth on frigid days.  By taking this step, restaurant owners and managers can increase the likelihood that patrons who might normally stay home to dine on cold days will decide instead to enjoy their dinner al fresco thanks to the warm glow of a commercial patio heater.

Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

Cozy Up with an Outdoor Fireplace

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Outdoor Fireplace

When the weather turns too cool for lounging in your outdoor spaces, it’s probably with reluctance that you retreat indoors for the long winter.  Luckily, the season for enjoying those exterior living areas can be extended significantly with the use of an outdoor fireplace.

For the most part, the traditional outdoor fireplace looks similar to a fireplace you might see on the inside of a home. Many traditional outdoor fireplaces are rectangular in shape and feature a mesh metal door which swings open to allow easy access, and swings closed to keep sparks from flying out of the fire. Traditional outdoor fireplaces are not boring in design, though. Whether your preferred style is one of clean lines or of romantically ornate decor, there is an outdoor fireplace to match that preference. In addition, most outdoor fireplaces provide you with 360 degree warmth, which creates an inviting space large enough to entertain multiple guests on chilly evenings.

Patio FireplaceA more utilitarian style of traditional outdoor fireplace is available, too, which may suit your needs more effectively while at home or while on camping or other outdoor vacations. These fireplaces boast a round body and sturdy, often tubular metal legs. Some models of this kind of outdoor fireplace have two wheels which allow the units to be moved easily to different locations. This more utilitarian of fireplaces offers the essential features without the fussiness of decorative elements.

Safety Note: Be sure to choose an outdoor fireplace that can be used safely in your home’s exterior living area. For example, many outdoor fireplaces cannot be used on or near wood decks or other wooden structures. While some of the portable fireplaces can be taken into grassy areas and campgrounds, an ideal location for most outdoor fireplaces would be a stone, brick, dirt, or concrete surface.

Innovative Solutions, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

Unique Infrared Patio Heaters

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Umbrella Infrared Patio Heater
If you are looking for a way to add some warmth to your porch or patio this fall and winter, infrared heating is the way to go. These heaters use infrared heat waves to heat the object or material in the path of the heater. In other words, the object is heated directly by the infrared waves, rather than by the surrounding air. You can find infrared heaters that attach to the wall or are freestanding, but one very cool way to use infrared heat is with your patio umbrella! Umbrella infrared patio heaters attach to any standard umbrella center pole and run off of standard household current. The heater does not create any harmful emissions or toxic residuals, making it safe AND effective. It is a stylish and modern way to extend the time that you can spend outdoors this year.

Backyard Fun, Innovative Solutions, Outdoor Entertaining, Portable Fun

Folding Picnic Tables: For Tailgating and More!

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Football Folding Picnic Table
Picnic tables are a great way to provide ample seating to your outdoor events. Picnic tables, however, are traditionally stationary.  How can you enjoy the benefits of extra seating and the ease of portability? Folding picnic tables! They are available in many designs, including the football folding picnic table shown above, which is perfect for tailgating. I recently spent a beautiful afternoon at The Grove at Ole Miss, rated the top tailgating school in the country by numerous publications. My friends and I enjoyed tailgating and put our folding picnic table to great use! Our table also recently came in handy when hosting my daughter’s outdoor birthday party (below). It provided a place to open presents, eat, and give the children a place to relax after lots of playing. They are perfect for adults and children and support up to 250 lbs. per seat. They are available in green, red, black, and blue. In addition to the football table top, you can also choose a poker design (perfect for on the go card games), soccer design, and plain table. They are easy to carry, sturdy, and fun!