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outdoor decorating

OUR FAVOURITES, OUTDOORS

Sunny Sunday Style

sunny-sunday-style

Sunday….one of my favourite days of the week! Mostly because it is the one day that I totally kick back and have a lazy day.  Typically we spend Sunday as a family.  The weather is a big determining factor one what we do as a family – and that’s entirely up to mother nature.

Sunny Sunday…

This Summer, we get to spend Sunday as a family by the pool.  Our summers, here in Ottawa, Canada aren’t the longest so we really like to take advantage of the sunny weather when we can! The pool is a the perfect hang out on those hot days.

These are some of my sunny Sunday must-haves :

Fun Pool Floats – like this pink donut float (my daughter loves this pink one, the boys prefer it in brown but they all think it is hilarious)

Eating outdoors in the summer time is a favourite – the fresh air, the smell of the grill and enjoying the scenery (my husband loves to garden, so it’s nice to spend some time appreciating his hard work). These colourful cutlery pieces add a little extra summer fun in these bold and bright neons!

 

These floating drink holders are just too cute! They are perfect on those really hot days …Your drink fits right in the float – easy! You can use these in the pool, the lake and even the hot tub! I bought a set of these for our school silent auction and they were a hit!

You need to have a big, fluffy beach towel – and these ones are amazing! Lounging poolside with a book or wrapping yourself up after a dip in the water – these fun beach towels are perfect and they come in other prints, too!

 

I’m sure you scratching your head and wondering what this is but for me this is a life saver for days and nights outdoors.  You see the mosquitoes love me… and no matter what I do the moment I step outside they are all over me. This product, the SkeeterVac, has really made my outdoor experience so much more enjoyable –

 

We love to play at the pool but we also like to play around in the kitchen.  With a big family like mine – we often cook at home and we have recently expanded our garden this year to include more veggies! We have always had an herb garden and even for a novice gardener an herb garden is a great start and it’s so rewarding! We love fresh herbs especially basil and oregano – we add herbs to our salads, salad dressings, vinaigrette and our fresh and home made tomato sauce that we make at the end of summer.

How do you like to spend you Sunday?

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HOME DECOR, OUTDOORS

How to Add ‘Flare’ to your Patio this Summer

how-to-add-flare-to-your-patio-this

One of the best things about summer is entertaining outdoors.  We have been cooped up all winter and even on those cooler spring days and evenings – so it is a welcome change to get outside in the warm weather.

 

Summer nights are perfect for having friends over for a BBQ and some drinks but they are also great for quiet nights in as a family or couple. Summer nights are the best! Just because you are outdoors doesn’t means that you are limited to basic patio furniture – there are so many options! You can add decorative touches to make your outdoor living space even more comfortable and inviting.

 

Here are some of our favourite summer outdoor living decorating ideas:

 

Lanterns:

We love the look of lanterns! We even like them for the indoors.  But lanterns are a great way to add some candle light or soft lighting to your space.  Keeping open flames like a candle in a lantern keeps it safe, too.  We like lanterns on the ground but try them on a table top (think dining under the stars) or hung up – they look great every way.

 

 

Outdoor rug:

A rug? Outside? Yes!  It is a great look – it adds some colour and possibly some print and pulls the outdoor living space together. It makes the outdoor area look and feel cozy.  Make sure the rug you get is designed for ‘outdoor use’. An outdoor rug is made of materials that can stand the weather (sun and rain).  An outdoor rug also has a nice ‘foot feel’ – meaning when you stand on it, it feels good on bare feet unlike a concrete, cement or even wood surface, which can all be a bit rough.

 

 

Pillows:

Like the rug – this is a great ‘indoor’ comfort that can be brought outside – just be sure to have pillows in an outdoor safe fabric. There are tons of colour and print options.  Pillows not only add even more comfort to your outdoor seating space but they add some style, too.  Be sure to have an overall colour theme (which includes your rug as well).  Just like decorating the indoors you want consistency with your style. See the image below – the pop of colour is red and orange -so bright and fun even the table top lanterns coordinate with the colour theme.

 

 

Small furniture:

Sure, you have your main pieces for furniture likely a seating area and a dining area but what about small pieces of furniture like coffee tables and side tables? You will want those for surface space.  The garden stool is also a great option if you need some last minute extra seating – they are a perfect multi-purpose piece.  We also look how a garden stool adds some colour and some texture – plus they are easy to clean and in the cooler months – you can use them indoors!

 

Bar cart:

Outdoor entertaining like indoor entertaining needs serving space.  Since you likely won’t have an outdoor kitchen (and if you do have one – you are so lucky!) you need some kind of serving space for food and drink.  We love bar carts (for inside too) for the outdoors.  You don’t have to sacrifice table space (or at least too much table space) when hosting. It’s a perfect piece for serving light snacks and drinks – if you host huge parties and have the space, consider getting 2 carts – one designated for drinks and the other for snacks.

 

 

Lounging:

Who says outdoor furniture can’t be comfortable?! Hoe about some outdoor bean bag chairs? We love the fun patterns, the easy maintenance and the absolute comfort.  Perfect for summer afternoon naps or eating for kids. We are seeing ‘bean bag’ seating more and more in resort spas because it is so comfortable and comfort is king!

 

In the warm summer months, enjoy the outdoors in comfort and with a touch of style!

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