Pimp Your Patio for the Summer
July 12th, 2006 | Author: Jessica Shopson | Category: Featured Posts, Home & Garden, Shopping Guides, Summer '06 | |The summer technically just began but it’s hot, humid and uncomfortable already. Air conditioning is too expensive to run day and night, so when the sun goes down you should head back outside to relax. Plus, good television is over until the fall so you have no reason to be inside.
It is summer, peel yourself off your couch and head outside
Light the citronella candles, pour a drink, put on some bug spray (nobody wants West Nile) and head to your backyard. The first thing you need for a totally relaxed backyard atmosphere is a string of patio lights. It’s easy to go to an expensive home goods store to buy strands of lights but there are cheaper options available on the internet. If you are like me, and are having a girls-only weekend party with your roomies from college you can light up your backyard with some fun, feminine dragonfly lights. I usually hate rainbows, butterflies and girly things like that, but these dragonfly lights are opaque rather than a distracting bright color. They are classier than most, which is why they are a good choice.
If you don’t want your patio to look like a circus then I would suggest going for a simpler design. Forgo the usual Christmas lights for these rectangular lights with just a splash of color.
Put down the beer, you’re too good for that
That is not a request it is an order. When you reach a certain stage of life (at the age of 25 or 26) you should reserve beer drinking for beer pong, flip-cup, or cards. The drink of choice for summer should be something refreshing, fruity, flavorful and fun. Sitting on your front stoop and drinking a beer is more trashy than classy. Put those patio lights to good use and enjoy a cocktail on your newly lit patio.
Slap down some meat and show your grill skills
I can’t cook to save my life which consequently means I can’t grill. I don’t even know how to light a charcoal grill or turn on a gas grill. But if I was to learn how to grill, I would buy: Kraft Kitchens: Dinner On Hand
There are a million grilling books out there so you have to just suck it up and pick one. I chose this book because it says it’s the “best ever” and I’m just going to take their word for it. Plus Kraft, the company that brought us awesome Easy Mac, Kool-aid and Stove-Top, produced the book so it can’t possibly be bad.
Citronella gives me a headache
There is something about the smell of citronella that gives me a raging headache and I know the purpose of citronella is to repel the bugs but I swear to you it attracts them. While they may not be biting me they are flying around and landing in my hair or drink instead, which is worse than the bite itself.
So I have for you, an ulterior votive! Ditch the citronella candles and set the mood with some regular tea-light candles and a funky glass votive. I like etched glass votives, but if your plan on hosting some rowdy summer parties try a safer alternative like metal. Broken glass means more clean-up in the morning.
Plastic make parties possible
If you’re going for the metal votives instead of the glass then put your good porcelain dishes away and stock up on plastic for your next party. I frown on plastic dinnerware, but I also frown on cleaning up glass shards. Believe it or not, there are ghetto options for plastic dinnerware available out there. One festive choice are these aqua dishes, festive for summer.
To the patio you go!
Decorate, get some friends and begin to re-enjoy your backyard!
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