Gift Guide 15: Outdoor Oasis
Give your patio a lil' upgrade.
For a split second, I hesitated to send this to you today. The news is a scary mess. Social media is having yet another polarizing melt down. It’s all a lot. But then I thought, THIS is the perfect time to encourage my friends to step away from the WaPo or WSJ or whatever you read, and go outside! This is the perfect weekend to cancel your plans and invite someone over for a cold drink and a long chat. This is the time to care for yourself (and your patio).
I give you this gift guide as an invitation to take gentle care of yourself by soaking up the glories of nature. To remind yourself that the world was spinning long before we got here, and she’ll keep spinning long after we leave.
If you have a big budget and a lotta outdoor space, this isn’t the gift guide for you. Grab yourself a Ballard Designs catalog and book a consultation with Carmen Johnston Gardens to create your own personal outdoor oasis fit for the likes of Bunny Williams.
However, if you are like me and find yourself lacking money and outdoor space, I invite you to join me in a quest to make the most of what we have. Get in, winner, we’re going shopping. We’re specifically shopping for small flourishes that can elevate an outdoor space. Items that will stay with us for many summers to come will go in our carts. If it’s trendy, complicated, or too pricey, it will stay on the shelf. The majority of this guide is sourced from Amazon, so it’s likely to be with you in two days. Summer is inviting us to hang out, so let’s do this!
It's amazing to me how a tablecloth can transform a space. An elegant tablecloth can signal guests to put their pinkies up. A loved and faded tablecloth invites guests to linger a bit longer and not to worry about the wine stains left behind. I still grieve the day the Amanda Lindroth online store closed, taking with it all those beautiful block-printed tablecloths and napkins. Maybe you can still find those simple gems in a store somewhere, but until then may I recommend this beauty.
No doubt about it, music sets a vibe. If you’re short on décor, vibe is all you’ve got. If you aren’t the type to create a playlist for every gathering, chances are fairly high that one of your guests is. Having a reliable Bluetooth speaker (charged) and at the ready is a fun way to set your soundtrack and get guests involved in the party. This small JBL speaker is reliable without breaking the bank. I recommend playing something like this tune from Arc De Soleil to ease into a weekend.
While tablecloths and music set a winning vibe, bugs serve as an immediate vibe killer. Too bad many of the remedies for bugs are either bright and buzzing or reeking of chemicals. These incense sticks smell like sea salt, and the delicate stream of incense should deter some of those pesky flies and mosquitos.
You’re gonna need those incense sticks when you pull these adorable table lamps out at dusk. These 10-inch lamps are rechargeable and emit a soft glow. It’s such a magical light, it’s hard to explain, but I promise you’ll elevate your evening meals outdoors with these.
Outdoor time isn’t exactly synonymous with food and drink, but it also kinda is. A solid set of plates and cups is another simple way to elevate your patio game for this summer and many more to come. If you’re OK with melamine, these plates in a lovely shade of blush are a nice option for serving snacks or meals. If you have a crowd coming over, skip the red Solo cups and opt for these washable and recyclable aluminum cups from the company that makes Ball jars. And Corkcicle is a great option for cold drinks – especially for those prone to spill (speaking for a friend, of course).
Did you know Amazon sells plants?! And the plants usually have rave reviews? If heading to the hardware store or local nursery isn’t on your to-do list for the weekend, maybe have the plants brought to you. Ferns are always a good option for dressing up a porch or patio. Side note: Carmen Johnston has tips on how to keep your ferns thriving.
Years ago, I was a new homeowner with a state job. Which meant I was rich in expenses and poor in funds. My daydreams of leisurely mornings spent on my screened-in porch with a lovely set of patio furniture were dashed when I looked at the price of patio furniture. New or used, it was more than my mortgage! I not only had sticker shock, but I was also disappointed in the fact that most patio furniture isn’t built to hold much weight. I bought two of these chairs from Lowe’s and proceeded to apologize profusely to my guests for my “plastic chairs.” Reader, these chairs have become some of my favorite furniture. Wide, sturdy, and built to hold Hulk Hogan, these chairs are the MVPs of my patio. What’s more, they include a cup holder, key holder, and a place for your phone. Run, don’t walk, to get yourself the Cadillac of “plastic chairs.”
Fatboy is a great brand. I mean, this is a company that brings us the aforementioned table lamps and the greatest outdoor bean bag ever made. They also make seriously handy lights. This globe light is rechargeable (aren’t they all these days?) and has a rubber loop. This loop wraps around posts in seconds flat to provide you with overhead lighting. And, like their table lamps, the soft glow is the stuff of Instagram filters.
Another shout out for the transformative magic of a tablecloth alongside the suggestion to tidy up your cutlery with this handy carrier. If you’re an overachiever, add these cloth napkins adorned with citrus to your table.
Speaking of tableside flair, this concrete fire pit is made to dazzle your dinner guests and maybe roast a few marshmallows for s’mores. It runs on rubbing alcohol or bioethanol fuel.
Just like tablecloths and lights deserve two mentions on this humble list for their ability to transform your outdoor soiree into a magical evening, un-inviting bugs from your party deserves a second mention. Dynatrap is quiet and has a much smaller light to attract mosquitos and bugs compared to other traps. This is their medium-sized model. The very small model is perfect for, well, small spaces. The large model might just take out all the bugs in your neighborhood. Honorable mention goes to this clever incense coil. While it won’t wipe out all the bugs on your patio, it can serve as a striking (and smoking!) centerpiece.
For the lucky bug that escaped the incense and bug traps, there are these beautiful table tents to keep food free of flying pests. They are on the pricier side, but they are built to last and are available in several colors.
Last but certainly not least – another reminder to remember the music! Here’s a larger JBL speaker for those of you with more spacious outdoor spaces. Like the smaller version, it’s available in a variety of colors and built to withstand falls and splashes.
Many of these links come from the Amazon Affiliate program. If you make a purchase — thank you! I may earn a small commission.