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Tips to decorating your yard and creating a comfortable space to entertain.
Expensive decorations and furniture are nice. But, you can have a great area for entertaining outside by using what you've already got. Your outdoor decorations do not have to consist of all your kids toys and a slip and slide. Think outside of the normal and go for wha tlooks good.
Use your garden area as your focal point. If you do not have a garden, use potted plants to create a green scene. You can also use a nice tree or your favorite spot in the yard as your focal point. Create your special area on a patio or deck. Big or small areas can be used as well.
Table and chairs are a must for any outdoor entertaining. But make your decorations simple. Glass tables work great outdoors, they clean up quick and easy just before a meal and do not require any special paint or treatment. Plastic and treated wooden tables work well also. If you are in a hurry to entertain, simply toss a tablecloth over the table and you are ready. You can always pick up odd and end chairs to go with your table. They don't have to match. Go for the folk art or country look and make sure that all the chairs are different. Sew or purchase seat cushions that are easily removable so you can bring in out of the weather. If you have children, make sure your furniture is child friendly and safe. You can cut the legs of a wodden chair to be just the right height for a child. Do the same to a table and you've got a useful area for kids to feel comfortable in. Use overturned logs for easy chair side tables. Kids love to use these as their own spaces also. Cut a thick log in half and turn onto the flat side to use as short benches for toddlers.
Next try hanging an old light fixture from the tree overhead. If you are not underneath a tree, attach to a flag pole and let hang shoulder high. Put citronella candles in the light fixture instead of using electricity. You can fight off bugs and still have an intimate lighting setting for evening entertaining. If you have access to electricity, try stringing white lights in a tree nearby. If a tree is not available, place the lights on the table in no pattern at all. Then bunch up a white sheet to make the lights look like ice on the table. Of put the lights in a ball underneath a clear punchbowl and use as a centerpiece. For daytime entertaining, lights are not needed, but candles and lights always add a special touch to any event.
Last but not least, make sure to toss a few fluffy pillows on the ground near your chairs. Man's best friend will want to join in on the fun and every dog loves a good pillow.
About the Author
Roxanna Ward, Community leader and staff writer for http://www.BabyUniversity.com, lives in Georgia with her husband, Stan and her three children, Kirstie-Raie, Chase and Kale. As a published freelance writer and breastfeeding advocate, the focus of her writing is concentrated on sharing household tips, her experience with her frugal lifestyle which is compensated by being able to afford to be a stay-at-home mom, as well as the phenomenal process of breastfeeding, child rearing related issues and romantic relationships. She is also currently the Editor of three newsletters: What's New at BabyU?, Intimate Encounters and At Home with Baby University. Roxanna can be contacted at Roxanna30135@aol.com
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