I am the kind of person that LIVES in the backyard during the summertime. In fact, I'm currently writing this on my patio...there's something so relaxing about mornings by the flowers, trees, and sunshine. I wanted to share some of the ways I make the backyard more suitable for hanging out and spending time outdoors. Puggy decided to guest star while I was having some iced tea in the afternoon the other day and I'm so glad he did! Look at that face! But anyway - here goes:






Hanging string lights is a really easy way to dress up your outdoor space. Target has a great selection at all different price points. We got these last year, and they add the perfect amount of light; not too dim and not too bright. These vintage LED string lights are another one of my favorites. They're very lightweight, so they are easy to hang with simple hooks like these. They're really soothing in the evening!

Find patio furniture - we found most of our yard furniture at...what do you know...Target! The chairs we have are from last year, but they're online here again this year for $19 (ours are the tan color). They're sturdy, really comfortable, and the color works well with different furniture. We pair ours with a rectangular dining table from Lowe's.



We also found these blue resin chairs that are so cute! They look like they belong on a beach house patio. They also come in off-white and gray. I love these because they're really comfortable to lounge in, and they decorate the patio so nicely.

My goal is to get an outdoor sofa. My dream one is this square arm sectional set from Pottery Barn. I love it with some decorative pillows! Another favorite of mine is this wicker sectional from Target. I think they look so perfect in a summer backyard...I can just see myself reading a book, watching a movie on an outdoor TV, or blogging hehe.






Wind chimes are another great addition to spruce up the patio - they look and sound so pretty. We got our wooden wind chime from Florida last year, and it has the most soft, soothing sound to it every time the breeze passes. Hanging flowering plants also cheer me up a lot! Another thing I have to have around are citronella candles - I swear by them! As soon as I light them, any bugs hovering seem to just disappear.



BBQ grills are a backyard essential too, in my opinion. If I'm having meat for lunch or dinner, I always grill it in the summer! It tastes and smells sooo good. Grills also makes a patio look more like a patio, haha! I love having one in the yard.





Work on your garden - tending to flowers or planting new ones really makes the yard look fresh. We got 4 rose trees for the backyard, and then we planted various Petunias and Impatiens around them. They're such a treat to look at! We also have a beautiful lemon tree that I sit by most mornings in summer.





One thing that's really nice to invest in is a hose hideaway. If you get the right one, it's decorative AND functional. It's a tidy, attractive way of keeping the hose hidden and controlled when you're not using it. Ours is from Lowe's, but I found this similar one from Target.

That just about does it for our backyard...I forgot to include getting a cute doormat for the patio, which I've been meaning to do. Ours has little sea crabs on it, but it's faded from use and has to be replaced. I was also thinking, how cute would an outdoor swing or hammock be?! Dying for one!

Have a great weekend and thanks so much for stopping by! xoxoxo