{"id":14795,"date":"2019-05-30T05:00:58","date_gmt":"2019-05-30T09:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sincerelymariedesigns.com\/?p=14795"},"modified":"2019-05-29T22:25:24","modified_gmt":"2019-05-30T02:25:24","slug":"our-favorite-things-for-outdoor-summer-entertaining","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sincerelymariedesigns.com\/our-favorite-things-for-outdoor-summer-entertaining\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Favorite Things for Outdoor Summer Entertaining"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the time of year that we love spending time outdoors with family and friends. Here’s our favorite essentials for outdoor entertaining!<\/em><\/h3>\n

It’s officially summer here in north Georgia! We’ve had quite the heat wave come through and we’ve been staying cool with lots of pool time and movie nights. With summer finally here I’m excited to show you guys one of our favorite rooms, which isn’t really a room at all. It’s our back porch. I thought this blog hop hosted by my sweet friend Bre from Rooms For Rent<\/a> would be the perfect time to share the things we love most for outdoor entertaining!<\/p>\n

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In the last two years we’ve really tackled our back porch area. We still have a long way to go but each year we get a little closer to where we want to be. Our back yard is very wooded if all of the greenery wasn’t a good giveaway, ha! One thing I loved about our house when we found it was that although the back yard is very much a hill, the porch sits at the bottom of a retraining wall that has ivy just barely creeping over the side. It’s such a quaint little courtyard area. Two years ago we planted several hydrangeas and other shrubs and last year we added a couple more and hopefully again this year.<\/p>\n

It’s far from perfect but we really love it and enjoy spending time here starting in April and through October. Recently we were spending time together as a family, roasting marshmallows as we often do this time of year and I started thinking about what we loved most when it came to entertaining in this space. We often end up here when we have friends and family over and I’ve noticed that there’s several essentials that really make for a great environment for entertaining. Here’s my list:<\/p>\n

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A Great Place to Sit<\/h4>\n

Your furniture doesn’t have to be new or even match for that matter, just as long as you have a nice place to sit. Last year we updated our porch furniture. We previously had a metal set that had seen better days. I recovered the cushions and painted it a couple of times before we let it go but it got the job done! I do love my new set though. It provides a welcoming and comfy place for friends and family to chat and enjoy the fire pit. As long as you have a nice place to sit people will gather!<\/p>\n

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Good Music<\/h4>\n

We love music in our house. My mom gave us an Amazon Alexa<\/a> a couple of years ago for Christmas and we’ve been hooked ever since. Pandora and Spotify are our best friends when it comes to entertaining and spending time outside.<\/p>\n

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Go-To Meal or Dessert<\/h4>\n

S’mores just might be my Achilles\u2019 heel, friends. A lot of you know that I’m Whole 30 Monday-Friday but a girls gotta cheat for some chocolate every now and then. One of our favorite things that we love that we can throw together quickly is a s’mores tray. It’s a perfect summer dessert and the tray is so easy to assemble. This summer we also found a way to roast marshmallows without firing up the fire pit. You can read all about our DIY tabletop burner here<\/a>. We also love to do a simple meat and cheese trays in the evenings.<\/p>\n

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Cozy Pillows & Throws<\/h4>\n

You guys know I love a good throw pillow. They’re an easy way to add that cozy feel. I like to mix outdoor pillows with regular pillows. The down inserts I use make for a fuller pillow than most outdoor pillows. We don’t have a covered porch so we always take our cushions and pillows in after we use them. A throw or two is always a good idea just in case it gets a bit chilly once the sun goes down.<\/p>\n

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Greenery<\/h4>\n

I’m a big fan of plants, inside and out. In past years Charlie and I planted flowers in our ports on the porch but this year with the craziness of the bathroom renovation I just stuck with a couple of ferns and topiaries. Bringing a little greenery up onto the porch really adds life to the space. I love the color as well that flowers can bring. I’m hoping to get around to planting flowers in the pots for the porch before the month is over. Fingers crossed!<\/p>\n

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Last but certainly not least, let go and have fun!<\/h4>\n

Life is perfect and entertaining doesn’t have to be either. Just have fun and enjoy your time together. Summer is such a laid back season and honestly I find it very refreshing. Whether you’re outdoor space is complete and beautiful or is far from where you want it to be, find the things you love about it and enjoy it this summer season. In the end not many will remember if your space was perfect but instead the time that was spent there making fun memories.<\/p>\n

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