Today is the first of April and the high for here is 32 degrees. At least some of our snow has been melting and we’ve even had some birds chirping around here. This little guy was so cute hopping around on my deck railing the other day, I wanted to keep him.
This spring we definitely have a few outdoor projects we need to accomplish. The biggest one is staining the deck. Thanks to the 40% off sale in September at we were able to score some stain for a great price. If you can’t tell from the handrail in the picture above, let me show you the rough shape our deck boards are in.
The sun beats down on the deck for most of the day along with two dogs and four kids running around, it definitely takes a beating.
Last year thanks to a hail storm, our insurance company and , we were able to purchase a new . This gazebo is amazing, we love it! There are mosquito net screens, along with heavy curtains that block out the sun which is important when we dine on the deck as the sun is in full effect at that point and it’s usually right in someone’s eyes at the table. It’s also a little bigger than our last gazebo, at 10×12 we can fit a table and six chairs under here, zip up the curtains and have plenty of room to move around. Definitely a great purchase for our home! (Lowes did not pay me for my gazebo or to say anything about this gazebo, they don’t even know I exist. This is just my personal review).
This year, we are due for some new outdoor patio furniture. Our original set is now 8 years old and the cushions are past their prime and the table is rusting. Two thoughts on this, one I spray paint the table and give it new life, purchase new cushions and call it a day. Two, we find a new set, probably one that does not have cushions.
While shopping at Sams Club last week, I spotted this awesome S for only $69! It jumped into my cart and I can’t wait to use it!
The hubby and I have checked out a few different patio table and chair sets recently. These are a few we are really eyeing up:
We like this the table is a great size for playing games in the evenings, the chairs don’t have cushions, they swivel and seem comfortable.
This one isn’t really in our price range but a girl can dream, right? I love this one from ! Although it has cushions and a longer table, the chairs are just so lovely, I could sit in those all day and read while the kids swim in the pool or play in the backyard.
This caught our eye as well, although it has cushions which we would like to avoid. The reviews are great and it’s in our price range too.
I did try to find some cushions but the dimensions are 19×19 and somewhat hard to find replacements for. I did find a few options at but they are kind of pricey. It’s almost cheaper to buy a whole new patio set than to replace the seat cushions. With a coupon these would still be pricey, they are originally $170, on sale for $102 for two cushions. I need 6. So $300 just for cushions! Crazy!
The search is on, wish us luck! Hopefully the weather will warm up enough soon so we can enjoy our gazebo and dinner outside. Do you have a patio set? Do you have cushions on your chairs? Have a set you would recommend for us?
Good luck with the search. Outdoor furniture is hard to find at a great price. I can’t wait for the weather to warm up already.
Ange I have seen some great patio sets on Craigslist lately. I was looking to price a set I am selling for my in-laws and spied a few really nice ones….so maybe you would have luck with a fabulous set on there! We bought ours at BJs, do you have those? Ours is teak and basically indestructible, but it has to be oiled twice a season which is kind of a bummer. Go low maintenance and make it easy on yourself!
We have some serious outdoor projects to do too! We had beautiful weather over the weekend which was wonderful but it also revealed just how much we have to accomplish. LOL! I LOVE your gazebo and think I need to add that to my “wish list” this year. Can’t wait to see how you make everything fabulous!
Vanessa
Love your patio! I’m dreaming of Spring on the blog today too.
It’s unreal how expensive outdoor furniture is. Crazy.
I really like that rug! It’s one of the more affordable ones I’ve seen that I like. It was 86 today
Had to turn on the a/c upstairs.
Great spring project list Ange! I love the gazebo! What a great shot of the pretty bird in the beginning! You are doing great with your camera. Our backyard is also on our spring “list.” It’s a daunting task and one I don’t feel comfortable with. Wish you could come visit and help me! Glad to see I’m not the only one having trouble keeping up with blogging. But like I’ve said in the past, it’s our blog and we should never feel like a slave to it. I’m so looking forward to Haven. Will your fam be coming with you again? I was just talking (on her blog) Andrea about how fun it would be for us to room together! Well, I’m off to get some more things done before my trip to the chiropractor. Hope this finds you having a happy day my sweet friend! Love and hugs, Shan
LOVE the canopy that you have on your deck. Our projects for this year are exactly the same as yours were in 2013 apparently. I was just wondering how you have the allen and roth canopy secured to your deck. I couldn’t quite tell by the picture.