Outdoor Living

After we found out we were preggers with baby number three, we decided to add on to our house. Hot tip: being pregnant and living through a remodel is not recommended. Like ALL renovations, the project grew and grew, along with my belly. One thing led to another and we did the backyard right after the addition was done. At this point, meatball (Griffin) was a newborn, so people thought we were nuts. But we knew that a soon-to-be-toddler was even more difficult, so we decided to go for it. Oh, and we put in a pool. AND WE ARE SO GLAD we did. In San Diego, we spend just as much time outdoors as you do indoors (if not more). We we wanted the backyard to be an extension of our house- true outdoor living. We did not know the exact flow of the space and when we saw the prices of outdoor furniture, we were scared to make a HUGE investment, only to find out in six months we wanted a love seat not a couch, or a round table, not a rectangle. Target has really stepped up their game with affordable modern outdoor options and we were able to score some pieces that we still love two years later. They just so happen to be having a big patio sale this weekend. The couch is from Target’s Smith & Hawkin Montpelier collection. The fabric is Sunbrella which makes a huge difference. It’s not the highest grade of Sunbrella fabric but for the price ($748), I think it’s a steal. It has blackish roped arms that give it that extra detail and texture you'd normally see in a much more expensive piece. They have love seats, club chairs, accent tables, coffee tables…. the whole collection is really chic. We wanted to add a little texture so we decided to pair it with the wicker conversation set. I could not find this exact set, but I linked a very similar set on sale for $255 that would scratch the same itch. This is space is kinda tight so we needed pieces that could serve double duty. The cement side tables are $149 and serve as extra seats to our dining table and firepit.

Lets talk blankets. I love them. I think they soften and add texture to any space. They are hugely practical when hanging outside as well. Believe it or not I leave my outdoor blankets…. get this…. outdoors. Unless it’s raining, I will try to bring them in. Luckily in San Diego, that’s not very often. Or unluckily, if you check our drought report. Anywho, I love these acrylic Mexican falsa blankets. They add a little boho pattern to our otherwise very structured space. We actually take these with us to the beach, sporting events and camping. They are soft, thick and SO durable. BUT, my favorite thing about them? They are cheap. Most are under $20. The Turkish bath towel on our wicker chair doubles as a blanket because she is so purrrrdi. There a bunch on Amazon so I linked a few with similar looks here. All around $20.

Griffin was a newborn when we put the pool in. YIKES. One thing that was a non-negotiable for me was the pool cover that can be walked on. It holds 2,000 pounds or something crazy like that. This is one of many pool safety measures we take- but it’s a big one that helps me sleep at night. I did a whole post on the ISR survival swim classes he’s done this year and last. (I highly recommend) Are you supposed to play on the pool cover? NO. He was being naughty here and was hell bent on being in this photo. Can you believe a 2.5 year old didn’t follow my instructions? Weird.

ps. I have been eyeing this oversized egg chair for our upstairs balcony. Isn’t it EGGmazing? And now that it’s 25% percent off of $399….. it might be my father’s day gift to myself. Huh? These fun 4th of July pillows are also in the mail. Can you believe that is happening already…. what’s next Christmas?

Ready, Set, Summer!