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A Plentiful Life

Money Saving Tips

Bringing the Party Outside

May 29, 2017

Is summer almost here?  We’ve had a long winter and I am looking forward to sunshine and outdoor dining!  I’ve always been very lucky to have homes with outdoor spaces, from living in a small apartment with a tiny deck to a rental with a yard to our current townhouse with a lovely outdoor oasis.  I think I have learned a lot from these various spaces and wanted to share some tips on bringing the party outside.

The updated patio is coming up this week (see inspiration photo above) and before the big reveal I thought I’d share some tips on how to get your outdoor space ready for summer gatherings!  No matter what your budget is or how big of space you have, there are always options! First figure out what works for the space, what your budget is for new items, how you can refresh pieces you already have and go from there!  Like I always say, make a plan!

TIPS ON HOW TO BRING THE PARTY OUTSIDE

1. LIGHTS – I think lighting makes a huge difference.  We have string lights throughout our yard (our old yard is featured above) and I always make sure to plug them in before the party starts.  Then you can transition the party from day to night without anyone noticing.  I found these string lights on sale at Wayfair, they are the same brand as mine and have been very reliable as we keep them up all year long.  Not sure where to start?  Check out the outdoor lighting section to see what would work with your space.

2. ZONES- I love separating the various areas and creating the illusion of more space.  I have previously tried to put furniture out without defining the areas and I think it can look messy.  Outdoor rugs, like this one from Wayfair, are key.  By placing an outdoor rug under your dining table or in front of your patio furniture, you’ll notice how it defines the space, makes it cozier and it’s also wonderful for bare feet in the summer.  Have a large space?  A large rectangular rug would go nicely.  Only a small space?  A round rug would work great.

3. SERVING – An outdoor cart or small table or even a cooler are your best friend during the summer months.  As a host the last thing you want to do is spend all your time running in and out of the house.  If you create a place you can use during the party for ice or snacks or as a mini bar it’ll not only look stylish, but you’ll have more time to spend with your guests.

4. SEATING – Whether you have a small patio or large yard, bringing the party outside is always possible, the key is to have extra seating. Last summer we seemed to constantly run out of seats.  I wanted to incorporate some extra seating without cluttering the yard. I bought some side tables, like these ones, and guess what?  They double as stools so we always have extra seating on hand.  Do you need something more than a stool?  I think it is always a great idea to look at the seating section.  From there you can easily choose a category or see what will work in your space.

5. STORAGE – This is a must!  We live in a rainy city so frequently need to cover or store our outdoor cushions.  If you have space for a small outdoor storage bench, they look great and can also double as seating.  If you don’t have room for outdoor storage, I would suggest investing in a cover for your cushions.

6. BBQ – If you want to move the party outside, you need to be ready to cook outdoors!  Get the BBQ area prepped before summer kicks off!  Set up a space for your BBQ, clean it up, get your tools ready, making sure to define a space for outdoor cooking. We like to leave a jug of oil by the BBQ, along with some plastic serving dishes, again saving those trips back into the house.  Don’t have a BBQ area? Make one!  We use an old electrical spool as our BBQ table, added some hooks for tools and it really brings character to the yard.

7. DINING – Whether you have patio furniture or an outdoor dining table I would highly suggest plastic plates, and as you can see from the photo above outdoor plates have come a long way!  We have a set like these ones and I don’t have to stress about broken plates, the clean up is easy and they bring a wonderful summer vibe to the party.  I also recently purchased some plastic wine glasses that look really great!  You’d think they were glass.

Hopefully these tips help you get your outdoor space ready for those summer get-togethers and easily expand your living space during the summer months no matter how big your outdoor space is!

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Tijana Popovc

A frugalista who hunts for great deals, try's her best to budget and navigates life as honestly as she can. I love thrift shopping, do it yourself projects, exploring the trails by our house, all the flowers, and spending time with the love of my life Mark.
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03.10.18 5 Years. 1. Our wedding dance. A random 03.10.18

5 Years.

1. Our wedding dance. A random, simple picture I saw on my computer. I feel like it could be a regular Tuesday night in the kitchen with Mark saying something funny and me laughing. Add in two toddlers, probably screaming for a group cuddle, just out of frame.

2. Second Date, 9 years ago.

3. DIY photobooth photos. I love these photos. We look at them every year. I always roll my eyes where I can see the night takes a turn and the backdrop is halfway ripped down, but it cost $40, sooooo...worth it. 

4. Evie, Poppy, and Mama. The photobooth was supposed to be an early surprise for our anniversary as the 5th year is wood. It's an old-school wooden photobooth that happens to be set up in North Van right now, but Mark got really sick. Instead, we did a girl date, had croissants, bubbly water, photobooth photos, and a craft session. 
 
I'm posting this early because I'm signing off social media for a bit. Life with two 3 year olds is full and takes a lot of energy. Marks business is thriving, and I need to be able to support in any way I can. Plus, if I have an extra 10 minutes, I probably should be doing some self care, not scrolling on my phone. 

✌️
Have you ever been shopping at your local Salvatio Have you ever been shopping at your local Salvation Army thrift store and looked up? There is so much to discover in the aisles above the racks. Everything you need for a fun and connected long weekend with the family. 

Games, puzzles, colouring, and more! I was excited to find a floor puzzle and a few games for our younger kids. All 3 games and the puzzle only cost $12! A great investment and definitely something that will get good use in our house for many years. 

Any plans for the long weekend? Going out of town or staying home, I would definitely suggest a quick stop at your local Salvation Army thrift store to discover all of the wonderful items to keep your family entertained all weekend long.

#aplentifullifethrifted #thriftstorefinds #thrifted #salvationarmythriftstore #thriftedgames #thriftedpuzzles #thriftkids #thriftkiddies
Last one, I swear! 🤭 Swipe to see the inside o Last one, I swear! 🤭

Swipe to see the inside of the rainbow cupcakes. Honestly, so easy, and they look great! Next time, I might reverse it and make rainbow icing and plain cupcakes, a bigger wow factor. BUT three year olds LOVE sprinkles, so this worked.

🌈✨️🧁
THREE! 🦄 🎉 🌈 I had a lot of fun with thi THREE! 🦄 🎉 🌈

I had a lot of fun with this one! Do you think I accomplished this on a budget? You bet I did! The only thing about being on a budget is that it can be a bit more labour intensive. 

I used cookie cutters again, which makes for easy prep. I cut out all of the sandwich pieces in advance and froze the rice krispies oncee they were made. The rainbow cupcakes I baked in advance and froze, so it was easy to take them out and ice the day of the party.

As for the decor, from the dollar store: 3 bags of balloons, 10 streamer rolls, and 2 unicorn felt banners. Plus leftover string, tape and a Happy Birthday kit, which included the foil balloons and rainbow balloons. Total: $32.50

Now that might not be the cheapest decor but when balloon garlands sell for hundreds of dollars, I think that's a pretty good budget
Yup, I'm that mom. 🫣😂 My kids will be embar Yup, I'm that mom. 🫣😂

My kids will be embarrassed by my enthusiasm one day, but until then, I'm bringing it full force. A few friends sent me photos, and I looked like this in most of them.
TWO! I thought we'd have a big party to FINALLY ce TWO! I thought we'd have a big party to FINALLY celebrate our girls last year but then another lockdown. We had a few family members, and it was nice, but I still went all out! 

Super affordable decor: cookie cutters, $1.99 plants, and butterflies (I think this was a set of 50 for not that much). I also bought secondhand butterfly wings for the kids to wear. 

The cookie cutter adds a level of fun to the food and a bit of themed decor to the table. Butterflies were easy to add throughout our house. Plants ended up outside on our front stoop afterward. 

PS I won the balloon garland! That would be a big party splurge.
The kids have taken over the bath! I wanted to fin The kids have taken over the bath! I wanted to find a nice storage solution for my bath essentials that didn't take up a lot of room. To find what I needed, I headed to the kitchen section of my local Salvation Army thrift store. You might not think the kitchen area is where you'd find bath supplies, but I was looking for something different.

I was so happy to find this heavy cheese plate with dome. It would keep all my bath supplies safe from small children. Then I fell in love with this terracotta pot for my Epsom salts, along with a porcelain spoon, simple candle, and small glass vessel for the matches.

The matches I found at the dollar store, they were long bbq matches, so I cut them to size and taped the striker onto the bottom. I love how it turned out, and I was able to use this secondhand glass jar in a new way!

Don't worry, the kids' toys are still there, I thrifted a small little basket to keep everything contained and in ONE corner.

#aplentifullifethrifted #thriftstorefinds #thrifted #thriftedbath #relaxingbath #momtime #selfcare #budgethome #affordabledecor
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