Where do you spend the most time in the summer? Despite the heat, we spend countless hours in our backyard during the summer months. Last year, we redid our deck and made some aesthetic upgrades to the outdoor living space. This summer we decided to update our decor. I also wanted to make it more conducive to the activities that my girls love right now like reading and enjoying a cool treat during those hot summer days!
I’ve been really impressed with the Better Homes & Garden line at Walmart lately, so the girls and I decided to head to Walmart last week to check it out. Just as we suspected, the Better Homes & Garden line for summer was amazing! We found everything we needed from throw pillows to pots to update our porch and create an outdoor reading nook. The girls even found a little something to make a treat to cool us off in the summer sun!
Outdoor Space Updates:
STAYING COOL IN THE HOT SUMMER SUN:
If you’re a Texan you know that the Texas heat is no joke. Unlike Rocky Mountain states where the temperature drops in the shade, Texas shade offers little reprieve. So, the girls and I have started to get creative with our outdoor activities. We look for things to do that are fun, but also keep us cool!
This summer when we were walking through Walmart, the girls spotted a snow cone machine (for under $20!) and desperately wanted to try it! I was instantly sold on the idea and we tried it as soon as we got home. I was nervous it would be messy or difficult for the girls, but it really wasn’t! You simply follow the easy directions using ice from your freezer and it makes the perfect snow cones. Then you drizzle it with your favorite flavor and enjoy it outdoors with your friends or family!
CREATING A READING HAVEN:
Reading is one of my girls’ favorite things to do. During the summer we have a set amount of time each girl has to do and we’ve created a reward system based on how many books they complete. To encourage them to read even more, I wanted to create a beautiful space for them to read and relax. I found this macrame swing for them at Walmart and ordered a couple pillows and a comfortable blanket to use. Not only is their outdoor reading nook comfortable, but it’s aesthetically pleasing, too!
This past weekend we read all morning and the girls even requested I make them lemon-infused water. I used these melamine glasses (I still don’t fully trust the little ladies), and I added lemon and mint springs. I think I might be spoiling the girls a little too much. Let’s just hope they don’t expect all this fanfare when they go back to school!
AESTHETIC, AFFORDABLE UPGRADES FOR YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE:
The last area we spruced up in our outdoor space was our back patio. I’ve found that no matter if I’m making snow cones with my girls, grilling out with Travis, or entertaining friends with summer cocktails, our back porch is used most often. So, last week my girls and I headed to Walmart to spruce up our porch a little bit. We wanted some items that would not only be functional, but would bring in some pops of color too to brighten our porch for the summer. Emma Grace found the prettiest yellow throw pillow and I added in these pillows and this white one.
We also grabbed these pots that perfectly tied in with our furniture. I also grabbed these two baskets – the smaller of which served as a flower pot and the larger of which held our fig tree. I also plan on using the larger basket to hid the girls’ outdoor toys. Finally, I grabbed this tray to serve cocktails to our friends or lemonade to the girls.
I think my favorite part about sprucing up our outdoor space was getting my girls involved in the process. Allowing them to help me pick out the items and have a say in how we decorated our porch gave them a sense of ownership over it. In turn, I truly think they enjoy it so much more! Additionally, I loved that everything we found from Walmart was affordable and aesthetically pleasing. We found the perfect pieces to turn our outdoor space into a summer oasis!
SHOP OUR OUTDOOR SPACE:
SHOP OUR FAVORITE OUTDOOR POTS:
This post was created in collaboration with Walmart. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting those brands who support Fleurdille.
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