Living It Up Outside

We're coming back into a season that can actually be spent outside. And we can actually use our "new" patio set again. I think we only partied with it twice before the awful summer temperatures hit. Even in the shade, it's just plain silly to consider going outside in the summer for anything other than running to the air-conditioned car. I'm so glad those days are over for a few months!

Don't let the absence of the chair cushions worry you...we happen to have a feral neighborhood cat who thinks that the cushions are his if left out. We thus store them in a safe, clean place until we need to use them. This same cat is one of the many reasons we've considered becoming avid hunters!

Knowing that we would be spending a lot more time outside over the winter, I started thinking about improvements I wanted to make to our beautiful patio set. Right now, the bottom of the legs scrape along the cement any time the chair is moved. And it creates a lovely sound something akin to nails on a chalkboard. I think people purposely sit very still so that the awful noise doesn't interrupt our lovely patio conversations. Who can be comfortable when at any moment a loud screech could burst into the scene?

So I began looking for an outdoor rug to go underneath the chairs. And I scored by waiting until the end of the summer season.

Store: Walmart

Size: 5x8 feet

Original Price: $50.00

Clearance Price: $40.00

Wedding Gift Card (yes...three years later) Applied: $27.00

Giant New Outdoor Rug Cost to Me: $15.90

Yippeeeeeeeee!

I'm happy (in case you couldn't tell). Especially since other rugs the same size at other stores were pushing $150. I love the bright colors in this rug, and I love that the sounds on the patio will now mostly be pleasant ones.

Winter Entertaining, here we come!

Finally Fall

Holy smokes, I'm excited. I wait ten looooooong months every year for this day. It is the beginning of the holiday season!

Now, don't run off just yet. You know that you love that special feel in the air that signifies the best two months of the year. I can't be the only one who is fine with Christmas store displays happening in mid-October!

But today it's here. Without being the annoying, creepy lady who leaves her tree up all year round (you know I would do it if it was legal), I am happy that the Fall and Christmas seasons are finally upon us.

I don't really get into Halloween. It certainly isn't a holiday that I get fired up to decorate the house. Maybe someday...when we have kids to worry about enjoying such an event. For us, it simply means remembering to buy candy in time to pass it along to Trick-or-Treaters in our neighborhood who stop by. It's fun to see the costumes, but it certainly isn't a date that I eagerly anticipate.

To celebrate the first day of November, I put up some Fall decorations today. I brought in the plastic tub from our storage room and eagerly opened it...only to be reminded that I don't have very many Fall things! I will watch for some neat sales this year and bulk up on more festive things for our house.

Meanwhile, I'm loving our new table display. It will be warm and inviting when we have some friends over this Saturday for dinner, games, and (shhhh) caramel apples! I can't wait!

I love this time of year. I'm simply ignoring that it got up to 90 degrees yesterday. You know I will be complaining that it's too cold before long! So I might as well enjoy this perfection while it's here!

Happy Fall!

Good Thing I like 'Em

We were invited to a family dinner yesterday and had such a nice time.

I'm still not allowed to post photos of everyone, but let me just say they are all very cute. We ate a delicious dinner of burritos, chips, salsa, and guacamole, all washed down with ginger ale. The only possible excuse of why I don't have any dinner pictures is that we were hungry and ate everything before photos could be taken!

After dinner, we watched monkeys enjoy an awesome toy room while the adults played a round of Catchphrase. The boys ended up winning, but we gave them a run for their money. It's always a great time getting together, since we actually enjoy each others' company. I'm so glad that some of my best friends are my sister and brother! And I'm so glad I like their spouses just as much!

I would like to officially call a rematch in the game, however. We can't let them brag this up for long. Don't they know we threw the game for them, anyway?!