Back Deck Make-over!

Short on time (much gardening and more painting to do), this is the Cole's Notes version of my deck make-over:

Dull and in dire need of some sprucing up, I set out to brighten and whiten with what felt like forty coats of paint with a solid stain and one (yes one!) coat of a beigey stain on the deck floor. Why? Sheer laziness and nothing the purchase of a great outdoor rug (on sale for $31 at Zellers!) won't mask...

The handyman took the old top off his original table (and employing old Singer sewing machine legs he found in the woods many years ago). I spray-painted the legs silver for a change and he built a new table, which I promptly painted.

He also built new space-saving benches to replace our bulkier metal chairs and I picked up some great bright yellow chairs at Winners ( = T.J. Maxx/HomeGoods).

Moved everything around, bought a new barbecue cover for our start-of-season-new-purchase of one and re-used the stripey umbrella, now five years old.

Other details: cork placemats from Walmart, vintage blue vase from the Meads, and tulips bought for myself from the grocery store.

And that's that!

Vacation or Staycation?

photo source: Country Living.com

There seems to be a whole lot of catch phrases rolling around the tongues of magazines and blogs these days. Upcycling, Repurposing, and more! A favourite of mine is the totally "new" concept of Staycations. When I was young, it simply meant you weren't lucky enough to go on a real vacation (and we didn't). Nowadays, it is a socially acceptable practice that centers around exploring ones own town/city/ province/state in day trip form and/or tricking out your "outdoor space" to coax you into wanting to stay put. Harried mothers, desperate to entertain their children and keep to their budgets (it is a total fallacy that summer is less expensive than winter), comb though their local tourist guides and newspapers, searching for fun and entertaining destinations close to home.

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Jumping waves with family...free!

Things like collecting seashells and munching on picnic lunches at the beach to painting the sidewalk with a bucket filled with water are making their way onto many to-do lists. Trips to the zoo and drive-in movies are glamourized by mums like me and indoor rock climbing excursions seem almost affordable when compared to the luxury of renting a cottage by the sea for a week.

Tubing outside of Fredericton, N.B.

$10/person...I think!

Many are also looking to their back yards to corral their families and friends with promises of excitement. Many parents have upped the ante and added a trampoline and/or pool to the backyard landscape.

photo source: Coastal Living.com

Hot tubs, outdoor fire pits, badminton nets, outdoor kitchens offer up a resort-like atmosphere for those lucky enough to afford it. Gone are the days of plastic lawn chairs, picnic tables and metal swing sets. Families used to plush comforts at home are even turning up their noses at the ever affordable camping, especially in a tent . Of course, camping in our day didn't require deep pockets for theme parks, either.

I, myself, have fallen victim (happily) to the staycation concept. Although we have a camping trip to the states planned, we have added the above-ground pool and fire bowl as a way of keeping the kids happy throughout the summer months.

photo source: Toast.uk

Luckily, we also have the most spectacular beaches nearby so day trips really can be almost free (save for a few popsicles and a picnic lunch!). While our tent-trailer offers the opportunity for quick and affordable lodging when travelling, the cost of gasoline, snacks, and entertainment when on the road does not really make it as affordable as some would have you believe. Indeed, I honestly don't know how some afford to pack up the camper and family and go away every weekend!

What about you? What approach do you take to summer? Do you travel, rent cottages, or simply be tourists in your own town? Have you decked out your backyard spaces with all the trappings of rest and relaxation, so you can vacation at home?

Will you vacation or staycation?

You're showering where??

photo: Anthroplogie.com

Would you, could you, shower outside? Exposed to the elements, vulnerable to the biteS of mosquitoes... trusting that the shower curtain won't be flung open by a laughing child?

photo: Canadian Home and Country.com

Well, that's the question. Outdoor showers are the newest trend in extending one's outdoor living space. They range from the simple, rustic shower meant for rinsing off before jumping into the swimming pool (with no worries about supplying a heat source to warm the water), to more design-worthy, quality-tiled masterpieces meant for serious showering - fitted with all the comforts of their indoor cousins. The grander versions are often housed in large pool/beach houses, doors flung open to allow summer breezes to float in. Outdoor showers have also become de rigeur for those lucky enough to have summer cottages, and complete the picture of easy, summer living. photo: Pottery Barn Kids

What do you think? Are they practical, or are they just another outdoor accessory that we are "not meant to live without?" Are they the new summer staple...along with beach chairs, barbeques, and portable campfires/chimneas?. As for me, I love the idea of them, and we have toyed with adding one to our pool deck. But then I ask myself: when is enough, enough? Must we have all the comforts of our homes outside...when we are merely steps to our homes???

Or, is an outdoor shower just as refreshing, and welcomed, as a real summer shower? My verdict is not in, just yet, but I definitely feel swayed by these gorgeous photos!!

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photo: Coastal Living.com

photo source: http://www.toast.co.uk/

Who am I kidding? Outdoor showers are divine...maybe someday I'll have one...!!!