It’s been my goal to turn my backyard into an “oasis” for a while now. Since we moved in the middle of the summer, we barely got to enjoy our backyard at all. We didn’t end up buying our patio table and chairs until September because outdoor furniture is $$$$ and we wanted to try to get it on sale. If you live in IL, you know that summer is basically over by September. You barely get to be outside since the weather is so finicky. All that to say, I barely went in my backyard or used my patio when we first moved in last year.
This summer I decided I wanted use my patio way more. Along with the fact that I can’t go anywhere anyway, I might as well enjoy my own house. I decided my backyard would be our oasis. A place where we are EXCITED to go to, even if it’s still at home.
Adding Personality
The first thing I purchased this summer was this umbrella. (This one and this one look VERY similar for less $$) A bunch of you have LOVED this umbrella, too, and I don’t blame you. I love how cute the fringe is. The overall boho vibe of it helps to add a touch of personality to our patio situation.
Another way to add some personality to your patio/backyard is to add some outdoor throw pillows. We have these and I love them. This one and this one would work well with the fringe umbrella, too.
My favorite way that we have added some personality to our backyard is with all the flowers we have added in. They are so pretty to look at and help to add some color to our neutral table decor.
Lighting
My next step was to add some outdoor lights. I’ve always loved the way the outdoor lights look in people’s backyards that I definitely wanted my own. The way our backyard is set up, though, has proved to be challenging to get the lights hung up. The lights are still a work in progress with trying to get them hung. For now, we have put them on our railing, which still looks cute. Hoping to get them actually hung up soon, though.
I also got this huge citronella candle, which is perfect for summer nights to keep the bugs away. It also adds some cute decor to our table as well.
Cooling off
In addition to the string lights, we also got a fun baby pool. Since we won’t be able to go to the pool this summer, we wanted a way to cool off in our backyard. Mike has been talking about this brand of baby pools for years now, so I felt like it was the perfect time to get one of their baby pools. I love the watermelon design, but they also have so many other cute design options, too.
I’m sure there will be more that we add to our backyard throughout this summer and in the next couple years. I’d love to add one of those tabletop fire pits to our backyard at some point, but again, backyard furniture is a splurge so we will probably wait on that for a while.
I hope this post helped to inspire you to create your own oasis, whether its in your backyard, patio, balcony or whatever outdoor space you have! Is there anything we are missing and should add to our backyard oasis? Let me know if I am!
