Patio Heat From My Perfect Patio » Relaxing Thoughts

Patio Life is Easier

Gordon — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:02:07 +0000

I bet you never thought of all the ways your patio can make your life easier. While your in-laws might frown at paper plates in the kitchen, they might expect them on the patio. (But don’t think you’re off the hook. They’ll probably still find something to complain about. After all, they’re in-laws. It’s their job.) Somehow, dinner outside can be more informal and relaxed than the same dinner served inside. And foods usually taste better when cooked on a grill, anyway.

Cooking outside means you don’t have five courses going in and coming out of the oven, all at different temperatures, for different lengths of time. You have one grill, and you can manage the temperature and cook a main course and several sides at the same time, all by placing the items in different places on the grill. And foil is your friend! By sealing all side dishes in disposable aluminum packets before cooking, you eliminate even more dishwashing. Cleaning consists of removing the foil and disposing of it. Can’t get much easier than that.

Less time in front of the oven and the sink translates into more time to relax on your modern outdoor furniture with your family and guests. And after a long day, who wouldn’t want that?

When Is The Last Time You Truly Relaxed?

Gordon — Sat, 26 May 2007 22:01:59 +0000

When’s the last time you’ve been in a hammock? I don’t mean the last time you sat in one with your feet on the ground. I mean, really relaxed in one. It seems that they have stress-erasing abilities not found in many other pieces of furniture. Just try one. When you settle into it, you’ll see. You’ll find yourself gently swaying, as the twisted rope or nylon of the hammock molds to your body as if it were made just for you. The slow movement lulls you into submission, as you notice your surroundings like never before.

Birds chirping? Tranquil breezes blowing? Blue, cloudless sky? Were those things there a minute ago, you wonder? Yes, but it sometimes takes a hammock to realize it. They’re like magic. They make you feel like you’re on a trip when you’re in your own backyard. It’s hard to be irritable when you’re whiling away your afternoon in the serenity of a hammock (once you can master the art of getting into one).

Think of the money you’ll save, too. Instead of stressing out at the airport or driving to a vacation destination, you can kick back with a juicy novel and a refreshing drink, and transport yourself to the location of your choice, no matter where it is. And just think, indoor plumbing is just steps away.

Life Can Be So Good…

Gordon — Fri, 11 May 2007 16:57:02 +0000

Can you really be anything but relaxed if you’re lying on a chaise, drink in hand, listening to the sounds of nature? Exactly. You can’t. No matter what’s going on inside your home, your outdoor patio should be a place of relaxation and enjoyment.

Once you step over the threshold to your patio, you can let your daily annoyances fall away. Your boss, your son’s teacher, the bad driver in front of you, they’re all a distant memory as long as you’re sitting back, enjoy your patio oasis.

Even though it’s outside, your patio should be furnished with the care and consideration given to your indoor spaces. If you spend a lot of time outside, you’ll want to have comfortable, stylish furniture for you, your family and guests to enjoy. If you don’t spend a lot of time outside, the right patio furniture might encourage you to.

Luckily, times have changed since the only choice was a wooden picnic table and attached benches. Now you can choose from teak, wicker, aluminum or wrought iron. You have chairs that feel like La-Z-Boys, and couches that look like something out of a fine furniture store. You have choices that may make you never want to go back inside again.

And you don’t need to. Steak tastes better on the grill, anyway, doesn’t it?