When my rescue mutt, Juniper, first bounded into our new yard, she seemed to stretch in every direction at once—ears pricked at the fence line, nose glued to dandelions, tail wagging like a metronome gone rogue. Her joy lasted precisely nine minutes, until I realized she’d sampled a toxic lily, tunneled under the cedar planter, […]
A Dog’s Home: How To Make a Dog-Friendly Backyard Read More »
Back in late May I realised our patio was being swallowed by loose garden gloves, kids’ squirt guns, and a bird-seed scoop the cat kept batting under the grill. I wanted a compact deck box that wouldn’t fade like the old wicker-look tote I’d inherited. After a weekend of research I landed on EAST OAK’s
Outdoor Storage Box Review: Under $50 Read More »
Summer at our place usually means impromptu games that start with “Who’s serving?” and end in laughter, so a dual-sport net set felt like the next logical upgrade. I chose the Franklin Sports Recreational Badminton/Volleyball Combo because it promised a complete kit for under $30 and had racked up nearly 4,000 Amazon ratings (3.9★ average)
Backyard Badminton & Volleyball Set: Full Review Read More »
I’ve spent the last three Friday nights turning our backyard into an improvised cinema, relying on TOWOND’s 100-inch screen-and-stand kit as the centrepiece. Below is the good, the “could-be-better,” and the small surprises that showed up once popcorn, kids, and a brisk coastal wind joined the party. Amazon LINK First impressions & what’s in the
Projector Screen Review: The best Under $50? Read More »
I spent the first half of this summer turning our drab Redwood-City patio into an evening hang-out zone, and the final piece was lighting. After comparing dozens of sets, I landed on Brightever’s 100-foot, 52-bulb LED string—the one billed as shatter- and weather-proof, dimmable, and long enough to snake around most suburban backyards. Unboxing &
Best Outdoor String lights Under $40 Read More »
Unboxing THE HAMMOCK Find it Here Everything—fabric bed, five steel frame tubes, hardware, and a full-length zip bag—arrives in one box. No tools are required; the frame slots together with spring pins, then the bed hooks on via S-hooks. First setup took me 14 minutes; a second attempt was under 7 minutes. Build quality checks
Best Standalone Hammock Under $100 Read More »
I grew up in a desert suburb where the only tree on our block was a spindly ash kept alive by a battleship-gray drip emitter. When my partner and I bought our own place years later, I swore our yard would host a forest—however tiny its footprint. The first sapling I planted was a five-gallon
Tree Planting Guide: How to Get Maximum Benefits From Planting Trees Read More »
I still remember the first time I looked out at the patchy square of grass behind my starter home and dared to imagine something better. The fence leaned like it had given up on privacy, the single maple tree cast the only decent shade, and an aging plastic slide lay on its side like a
Backyard Design: The Life-Changing 12 Step Ultimate DIY Backyard Ideas Guide Read More »
The first summer after we bought our fixer-upper, the patio was little more than a cracked slab and a picnic table we’d inherited from the previous owners. By noon, the concrete radiated so much heat that our dog refused to step outside, and every family meal became a frantic race against the sun. That’s when
DIY Pergola: How to Build the Best Backyard Shade Structure Read More »
I used to think “decorating” meant draping a few string lights and hoping for the best. Then, one humid July evening, my guests milled around my sparsely lit patio, shuffling between a blinding floodlight and a mosquito-ridden dark corner while the lone speaker blared in one direction like a megaphone. After that cringe-worthy night I
Summer Party Season: How to Decorate Your Backyard for Summer Parties Read More »