Regardless of the size, every backyard has the potential to be transformed into a space you’ll love. Since having kids getting out for date nights and girl’s nights has been a lot harder. Let’s face it, you’re stuck at home a lot more– tied to bedtimes and babysitter availability. Having a pretty (and functional) space to hang out makes time at home so much nicer, which is why tackling our back porch/yard was at the top of my to-do list this year.
Our deck and yard space are definitely on the small side, but there’s so many things you can do to make it your own personal oasis. Updating your backyard is also a great way to encourage the whole family to spend more time outside.
For me, when I thought about updating the backyard I had three key elements in mind: I wanted to create a space to play, a space to relax and a space to entertain. I was able to find everything I needed to update our current space on wayfair.ca.
A space to play
As a stay-at-home mom, playdates are a huge part of my life. When updating our yard I wanted to make sure that we had outdoor games and activities to entertain young kids, so that they have as much fun outside as I do. Bouncy castles are always a big hit with kids, so I ordered the Little Tikes Bounce House and the Little Tikes First Slide.
I chose this bounce house because it’s small enough to fit in our yard and to away by myself, without needing any help. I’ve also seen a lot of people set this one up in their basement during winters which is a great way to get extra use out of it. Also, pro tip for the slide: if you have a kiddie pool it also makes a great water slide, just add a bit of water and dish soap to it and the kids will slide right into their pool, so fun!
A space to relax
Having a cozy place to sit back and relax is key. My patio furniture is quite a few years old now, but it’s easy to update your set with fun pillows and outdoor blankets. Below I’ve included a few patio sets I’m eyeing up for the future! We also ordered an umbrella from Wayfair. Our yard is south facing and gets so hot in the afternoons, which makes it pretty uncomfortable, so adding some shade makes this space so much for functional for our family.
Top left / Top right / Bottom left / Bottom Right
A space to entertain
When it comes to entertaining, I find that ambiance is key. Adding a fire table and some string lights took wine nights on the porch from a 3 to a 10. If you’re looking for some cute string lights, I love these solar globe ones we have from Wayfair. Personally, I find solar-powered one way more convenient than having to string them up according to where your power source is.
I’m also in love with our fire table. For a smaller one, it actually gives off quite a bit of heat (it’s 50,000 BTU’s). We chose a propane one since we don’t have a gas hook-up on our deck. Wayfair doesn’t have the exact model we have right now, but these ones are the exact same brand and size as ours.
Summer’s are short up here in Canada, so making sure that we can make the most of them is so important to me. Just making these small updates to our backyard space made hanging out there so great. It’s now our own backyard oasis and I couldn’t be happier about it!
This post was sponsored by Wayfair, but all opinions are my own! I’ll never recommend products or companies I’m not fully confident and happy with.
