Thank you Walmart for sponsoring this post.

I've been refreshing the patio this spring and the next step was to replace or refinish the table. I decided to save my pennies and refinish it which made it real easy to justify buying new chairs ;). I loved our old ones but 2 of the 6 had broken and we need at least 5. When these chairs went on sale at Walmart, I jumped on it. I admit they're bigger than I thought they'd be- they'd make awesome front porch chairs- but I love them. They're so comfortable and well priced. I love Better Homes and Gardens at Walmart for outdoor furniture and entertaining. The style and price can't be beat. Here's a close up of our new chairs and a few more budget-friendly patio finds on rollback that are still in stock!

Supply List:

Watco teak oil + Stain in flagstone

staining cloths

Orbital Sander 

120 grit sanding discs

Step by Step Instructions:

First, I cleaned the table with a cloth and a tiny bit of dish soap

Next, I sanded the table 

I waited until I sanded it to see if I wanted to use teak oil on its own, or one tinted with a stain. Here's what it looked like after sanding:

After I allowed the table to dry thoroughly, I soaked the staining cloth and wiped in the direction of the grain while feathering the ends so there wasn't a clear line of demarcation where one section ended and the other began.

Per the instructions on the can, I waited 30 minutes and then wiped it off. 

If I had it to do over again, I think I'd use a brush for more even coverage, and sand a bit more. But it is a vast improvement from where we started! Tomorrow I'll share it with the new chairs and umbrella. It feels like an oasis!

In one of the very first patio posts, I mentioned wanting to close in at least one side of the pergola. 3 years later we finally did it! Here's how:

This post is sponsored by Walmart. As Always, all opinions are mine.

We built our patio in 2020 and since then, it's been a place of respite and memory making. To continue making it the summer oasis we want, we decided to add a privacy wall to the pergola. Our neighbor's home is pretty close to ours and staring at their siding wasn't giving (as my teen would say). We also needed a place for Joe's new griddle. With a privacy wall, the griddle can live next to the grill without slipping off the edge of the patio. Testing out the new griddle was the perfect excuse to grab a few patio must-haves from Walmart. I purchased the griddle from Walmart in June for Father's Day but it's still on rollback! Walmart is always first on my list for affordable and pretty finds and when will I stop being surprised at the selection?! Their patio and garden section is FULL of things I wanted but I used some self control and limited my haul to a few fresh pots, outdoor serve ware, and pillows for our outdoor sofa. Here's how the privacy wall turned out.

One of the most fun things we use the Patio for is an outdoor movie night. Clearly, we had no idea it would basically become our real-life movie theater experience (Darn Covid) but it now serves as that too. It's a really simple set up but I get asked about it often so I wanted to break down how to set up an outdoor movie night and answer those questions, here.

We finally stained our DIY pergola! It was always our intent to stain it, but once it was finished, we found ourselves just wanting to enjoy it! As the months passed, we noticed the wood splintering and getting gray/weathered and figured it was time. It was a big job best accomplished in the spring before temps hit the 100s (hello North Carolina summers) but if it hadn't been for quarantine, we might have continued putting it off (we're ambitious like that). After trying a million different samples, I have some things to say hence an entire post dedicated to it, plus I haven't shared any patio photos since last July so now is a good time for an update. But first, when you last saw our DIY modern pergola, it looked like this:

We had a few reasons for choosing a modern pergola for the patio. I love that a pergola allows light into the house, vs. a screened-in porch that limits light. I love that you can dress up basic concrete with a simple and stylish area rug, and I love the price. Cement is much more affordable than a floating deck or tile, either of which would have been a dream. I've always loved sitting under a modern pergola with string lights at restaurants and thought why not create that dreamy vibe at home? If you're convinced, keep reading to see how to build a modern pergola of your own.

I'm so excited to share our Patio Makeover with you! It's been a looong time coming! Last year we had a fence built. While that wasn't exactly a "fun" purchase, it created the privacy we needed before investing in a complete patio makeover. We wanted an outdoor spot that could accommodate our big family and reflect our style. We had a lot of issues to work around- very close neighbors/lack of privacy (welcome to suburbia), a slope-y yard, a huge swing set, and bright and harsh sun. Here's how we tackled the issues, infused our style without breaking the bank, and our future plans for the space.