Amanda Stein Amanda Stein

My favorite affordable summer patio finds

Summer is right around the corner which means one thing: PATIO SEASON (as an avid s’mores aficionado this is quite literally my favorite time of year). I always love this time of year as I know it is the beginning of tons of time outdoors soaking up the sun, enjoying barbecues with friends and family, and of course fires outside each night. 

If you missed it, we actually have some really exciting news- we are adding another project under our belt this year (in addition to finishing up the Barndo) by adding a pool and pool house to our home. My twin brothers recently started a business, Twin Crest Construction, and they are actually doing the project for us! Included in our plans is a pool and a pool house with a loft for storage for pool equipment and an incredible entertaining space as we love to entertain! We are planning to have a mini fridge, cabinets, and tons of space for crockpots and all of the other yummy poolside snacks you can think of! We are also including a bathroom so guests are able to easily change in and out of their suits and access a bathroom without needing to go into the main house. Definitely follow along this exciting and fun journey with us!

We are SO excited for this project as our family truly loves being outdoors.  Luckily, when we built our house a few years ago we purchased some really incredible furniture that we have gotten to enjoy every spring, summer and fall, and the furniture has held up WONDERFULLY! I figured with patio season right around the corner I would round up some of my favorite outdoor furniture finds that I think would make the perfect addition to your porch or patio to enjoy with your friends and family all summer long! As an added bonus, these furniture finds are all budget friendly and affordable!

Anything underlined is a shoppable link.


Porch Rocking Chairs

These chairs are INCREDIBLE! These have lasted us 3.5 years and still look BRAND NEW! They have exceeded all of our expectations and the best part- they are less than $100.00 a piece!

Sectional Covers

If you have outdoor furniture, then you know how important it is to have some high quality furniture covers to protect it, especially if you live in Ohio like me. These covers are AMAZING and have managed to keep all of our furniture covered and protected from the harsh winters we typically have.

Patio Umbrella

This umbrella has been one of my absolute favorite parts of our patio and has made our s’mores corner so cozy! This is such a perfect addition to your patio or porch to take it to the next level. It has a 6 height and angle to choose from and has a 360 rotation capability for easier shading area control. It is UV resistant, water repellent and it is colorfast fadeless. 

*If you plan to purchase this amazing umbrella, you do also need to purchase the base as well, as that does not come with it. Please find the base here.

Planters

If you are looking for a super affordable planter for your patio and porch- look no further! This planter comes in many colors, and comes in a variety of sizes!

Rug

This rug has truly transformed our front porch! I absolutely LOVE the design of this rug, and it is nonshedding which is an added bonus! This was part of my Pottery Barn inspired look-for-less porch refresh, and I cannot say enough good things about it! This is the perfect addition to your spring and summer porch refresh!

Faux Ferns

When I decided to do a porch refresh, I was on the hunt for some beautiful faux ferns to fill the planters and these have exceeded all of my expectations! Not only are these super budget friendly, they’re also high quality. These paired with the planter are truly a match made in heaven and are a fraction of the cost of the designer inspired looked I was going for!

Boxwoods and Square Vase

I have always loved boxwoods, and this year I decided to try them out on our porch when doing our refresh. These are such a fun, easy, no maintenance option for decorating your porch to enjoy all spring, summer and fall! These can truly transform your patio or porch refresh and add a nice finishing touch.

Deck box

These are such a game changer for storing your outdoor patio furniture cushions, and if you’re a parent, they’re a great way to store outdoor toys! These have lasted us 3.5 years and we are always grateful to have an aesthetically pleasing way to accommodate our need for storage!

Outdoor Garbage Can

I know this one may sound silly, but we LOVE entertaining our friends and family and having to have our guests go inside to dispose of their trash or depend on a rouge trash bag outside to throw out trash just wasn’t cutting it. So, I headed to Amazon and stumbled upon this awesome outdoor trash can! We also spend tons of time outside as a family all summer long and having a trash can readily available to throw away empty snacks, juice boxes or other trash makes spending time outside with the kids much easier as I don’t have to worry about messes being left outside!


I hope you all enjoy these affordable spring and summer patio finds, please let me know if you end up trying any of them out, and of course, let me know some of your favorite finds for spring and summer! We love trying new things, and especially while we are in the process of expanding our outdoor space we are definitely going to be in the market for some new finds!

For more information on Twin Crest Construction, please visit their website here.

Shop my other outdoor patio favorites here.

AFFILIATE LINKS ARE MENTIONED THROUGHOUT THIS POST

Read More
Amanda Stein Amanda Stein

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

I can’t believe that Mother’s Day is right around the corner (it is on May 12th this year)! This year is flying by so fast, but I am so excited that we are quickly approaching spring and summer so we can enjoy the warm weather!

Mother’s Day is such a special holiday and it can feel kind of intimidating trying to find the perfect gift, so I have gathered a few of my favorite finds that I think would make perfect gifts for all of the incredible moms in your life!

Anything underlined is a shoppable link.

Tineco Mopping Vacuum:

Moms are no strangers to messes, and I know I am not alone when I say as a mom it often feels like you’re constantly cleaning up mess after mess. Enter the Tineco Mopping Vacuum. This appliance is truly life changing (and no, I’m not being dramatic). I have yet to find a mess my Tineco cannot tackle- from eggs, whipped cream, ketchup (yes, I have put this thing to the test!), there is nothing the Tineco cannot clean up thoroughly and leave spotless. This incredible appliance cuts your cleaning time in half by mopping and vacuuming at once, and even cleans itself when put back in the charging station. Trust me, any of the women in your life will thank you time and time again for gifting them with this amazing mopping vac.

Honorable mention:

Tineco Pet Vacuum- for any of the dog moms in your life, they will be so thankful and impressed for this amazing vacuum. This vacuum has many attachments- including a dog brush attachment that makes grooming and brushing your dog at home a breeze, and the canister only needs to be emptied every few months!

Hydrojug Traveler Tumbler

Code LITTLEHOUSE saves 10%

If you know me, you know I do not go anywhere without my tried and true Hydrojug. What’s not to love? This tumbler is entirely leakproof, easy to clean, comes in tons of incredible designs and colors, has a flip up straw, fits in the cupholder of your car and keeps your drinks nice and cold for 24 hours! I have gifted so many friends and family members one of these amazing tumblers and they are all equally as obsessed as I am (move over Stanley!).

Ninja Creami

I have never loved a kitchen appliance more than I love my Creami. This amazing machine allows you to make your own ice cream and other frozen treats right from your home! It’s easy, effortless and is absolutely DELICIOUS! You can play around with fun flavors and mixings, and even make protein ice cream (my personal favorite!). I use this machine every single night to eat delicious protein cream, and have even made yummy protein coffee ice cream to enjoy in the morning. This would also be such a fun way to enjoy time with your kids and family and create your own ice cream together!

LG Stand by Me TV

Okay, this is a bit of splurge but I promise you this is worth every penny and everyone will enjoy this portable TV! Whether it be while cooking or baking in the kitchen, indulging in a bath, or even sitting by the fire outside- the possibilities with this are endless! My husband and kids have been fallen in love with this portable tv and we use it every single day since we have gotten it! This would make such an incredible gift.

Projector

Within the last year, we have actually gotten 2 different projectors, one to enjoy indoors and one to enjoy outdoors, and let me tell you- they are AMAZING! We have enjoyed football games outside by the fire, movies by the fire with friends (and of course enjoyed lots of s’mores!) and gotten to indulge in our fair share of movie nights! My kids absolutely love the projectors, and it is such a fun way to do a movie night at home together as a family. I think this would be an incredible gift for Mother’s Day. If you have a fellow s’mores lover (or sports lover) in your life I would definitely opt for the outdoor projector so they can enjoy it all Spring, Summer and Fall long. For a homebody or a movie lover, I can’t recommend the indoor projector enough as it allows for movie nights and binging your favorite TV show all year long with an incredible 4k image.

Photo Printer

This would be an amazing gift for any of the women in your life that are sentimental, love photography or even scrapbooking. This incredible tv works by Bluetooth and allows you to print any photos from your phone!

Kindle Paperwhite

A Kindle is truly a wonderful gift for just about anyone, especially a mom to enjoy when they have some free time! I never go on a trip without mine and have gifted a Kindle to many friends and family over the years and they are all still enjoying it to this day! This would make a perfect gift for anyone with a love of reading!

Wi-Fi Picture Frame

This thing is AMAZING! You can send as many photos as you want right from your phone to this incredible frame! This is a great way to keep your mom (or any of the wonderful mom friends or family members in your life) up to date with current pictures of the kids, your pets or any of your travels and adventures.

Initial Necklace

Jewelry is always a wonderful way to celebrate the moms in your life! This is truly a simple, classic and timeless initial necklace that I think would make a wonderful gift for any mom in your life! This would especially make an amazing gift for any new mamas in your life so they can sport their new baby’s initial around their neck all the time!


I hope these ideas help you all find the perfect gift for the wonderful moms in your life! If you have any ideas of items that would be a great gift, please share them with me as I always love hearing about the products and gadgets you guys are currently enjoying!

Shop my storefront here.

Affiliate links are mentioned throughout this post.

Read More