Summer is almost here, and I couldn’t be more excited! Summer has always been my favorite season, and we love spending as much time outdoors as we can to enjoy the weather. Since we were in Florida last week, we decided to spend Memorial Day weekend in Dallas this year – and what better way to celebrate this new season with a backyard barbecue!
Since Charley and I are first time homeowners, we have loved decorating together, taking our time to find the perfect pieces and turning our house into our “home.” When we bought our house, one of our favorite aspects of our home was the backyard. We loved how the backyard was already designed and built for entertaining with the large pergola. Whether I’m having a wine night with girlfriends or Charley’s grilling out and watching sports with the guys, we wanted the space to feel inviting and useful!
Throughout quarantine, one of our favorite activities was playing games together in the pergola after work. By spending so much time outside, we were able to figure out what we needed to finish the space and make it comfortable. With summer around the corner, we have had so much fun finalizing the space and can’t wait to plan dinner parties with friends and family!
Charley and I still talk about how lucky we were to have our backyard to retreat to and enjoy this past year, and luckily, thanks to Advancial’s Visa Rewards Plus card, shopping for our backyard essentials was a breeze. The benefits combined with the rewards was what we love about this card. With 0% APR for the first 12 months and an APR of only 8.90%-14-90% after that based on creditworthiness, we had a blast shopping for everything we needed! Best of all, Visa Rewards Plus has no annual fee and allows you to earn up to 1.5% rewards on every purchase when you spend just $2,500 or make 25+ purchases during your billing cycle. You also get $100 in cash back value when you spend just $500 in the first 90 days! The only thing I love more than shopping for home items is knowing that I am getting rewards on every purchase I make!
Start with the Basics
Measure out the space and think about how many people you typically entertain to maximize the amount of seating you can use. The one thing I’ve learned since we got married is we always plan dinners with at least 3 other couples (whether it’s family or friends), so we needed at least 8 seats – but generally a lot more!
The first items we added to our space with Advancial’s Visa Rewards Plus card was our 8-person dining table and a super comfy outdoor sectional. Since the space was pretty big, we were able to fit both and I love the way it turned out! We have plenty of space for entertaining and keep everyone comfortable.
Add the Essentials
After the basics, we added my husband’s top two items: the Traeger® grill and the outdoor TV. While I love to cook and try new recipes, cooking for a group can be intimidating, so our grill is hands down my favorite addition to the pergola! Not only does it allow my husband to take the reins on the main course for a dinner party, but it also entices us to spend our time outside and enjoy these warmer evenings. If he’s not on the golf course, his happy place is definitely grilling outside with sports on the TV and a cold beer in hand!
Add Some Greenery
To make the space feel a bit homier, we added some greenery to make the pergola feel more inviting. Since I don’t have a green thumb, we decided to go the simpler route and add some life to the space with faux boxwoods. These boxwood balls were the perfect solution and I love the way they frame the entrance with these modern pots. For a fun touch, we added the boxwood pup – which we tied with a pink gingham ribbon and dubbed, Roly Poly.
Stock Up On Decor and Accessories
When it comes to entertaining, my favorite part is setting the table. Since our grandmothers, our mom and now my mother-in-law have been so kind to share their favorite china collections with us, I love switching up our tablescapes to make dinners feel festive! I keep a closet full of candle holders, chargers, placemats, vases, embroidered napkins and more to mix and match for any occasion. Whether I’m searching for custom napkins online or stumbling upon accessories on a Home Goods visit, it has been so fun to grow our accessories collection with the help of our Visa Rewards Plus card from Advancial.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking for an outdoor refresh for summer, Advancial’s Visa Rewards Plus card is the perfect card to not only update your space, but to earn rewards and benefits at the same time! To learn more about Advancial’s Visa Rewards Plus card, click here.
While this post was sponsored by Advancial, the opinions expressed are our own.