This has been a rough week. As I admitted to Mark, it’s possible that I’m just plain irritable. But even so, I wouldn’t get irritated if things weren’t irritating!
What is it that’s been so awful, you ask? Well, let’s see. First there was the broken air conditioner. (It’s finally fixed now, and I’m SO thankful it didn’t break down last week when the temps were over 100 degrees. But, still. It was hot.) Then there was Mark’s new work schedule, which is – four days in – a total pain. And then I missed a doctor’s appointment I scheduled four months ago, and because of the previously mentioned husband’s work schedule, had to take my cranky child to a meeting for work. Where she, of course, spent two hours throwing fits and toys. At the ladies I was meeting with.
Could life be worse? Of course. Do I still need a little rest and relaxation? Of course!
Now that the weather has cooled off a little bit, I’m longing for a few minutes of peace and quiet in my backyard.
I’d planned to gussy up my backyard last weekend before having friends over for a barbecue. Sadly, seeing the thermometer read 106 degrees wilted my motivation pretty fast. The tiki torches and candles, the colorful dishes and seat cushions, the Mason jars of flowers and lemonade? I had to make do without all of them.
Thankfully, my backyard is pretty peaceful anyway, which I remembered the other night. The A/C was down, so we had the windows open and the attic fan on. As I walked by the back door, I breathed in – and I smiled. I’m not into gardening, but somewhere in our old, overgrown yard, flowers were blooming and smelled lovely. I wasn’t able to create a backyard oasis this past week, but I enjoyed sitting and rocking on the patio for a few minutes anyway. For just a moment in my stressful week, my shoulders relaxed and my teeth unclenched. And I indulged in a little wishful thinking. If I could create the perfect backyard . . .
- It would never be more than 85 degrees! (Seriously. What do I need to make that happen? Fans? Shade? Magic?!)
- It would always smell like flowers. Or barbecue.
- Maybe we wouldn’t have tiki torches, but I’d love some sort of lighting.
- We’d have a fire pit perfect for roasting hot dogs or marshmallows – or sitting around to talk late into the night.
- I’d have a tent over my new patio table and chairs, with coordinating (and weather-proof) seat cushions and place mats.
- My citronella candles would work, and the bugs would stay away.
I keep my dreams pretty simple. Although . . . perusing the new Sears outdoor catalog makes that a little more difficult! From a new smoker for my husband to a pool for my kiddo and – oh yeah – matching, non-rusted patio furniture with a bright red umbrella and seat cushions for me, Sears has everything I could possibly want to create a summer escape just outside my back door.
{Side note: What is it with me and seat cushions? Well, let me tell you. My current patio furniture is bare metal, so apparently seat cushions are the lap (or, well, other end) of luxury in my mind!}
Now that I have shared what would turn my backyard into my perfect summer oasis, I want to know what you’ve done to transform your backyard into your oasis. One lucky reader will win a $25 Sears gift card!
(Leave a comment to enter the giveaway!)
Need help finding your own pieces for your backyard? Sears is bringing the ease of searching for those perfect pieces with their recently launched iPad digital catalog. On your computer? Don’t fear, Sears has an amazing digital catalog built just for you.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.
