How to Host a Halloween Movie Night by the Pool
You want a Halloween your kids will still be talking about at Thanksgiving. You don’t want to spend three weekends and a small fortune to pull it off. Good news: your backyard already has everything you need. A Halloween movie night by the pool gives you the cozy blankets, the spooky snacks, and the “wow” […]
Cozy Fall Pool Party Ideas: 10 Ways to Make Your Backyard Feel Like Autumn
You’ve got the pool, the backyard, and a free weekend. Now you want the whole thing to feel like fall: warm, glowing, and so cozy nobody wants to leave. These fall pool party ideas are all about the little details that make that happen, like cider bars, blanket baskets, floating pumpkins, and firelight. What Makes […]
How to Host a Game-Day Chili Bar by the Pool
You invited everyone over for the big game. Now you’re stuck in the kitchen plating food while everyone else yells at the TV. Not this time. A game-day chili bar lets you make one big pot, set out the toppings, and let your guests build their own bowls. You get to actually watch the game, […]
12 Backyard Tailgating Games for the Best Party in Town
The best part of tailgating was never the parking lot. It was the three hours before kickoff when somebody set up a game and everyone had something to do besides stand around waiting. The right backyard tailgating games recreate that at home, minus the asphalt. You don’t need eight of them. Pick two or three […]
How to Host the Ultimate Backyard Football Party This Fall
There’s a moment every fall when your backyard changes jobs. All summer it was a pool deck: cannonballs, floaties, sunscreen on every towel. Then the air turns crisp, the leaves start going gold, and football comes back. Suddenly that same space has a completely different calling. The patio becomes the living room. The fire pit […]
Football Party Recipes: 4 Party Recipes + 12 Ideas
Every game day menu fails the same way. Somebody makes something great, sets it out at noon, and by the second quarter it’s cold, congealed, or gone. Meanwhile the host is still in the kitchen plating things while everyone else watches the game they invited people over to watch. Good watch party food isn’t about […]
Labor Day Pool Party Checklist: Water, Food, and Fun
Labor Day weekend is the last real pool weekend of the summer, and everyone knows it. Which is why the invitation usually goes out about five days before anyone has thought about the water. This Labor Day pool party checklist is the fix: one week of small steps instead of one frantic Saturday. A great […]
7 Kid-Friendly Pool Features for Your Backyard (Ranked by Fun)
If your kids are spending more time at the neighbor’s house than yours, your pool might be missing something. The good news: you don’t need a waterpark budget to build a backyard your family actually wants to use. Whether you’re planning a new pool or thinking about a remodel, these seven features make a real […]
Seamless Ways to Integrate Patio Umbrellas into a Gunite Pool
From tanning ledges to swim-up bars, adding style and shade to your pool & spa Swimming pools and patio umbrellas make great backyard companions. When you see one, you often find the other. After all, when the temperature soars, having a spot for retreating from the beating sun makes outdoor living more comfortable.
Swimming Pool Sun Shelves: Uses, Benefits, and Design Ideas
A sun shelf (also called a tanning ledge or Baja bench) is a shallow platform built inside your pool where you can lounge in just 6 to 9 inches of water. It sounds simple, but it tends to become the most-used feature in the entire pool. Sun shelves reach their full potential in a custom […]