Plus, comfy seating, shatterproof drinkware, and more essentials
With more than 30 years of experience hosting countless dinner parties, game nights, bridal showers, and more — my mom has earned her title as hostess with the mostess ( picking up many tips and tricks along the way).
She recently downsized, but it hasn’t stopped her from hosting gatherings, and with extensive guest lists no less. Instead, she embraced her outdoor spaces even more, including her screened-in porch, patio, and backyard, in an effort to create more room.
She shared her must-haves for outdoor hosting and everyday enjoyment, just in time for you to prep your patio or backyard for guests this summer. Her newfound favorite pick: these cordless lamps that give her outdoor dining space a “restaurant vibe.”
My Mom’s Outdoor Entertaining Essentials
- Broken Glass Begone: Amazon Basics Shatterproof Stemless Wine Glasses, Set of 4, $17 (orig. $19)
- Outdoor Comfort: Wisteria Lane 4-Piece Wicker Patio Furniture Conversation Set, $307 (orig. $330)
- Covered Porch Upgrade: Nuloom Asha Outdoor Area Rug, $85
- Splurge-Worthy: Polywood Presidential Rocking Chair, $199
- Shatterproof: Zarocrus Melamine Dinner Plates, Set of 6, $33
- Limited Time Deal: Serwall Outdoor Dining Table Set, $640 (orig. $900)
- Extends Porch Season: Amazon Basics Propane Patio Heater, $158
- “Restaurant Vibe”: KDG Cordless Table Lamp, Pack of 2, $20 with Prime (orig. $23)
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KDG Cordless Table Lamp, Pack of 2, $20 with Prime
$23
My mom shared that these lamps “provide the perfect amount of light for outdoor dining or games.” They’re completely cordless, a feature that’s all the more “convenient” with limited outlets outdoors, according to my mom. She has the gold color, but the black hue is the most affordable right now, thanks to a exclusive Prime member discount, which makes each lamp just $10.
Polywood Presidential Rocking Chair
There’s no way around it, outdoor furniture endures rainstorms, scorching sun rays, strong wind gusts, and potential wildlife encounters — but quality pieces will stand the test of time. My mom has had two Polywood rocking chairs on her front porch for six years, and in her words, “they still look brand new despite living outside year-round in unpredictable Alabama weather.”
A rocking chair is a fixture of any Southern porch, but my mom loved these so much that she grabbed four extra to arrange around her outdoor fire pit, sharing that the gentle rocking sensation “melts away stress.”
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Nuloom Asha Outdoor Area Rug
Rugs add a touch of warmth and comfort to your living areas, so why not extend that same feeling to your outdoor spaces? My mom has rugs on both her screened-in porch and covered front porch to hide practical (but not exactly design-forward) concrete floors and make the spaces more comfortable for bare feet.
She adds that the rugs “give the porch the feeling of being an extension of the home” — a cozy place where you (and your guests) will want to hang out.
Ahead of your summer gatherings, snap up my mom’s outdoor hosting essentials. Then keep scrolling to see more of her favorite outdoor upgrades at Amazon, including shatterproof dinnerware and drinkware, a patio heater, and more.
Amazon Basics Shatterproof Stemless Wine Glasses, Set of 4
$19
Wisteria Lane 4-Piece Wicker Patio Furniture Conversation Set
$330
Zarocrus Melamine Dinner Plates, Set of 6
Serwall Outdoor Dining Table Set
$900
Amazon Basics Propane Patio Heater
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