10 Outdoor Decor Ideas for Summer

It’s August and unless you’re living in Australia, South Africa, or anywhere else in the southern hemisphere, summer is in its full swing. That means now is the best possible time to start decorating your backyard, porch or balcony and enjoy the next 30 to 60 days of incredibly nice weather. With these ten simple but effective ideas, you don’t have to go abroad or visit the seaside to take full advantage of the hot and steamy weather. Add a couple of these to your balcony or porch and you can be sure you will enjoy the warm summer nights. 1. Outdoor Pillows : Add a couple of brightly colored pillows to the sofa or a swing on your porch or in your back yard. If anything screams “summer”, then it’s a couple of brightly colored, striped pillows on a swing. 2. Tiki-Torches : Tiki-torches are one of those elements that really remind me of summer. They are fairly cheap (you can get four for $20 on Ebay) and very effective. They might not be a part of an Italian home ......

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A super simple summer delight

So when I think of summer I think of fresh fruit, apples, watermelon and strawberries and cream. I find we are so busy in summer but I wanted to make sure we had time to sit down and enjoy the little things of which eating el fresco is my favourite but when your short for time whipping something up that is as easy and tasty as this little summer delight makes those moments even better. When M&S gave me a little challenge to embrace summer flavours this is what popped to mind Literally all you need for this super scrummy Blueberry creamed Meringue is Meringue nests Double or whipping cream Sicilian Lemon Curd Fresh blueberries 1. In a bowl whip the cream into peaks and fold in the lemon curd to your desired taste 2. Spoon the cream and curd mixture into the nests 3. Top with fresh blueberries and there we go - a lovely, indulgent and super quick summer delight. Is there anything better than enjoying good food outside with the people you love...I think not ......

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A little summer shake

I think being from the southern hemisphere eating el'fresco in the sun is built into my DNA, it seems only natural as soon as the sun starts to shine to unpack the garden chairs and enjoy a relaxed meal in the cool evening breeze. We have been lucky enough to have had a few pleasant evenings already this year and we have jumped at every single one as most Brits ( and expat in my case) know that they can be few and far between, however this shouldn't damped the fun whatsoever. I always like to prepare something fresh, lots of salad and lots of colour and big on flavour. I was recently sent a OXO Shake and Flavour starter pack which included 7 different seasonings which are all MSG free (a must for us) and I was very eager to try them out. Our house is a bit of a mix, I'm a veggie although John is not and Mr A is somewhat undecided so I cater for everyone as I am a true believer in respecting everyones personal choices, luckily John does do his little bit by ord......

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