Wicker Patio Furniture

It’s not very often that I take the time to rave about a recent purchase, but this certainly deserves its own section. We hunted for over a year to find the perfect patio furniture for our pool house and…drumroll please… here it is!

Hampton Bay wicker patio furniture is the best. It’s a dark wicker and we chose the sandstone cushions (neutral). With the loveseat, and 4 chairs, cocktail table, and ottoman, we have a full seating area (and when the crowd is smaller, we use two of the chairs and ottomans in our 3-season room).

They were easy to assemble. (The couch arrived in a box that could have house a refrigerator – the neighborhood kids are now using the box as a fort – it’s a hoot!).

The fabric is durable and weather resistant. The accent pillows have fun flare (no need to buy anything different), and so far all the cushions have held up over many days lounging outside watching the World Cup, hosting parties, and just relaxing next to the pool.

This set was purchased online from Home Depot (free shipping). It arrived when it said it would, in good shape, and no drama (just the way I like it).

Birthday Beerfest

Several friends celebrate January (and February) birthdays, so what better way to honor them than with copious amounts of (good) beer and ah-mazing beer-related food and activities?

Fun fact: Ben never actually said this (though everyone thinks he did).
See the full urban legend here.

Food

The food station was a HUGE hit! (Hot pretzel anyone?)

This was critical to the outcome of the party. Finding the perfect snacks to a) pair nicely with beer and b) to keep guests from getting smashed was really fun.

Entertainment

1. Birthday Boy Roast - We had some friends from out of town "Roast" one of our birthday boys via Skype. It was designed as "Real Men of Genius", but modified as a roast for the birthday boy. (Remember those good old Bud Light commercials? My favorite was always "Mr. Rolling Cooler Cooler Roller!")

2. Family Feud: Beer Edition - Several months prior to the party, I set up a survey (via Survey Monkey)  and asked several of my friends to complete questions such as:

• Name something you'd be too embarrassed to tell your grandma.
• What's one reason why you would call into work "sick".
• Name something smellier than a fart.
• Name something that would give you fiery poop the next day.

Sure, those questions were gross and inappropriate, but this was a BEERFEST after all, not some tea party for pansies. We mean business.

Party-goers picked their teams and with their competitive spirit, duked it out hardcore. The winners received prizes:

DIY Mugs: Easy as 1-2-3
1) Clean glass with rubbing alcohol
2) Tape design to the inside of glass
3) Trace over design with permanent marker/paint marker*
(*permanent marker doesn't work as well / follow directions for paint marker for longer-lasting results)

3. A Legendary Birthday Cake  

Provided by The Cakery (North Aurora, IL)

4. Beer (duh!) - This was the part that was a blast! We went to Woodman's since they have an EXCELLENT selection of specialty/craft beer, and it was down the road from The Cakery (see above). We ended up with a variety of bottled beer (ales, stouts, lagers, IPAs).

The birthday boys and girl (and a half-eaten cake)