It’s a “dry” heat they say. I understand the reference but an Arizona summer is just plain HOT no matter how you frame it! Acceptance of that fact is crucial in devising your plan to work around it. Take a peek at how we do it in our own backyard.
When we made the move to Arizona last winter, we had intended to buy a small condo in a retirement community. Although we looked at several beautiful areas, we just couldn’t convince ourselves to pull the trigger.
Getting our home in Colorado ready for sale and going through the ups and downs of the market really took its toll. We just felt we weren’t ready to jump back in. We decided to rent for a year and make certain this is where we want to be.
We ended up in a charming home (take a peek inside here), complete with a backyard pool that we enjoy every single day. While it was too cold to swim in the springtime, we still spent a lot of time sitting poolside and enjoying the gorgeous flowers that surrounded it.
Although there are still a few flowers that can take the heat, it’s the pool itself that is the draw these days.
Floating Through the Summer
The best place to be when the temps hit the daytime high is inside with the air conditioning! I’m from that generation that lathered on the baby oil, sprayed my hair with Sun In, and laid outside for hours. (Oh, to have those days back!!!) Nowadays, we tend to keep our pool time confined to the morning hours and the evenings.
Mornings, while it’s too hot for coffee on the patio, my raft, situated on the Baja shelf, is the perfect solution!
Floating through the morning is a great way to ease into the heat of the day.
Adding shade wherever possible is a must. A dip in the pool and a seat under an umbrella allows for a pleasant conversation as long as you keep it short and to the point!
I have not taken a nap here yet but I imagine it will be a favorite spot of mine this fall. I added pillows to make it my own and I think I will be blogging from this very spot quite often!
Arizona Nights
Sunsets in Arizona are just the best! Even though we don’t get the evening cool downs that I loved in Colorado, I still enjoy this time outdoors.
We equipped the patio with misters and that has made it quite bearable.
An outdoor fan picks up the slack. Such a great addition!
The glass coolers that come straight from my freezer to the patio were my husband’s contribution. They are the greatest little things!
Floating on my raft and watching the sunset is something I try my best not to miss!
Once the sun has set, the solar lights kick on and it’s such a peaceful place.
The darker it gets, the more enjoyable the night becomes and it’s a struggle to go inside again.
With six months to go on our lease, we are still not sure if we will call Arizona home long term. Time will tell but I will always look back on this year fondly. We are simply living in the moment for the time being. And… as much as we’ve enjoyed our outdoor space this summer, I will be more than ready to welcome autumn in very soon!
Speaking of Autumn… be sure to check out the new fall printables just posted today. They are available for all members to download and print right now! If you haven’t subscribed yet, adding your email below will put you on the list. You’ll have immediate access to everything in the Printable Library and we will decorate our way through the seasons together!
See you soon!