Bring It Inside

Photo by uloni

Summer days are here again.

Tonight, a group of my friends and I sat outside by the fire pit, playing dominoes under the moonlight. (Or more specifically--we played by the light of the OFF! candles.) And while we were inhaling the summer scent of wood smoke and bickering over high point tiles, I found myself thinking of ways I could bring the outdoors inside for the summer. After months of being stuck inside, why hold myself hostage any longer?

Here are my suggestions:

1. Add some house plants to your interior design. Plants do more than add color--they suck carbon dioxide out of the air and trade it in for oxygen--thereby improving the quality of the air you breathe.

2. Air your [clean] laundry outside. Even if you don't have a clothes line, you can air your mattress in the back yard or fluff your pillows in the sun. The same ultraviolet rays that threaten to damage your skin actually serve as useful disinfectants.

3. Open your windows to bring in the fresh air. Nothing knocks out the stuffy scent of finished winter like open windows and summer breezes.

4. Dine outside. You don't need a perfect patio to entertain friends outdoors. Set up a card table or pull up some chairs. Most everyone has a lap. (And you won't need to scrub your counters after supper.)

5. Take your decorating advice from nature. Bring in greens and yellows and reds. Use items from your yard to decorate your centerpieces. Rely on natural light as often as possible.

Enjoy the summer. It's here for the celebrating!