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Retreat to Your Own Backyard

Are you feeling the need to get away from it all, but your resources are somewhat limited? Your need to escape could be satisfied as easily as stepping outside of your home, in your own backyard. With the economy limping along and the price of gas creeping upward once again, many people are finding it hard to venture away from home to find that much-needed retreat in order to get their engines recharged. If this describes where you are, don’t despair! If you have a back yard, balcony or a small court yard, an enchanting escape is well within your reach. All it takes is your imagination and a little ingenuity to make it happen.

When planning your retreat, think about all the things you might be missing that you can imagine you might get if you were to leave home, and start planning to make it yours right now. And if you are having difficulty imagining where to begin, here are just a few tips to get you started...

  1. Create a wish list of what your retreat will comprise and establish a small budget.
  2. Take that list and visit Good Will, Salvation Army or your local Habitat Stores for great finds to put in your backyard retreat.
  3. When you find something you like, don’t be afraid to make an offer to purchase at a lower price. Some stores will have sales that happen once a month so ask.
  4. Visit fabric decorating stores to find bargains on remnants of outdoor fabrics to cover cushions, make pillows or table linens.
  5. While visiting thrift stores, look for unusual containers to use to plant flowers and to add additional interest to the area. Also consider planting evergreen shrubs such as boxwoods and add colorful annuals to the containers for pops of color.
  6. Add the sound of water to your retreat area by purchasing a small pump which can be purchased at any hardware store and create your own waterfall for relaxation to the sound of water. You can go online for easy instructions on how to get this done.
  7. Add soothing music by including portable systems that can be easily taken indoors when not in use.
  8. RELAX!