There are so many misconceptions about winter. For example, many folks feel they need to stay inside because it’s too chilly outside. Well, I’m about to become a myth buster, people! You can absolutely enjoy the great outdoors during the winter if you prepare beforehand. Get the right equipment and read about these things to consider when using patio torches in the winter, so you can break free from your house and get some fresh air. It’s All About Placement, People You can’t underestimate the importance of placement when it comes to patio torches. It’d be an absolute nightmare if things were ..read more

Pool parties, burgers grilling, blooming gardens, longer days, and warm breezy evenings--ahh, it's summertime. And with it comes….BUGS. And not just any bugs. The biting, pesky, mosquito kind. There's nothing more frustrating than waiting for those long summer days to get outside and enjoy the weather only to be met with swarms of unrelenting mosquitoes.  If you're like most backyard fanatics, you know exactly what to do--start lighting your citronella candles! But you may be wondering… Do citronella candles really work?   Here at Patio Essentials, we don’t just make claims about ou ..read more

Welcome back, Spring! The trees are budding, the flowers are blooming, and the warm temperatures have arrived!  Finally, right? This was a hard winter across the country, but now we get to sweep off the porch, set-up our outdoor living spaces, and soak up a little sunshine! We’ve been keeping an eye out for the latest spring décor trends this year and we’re excited to share a few of our favorites with you to help you start updating your patio space. Get ready to host small gatherings, spend weekends playing in the back yard with your kids, getting the garden ready and relaxing under ..read more

Galentine's Day is just around the corner and whether you're looking for some gift ideas for your gal pal who lives on the other side of the country or your sister who's just a town away, we've got some simple, unique gift ideas to bring you together. Even if you can't actually be together. 1 An AquaFlame Aromatherapy Fountain It shouldn't come as a surprise that an AquaFlame Fountain is at the top of our Galentine's Day gift ideas. They're beautiful sure, but they'll also help your Galentine create a relaxing space in her home and we could all use some extra "me time" right? The s ..read more

You know that feeling when you catch a whiff of a scent and it brings you back to a different time and place? The smell of fresh-cut grass might bring you back to weekends in your childhood, a passerby's cigar might remind you of your grandpa or a cup of coffee remind you of your travels in a faraway city. Smell is one of the most powerful senses for invoking memories. That's because the olfactory system is connected to the limbic system which is where we store emotions and memories. Whenever we breathe in a scent, the olfactory system processes it and then sends it through the nervous system ..read more

Are you ready for patio season 2019? Maybe you live in the northern half of the US and are using your dreams of sunshine and summertime to get you through this winter (we’re based in Minnesota so we feel you). Or maybe you’re one of those lucky southerners who gets to enjoy patio weather all year long (no, we’re not jealous at all!). Either way, we’ve got some exciting news. We put a fresh coat of paint on our 17 ounce citronella bucket candles for 2019 and they’re going to be coming at you in three new Pantone colors — Copen Blue, Eggshell Blue and Deep Sea Coral! We all just love these new ..read more

So, you're looking to add some torches to your outdoor space but can't decide between bamboo torches or metal torches? We can give you the 4-1-1 on both to help make your decision! For the second installment in our three post series on giving your outdoor space a refresh for a new season, we'll talk about some style options for torches to add a bit of welcoming warmth to your outdoor space. Before we get into it, let's talk about why torches make a great addition to your outdoor space in the first place. They're an easy and fun way to add a decorative element to your outdoor space, but what w ..read more

As Bob Dylan would say "The Times They are A-Changing" right now. With COVID-19 keeping most of us in our homes as much as possible, we're all facing a lot of changes and uncertainty about how long this will last, and figuring out how to keep cabin fever at bay. We might not be able to go out to our favorite restaurants, workout classes, museums or stores right now, but companies and people are coming together to bring all of these things directly to our homes! We've rounded up a list of great resources to keep boredom and anxiety at bay for the whole family. Physical Health Gyms, yoga studio ..read more

Despite the chill in the air, every year there comes a day when you step outside and you can just feel it – spring is coming! If you're anything like most Minnesotans, you're probably ready to dig out the lawn furniture and barbecue at that first sign of spring (we like to take it a step further, give us a 40-degree day in March and we're strutting around in shorts...). But we're not the only ones hibernating indoors, waiting for warmer weather. That's right, the mosquitoes are busting out their shorts to get ready for a feast too! Mosquitoes are cold-blooded so as the weather cools off in th ..read more

Whether your idea of spending time in the great outdoors is drinks on the patio or a backpacking trip through the mountains, most of us can probably agree that there’s just something about being outside that makes us feel great, but did you know that there’s actually science to back that up? On the podcast Hidden Brain, host Shankar Vedantam talks with psychologist Ming Kuo in the episode Our Better Nature: How The Great Outdoors Can Improve Your Life about the physical and mental benefits of nature on the human brain. Kuo has spent more than 30 years studying the effects of nature on humans ..read more