Backyard bonanza - What's New? - outfoor furniture - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), July, 2002

* The backyard tends to be a place of warm-weather comfort, the home of a grill, an assortment of kids' toys, a chaise longue or two, and perhaps a table and chairs, matched or mismatched. As we head into another summer, why not take the opportunity to upgrade the decor and liven up the milieu?

Picnic Time, Moorpark, Calif., has a couple of ingenious folding items that can make dining al fresco more comfortable, The Picnic Table (around $80), made from aluminum alloy and resin, unfolds to extend its component parts much as you would a bridge table. Once fully snapped into place, you have a sturdy table roughly 34" x 26" x 27" with attached benches on either side of the longer dimension, each of which can seat four adults with room to spare. At the end of the day, it can stay as a permanent part of the backyard decor, its medium-blue coloring brightly cheerful, or be folded up again to a more-modest 34" x 13" x 4.4", carried away by its built-in handle (it weighs around 20 pounds), and stored for the next occasion. For sultry, sunny days, a bright, multicolored umbrella (about $18) can be inserted into a hole in the tabletop and unfurled to provide sought-after shade.

If you're soloing in the backyard, Picnic Time's Sports Chair (around $60) is a luxurious way to go. An oversized director's chair with a roomy 20" seat, it boasts a lightweight (nine-ounce) aluminum frame and sturdy 600-denier polyester padded back support, armrests, and seat. A folding side table snaps up on one side to hold a glass, dishes, etc., while a saddlebag slung over the other arm contains pockets for a cell phone and sunglasses, an insulated bottle holder, and a large, zippered utility pouch. The detachable shoulder strap allows you to carry this hunter green beauty without encumbering your hands if you'd like to assure yourself comfortable seating at the beach, in a park, or on the sidelines at a ballgame. These attractive and handy pieces of outdoor furniture can be found online at www.picnictime.com.

Picnics and/or backyard lounging can be livened up with a pair of musical items from Sterling Giftware, Inc., Purchase, N.Y. The Inflatable Chair with Speaker Wings ($79.95) is armchair-like with a flocked, almost suede-feeling exterior and a 250-pound capacity. Using a hand pump or low-pressure mechanical one, inflate the base to provide stability, then the seat and armrests, and finally the backrest. Once the latter stage is completed, a pair of built-in speakers will be positioned at either side of your head for stereo sound. Simply plug a tape deck, CD player, or boom box into the wire that extends from the side of the chair, and you're all set for a pleasantly tuneful day in the great outdoors.

Equally clever is the Cool Tunes AM/FM Stereo & Cooler ($79.95), designed for picnics, the beach, tailgating parties, ballgames, or, of course, the backyard. The name is self-explanatory, combining a bright-yellow cooler with a 17" x 8" x 7" capacity and a built-in stereo radio that operates off four AA batteries. A detachable shoulder strap allows you to transport your beverages of choice, food, and music wherever you opt to while away your summertime hours. Sterling Giftware products can be found online at www.sterlingstore.com.

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