Prepare for Outdoor Entertaining with The Home Depot and P&G!

Y'all know I love entertaining my family and friends - especially during the summer! It is so much fun to have everyone over and I pride myself on being a good hostess.

After months of almost constant rain, I found that my outdoors could use a little sprucing up. My above ground pool was sagging so we've taken it down and are going to level out the ground and build a deck before putting it back up. My ugly green, rusty bistro set on the front porch? I spray painted it with a pretty, rich brown from Rustoleum - at only $3.97 a can at Home Depot, it was much less expensive than buying a new set!

My tired old patio set on the back porch? As we can't afford to buy a new one right now, it definitely needs a good scrubbing!

Right now, Mr. Clean, Bounty and The Home Depot are teaming up to offer some products to help everyone get ready for their summer entertaining. Whether you’re planning a backyard barbecue or just doing routine cleaning outside, The Home Depot has the products that will help you get the most out of your backyard this summer!

Did you know?

According to a recent Procter & Gamble (P&G) survey, only 25 percent of consumers clean their grills and only 20 percent of consumers clean their outdoor furniture.

You might not know this, but keeping them clean can go a long ways towards a longer life.

With that in mind, here are a few helpful tips for getting your back porch or patio ready for entertaining:

Maintain Your Outdoor Furniture – Keep it looking good all summer
Inspect your Deck – Give it good once over -  check for loose nails, bricks, cracked concrete
Remove the Clutter – Clean up, power wash, remove unnecessary items/debris.
Accessorize – Add in the little touches (i.e., plants, outdoor lighting, lanterns, centerpiece)
Clean your Grill – Give your grill a clean start this season.

Great tips, right? I know! I am already using some of those same tips to make my own outdoor space more pleasant and inviting.

Instead of lanterns, we use Citronella candles (also available at Home Depot, of course!) for lighting and a little bug repellant, as well as tiki torches for keeping the mosquitoes away.

And here's a pro tip I learned at a BBQ joint in Austin, Texas: when having an outdoor meal, hang Ziploc bags full of water away from your eating space. Flies will be attracted to the bags for the condensation and leave your food alone! We've actually done this at home and it really works!

The Home Depot is a one-stop-shop for purchasing P&G products, including Mr. Clean Outdoor Spray, Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro Magic Eraser and Bounty. You can use all of these products to keep your patio furniture and accessories nice and clean, which makes for a much more inviting outdoor entertaining area!

In the spirit of outdoor cleanliness, I am happy to be hosting a great giveaway! One reader will win a full-size bottle of Mr. Clean Outdoor Spray ($3.97 retail value), Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro Magic Eraser ($9.97 retail value), one Bounty Paper Towels Roll ($1.97 retail value) and a custom LeatherCraft 2-pocket natural colored canvas The Home Depot apron (.77 retail value).

How to Enter:

• Leave me a comment telling me that you want to win!
• Tell me your favorite summertime outdoor activity!
• Tell me your favorite thing about The Home Depot!