Weekend Projects
Building a Simple Ramp for an Aging Dog
Watching Pepper hesitate at the patio step one too many times pushed me to build her a small ramp. The first version…
August 15, 2026The yard, actually used.
Weekends in the Backyard
Written by Trevor Nakamura
Latest
Fixing Up a Bench We Found on the Curb
A wobbly bench left out for trash pickup turned into a slower project than expected, with a joint I misjudged and a finish I redid twice. Whether it…
Weekend Projects
Hanging String Lights the Right Way, After Doing It Wrong
My first attempt at patio string lights sagged, then came down in the first real wind. The second attempt took longer to…
August 9, 2026Outdoor Seating
All Outdoor Seating ›
Cushions, Covers, and the Upkeep I Didn’t Expect
I thought outdoor cushions would be a buy once and forget it purchase. Instead they turned into an…
July 16, 2026
Why We Went With Adirondack Chairs Instead of a Matching Set
I spent weeks comparing coordinated patio sets against simple standalone chairs before landing on Adirondack chairs, and the…
July 10, 2026
The Storage Bench That Does Double Duty
I almost skipped the storage bench because it seemed like an unnecessary extra, but it has quietly become…
July 4, 2026Shade
All Shade ›
The Cheap Umbrella That Taught Me a Lesson
I bought the least expensive patio umbrella I could find to save money, and it fell apart within…
June 10, 2026
What I Got Wrong Positioning Our Shade Sail
Our shade sail sagged, pooled water, and eventually pulled loose from one anchor point because I positioned it…
June 4, 2026
Portable Shade for Where the Kids Actually Play
Ellie and Sam never stay in one part of the yard, so fixed shade only ever covered where…
May 29, 2026Weekend Projects
All Weekend Projects ›
Restaining the Deck Railing in an Afternoon
I planned two hours to restain the deck railing before dinner. The prep work alone ate most of…
August 3, 2026
Adding a Gravel Path Between the Patio and the Fence
A short gravel path connecting the patio to the side fence sounded like the easiest project of the…
July 28, 2026
The Weekend I Built a Side Table, and What I’d Change
A simple side table for the patio turned into a lesson about picking the wrong joint, rushing the…
July 22, 2026Fire Pits
All Fire Pits ›
What I Do With the Fire Pit When It’s Too Hot to Use It
By the middle of summer our fire pit sits untouched for weeks at a stretch. Here is how…
May 5, 2026
Fire Pit Seating That Actually Works With Kids Around
Our first seating setup around the fire pit lasted about one evening before it fell apart. Here is…
April 29, 2026
The Fire Pit Accessory That Was a Waste of Money
I bought a fancy spark screen for the fire pit convinced it would solve everything. It has sat…
April 23, 2026Patios
All Patios ›
What I Got Wrong About Patio Drainage
I laid my patio nearly flat because it looked tidy on paper. Then the first real storm turned…
March 30, 2026
Resealing the Patio Two Years In
Two seasons of rain, bike tires, and a dog who tracks in half the yard on her paws…
March 24, 2026
How Much Patio Two Kids and a Dog Actually Use
I built a patio big enough for gatherings that rarely happen. Watching where Ellie, Sam and Pepper actually…
March 18, 2026
About
Trevor Nakamura
Weekends in the Backyard is written by Trevor Nakamura. Everything here comes from actual use, written up honestly, including the things that did not work.
More about this site ›Recent
- Restaining the Deck Railing in an Afternoon
- Adding a Gravel Path Between the Patio and the Fence
- The Weekend I Built a Side Table, and What I’d Change
- Cushions, Covers, and the Upkeep I Didn’t Expect
- Why We Went With Adirondack Chairs Instead of a Matching Set
- The Storage Bench That Does Double Duty
- Mixing Cheap and Splurge Furniture on One Patio
- Finding Outdoor Seating That Survives Kids and a Dog