Last spring in kindergarten, Elizabeth learned the difference between a "want" and a "need" which she frequently articulated back to us when we used the terms incorrectly (or interchangeably). It seems that my 3 year old also caught on because one night earlier in the summer, I told him that I need him to get out of bed and go to the bathroom in the night if he needs to. Alex said, "Mommy, that's a want not a need." Seriously, that kid...
This leads to the title of this post. This is a long-term want which has now turned into a "need". At least in "first world" terms. I have mainly put it off because Handy Hubby's insistence that we will never use. I insist that we will use it as the fall wears on and we can toast marshmallows, etc. I'm not sure we'll ever see eye-to-eye on this. Want to put money on who is going to win?
Here's our patio - doesn't it seem like it needs a little something?
So, I have been assessing my options. My criteria are: 1) it must have a cover to protect the kiddos, 2) cannot be too big, 3) relatively attractive, 4) ideally it should fold up for easy storage or transport, and 5) less than $100. Here are the contenders:
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| Landman USA 28240 - about $75 |
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| Fire Sense 22" Folding Fire Pit - about $50 |
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| Charbroil Portable Fire Pit - about $60 |
Anyone have a favorite fire pit that fits the bill for me? My need to swing by Target tomorrow. I heard they were putting any remaining summer and outdoor stuff on sale this week. Bring on the Christmas lights!
A few years ago I was in the market for a fire pit. I actually ended up buying a large square fire table. It has a lid that covers it when not in use as a table. Then it has a plastic insert you can fill with ice for drinks or dips & such. Lastly it has the metal bowl insert for fires & a metal dome to cover the fire while its burning. I can't begin to tell you how great its been. Its higher up so more comfortable for roasting marshmallows & I don't feel guilty not constantly having fires since its also our coffee table. I got it at JCPENNEY for about $200.
ReplyDeletejust thought I'd share in case you wanted a different idea! Happy shopping!
So much fun! I'll keep out for something like that. I love having something that's multi-functional.
DeleteWe used ours, at the old house, about once a week (when the dogs weren't barking). It was a great family bonding time and we always had friends over to join us, which was awesome!!! Go for it...sorry Jim!
ReplyDeleteI know what I'm going to want to do when I visit!
DeleteI've had 3 of these small fire bowls, 2 in metal and 1 in clay/ceramic. None of them made a very hot fire and we ended up using a lot of firewood. It often takes 2-4 hours before you have a hot enough bed of coals to keep the fire roaring. They also tend to drop ash and coals out the sides, so can be dangerous with kids/dogs.
ReplyDeleteA much better solution are the chimineas, which are clay fire pots with a chimney. They often run $75-$200 and can be found sometimes at home depot, lowes, etc. A few logs burn much hotter and longer and the mess is contained in the pot. You can also leave all the ash inside as it continues to burn off with subsequent fires.
Thanks for the tip! I'll check into those.
DeleteWe've had a number of them and one thing for sure - don't use regular wood in them unless they are made really heavy duty. We just use the fire logs and they make a nice fire. The real wood just burns too hot and the fire pit ends up disintegrating. Also make sure it has a cover or rust will eat it alive. The last one we bought didn't have a cover so I just used a plastic table cloth with an elastic cinch. Makes them last more than one season!
ReplyDeleteThat's one of the reasons why I want a relatively small one - so I can put it in the garage for the cold weather months when we barely use it. Folding legs is a bonus!
DeleteI bought mine for around $100 from home depot and it's bigger than the one you mentioned. It's done well for two years now. One thing I did was put some sand on the bottom to stabalize the heat.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great tip! Thanks!
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