If You See This Mini Outdoor Gem at Marshall’s, Buy It (It’s Perfect for Hosting!)

For me, the start of spring isn’t a specific date on the calendar; it’s the first weekend day that the weather is mild and dry enough for me to set up my backyard patio. I’ll give my stone patio a quick powerwashing, uncover the dining table, and haul out the chair cushions to signal the kickoff of one of my favorite times of the year: outdoor dining season. There was just one issue — once it got dark, our lighting situation was pretty pathetic. 

The string lights my husband and I had put up provided a nice ambience but weren’t bright enough to allow us to see what we were reaching for across the table. But if we turned on the spotlight mounted above the back door, we were blinded by the light. One friend joked that he felt like he was undergoing a police interrogation. It was definitely not the chill, welcoming backyard vibe we were going for. 

That’s why I was so excited when I found the perfect solution while roaming the aisles of Marshalls last spring: cordless, rechargeable outdoor lamps ideal for upping the lighting game in our backyard dining area.

The lamps I found don’t require any electricity or batteries that need to be replaced. They came with a cord for charging them every few days or weeks depending on how much I use them. The ones I bought are 14 inches tall, turn on and off with a tap, and are in a sleek white to complement my navy and white outdoor color scheme. They also have three settings for different brightness levels and color temperature (fancy!). 

There are so many things that make these adorable lamps my number-one spring find. Besides the obvious benefit of providing enough light without being too overwhelming, I love the way they give my outdoor dining table a fun restaurant or bistro vibe. They also work well whatever the size of your outdoor space. A single lamp would be a great addition to a bistro set on a small balcony while multiple lamps could add more light to a bigger area. And did I mention they are less than $20 each? I also found this set of three in gold for just $40. 

Another selling point is that no plug-in required means that they are totally portable and super easy to move around. When we’re hanging out in the backyard with friends, we often start the evening having drinks while sitting on the outdoor couch. Then we’ll congregate around the dining table for dinner before moving back to the couch for the rest of the evening. I relocate the lamps from the coffee table to the dining table and back so we always have light where we are sitting. 

My rechargeable lamps get tons of use and compliments when I’m entertaining. For that reason, I headed back to Marshalls to pick up a pair of lamps for the screen porch at my parents’ beach house. My parents loved that they are a quick and easy way to add some light to a space with no electricity. Now, I’m planning to pick up another lamp or two to add some ambience to my front porch. This spring hosting find is destined to be a hit through spring and summer.