Last week we had lights installed over the fire pit and it was the project I was probably most excited about. I always get a thrill whenever we pass homes or restaurants with white lights outdoors. Little white lights signify ambience to me–they create a spot that says, “come, sit down with people you care about and make some memories.” It was no surprise then, that I gasped when our lights clicked on for the first time.
It was a bit before twilight but it didn’t matter. The lights popped on and finished the area under the trees that I had envisioned for years. It was SO exciting. That is, until it got darker. At that point it became BLINDING. The lights were WAY too bright and would have been great higher up in the trees for a much larger space, but when clustered together in a small area felt like we’d be roasting s’mores in broad daylight. What were we going to do?
I took to the internet and sure enough, a dimmer arrived on my doorstep in a couple of days. It allows you to turn the lights on and off and to dim them 25%, 50%, 75% or 100%. The dimmer plug is intended for outdoor use and so far has fared well in storms and southern downpours. I dim them to 25% brightness and they’re a nice little glow in the backyard for a few hours each night. The plug comes with a remote that allows you to adjust things easily and now all we need is to invite people over! (Affiliate link.)