A Roaring Good Time

My long-awaited fun in the backyard arrived yesterday! Fun fact: I have always wanted to have a fire pit. I enjoy sitting around a fire. But I don't love smelling like a campfire for days.  And gas fire pits are fun to watch but are lacking somehow. Yes, you can roast a marshmallow but not much else.

A few weeks ago, my friend hosted driveway drinks for a small group. It was so lovely to spend some time socializing with other adults in a safe social distancing way. And someone asked about Solo Stoves. Had we ever tried one? None of us had, but one gal's sister had one and loved it. 

I was intrigued and made a note of it. I spent about a week hemming and hawing about it, then pulled the trigger. Because I am all about a minimally smoking woodburning fire pit. (And they look really cool too!) So my Solo Stove Bonfire Fire Pit came yesterday and I was so so excited. Let's just get this out of the way: this is 100%, not an ad. I just really loved it. 

We, of course, tested it out and you know what? It really is minimally smoking! It got a little smokey as it got going but once the logs were fully involved there was no problem at all. I did have to shower after our fun but that's because I had grilled with our charcoal grill for dinner and not because I smelled like campfire. 

We started the fire early enough so that even though the kids stayed up a little late, it wasn't too late. So the awesome fire pictures will come later. One of the other cool things about these firepits is that there is a ring it stands on that allows airflow underneath the pit so you can use it anywhere including grass or even a wooden deck without harming the surfaces. 

We were of course prepared for s'mores. Because how could we have our first backyard bonfire without s'mores? I think that's against the parenting code of conduct. 

We helped them roast and will continue for a while. The sides of the solo stove get hot so we have to work with them to understand how close they can be safely. Once we've established some rules we will let them roast on their own with only our supervision.

They really liked their homemade s'mores! 

And I really liked our new Solo Stove Bonfire! I would absolutely recommend it. I am excited to have another fire soon!