Blog | Phoenix Landscaping Design & Pool Builders, Remodeling

August 21, 2019

Create Your Own UNIQUE Dive-In Movie Theater

Everyone will enjoy hanging out in the pool and watching a movie. It is a great piece of nostalgia, but with a few more creature comforts.

Many adults have great memories of evenings spent at the drive-in movie theater. However, with the extreme temperatures in the Valley, it could be November before it is pleasant enough to sit outdoors for a few hours in comfort. There is, however, a great solution that can be enjoyed with family and friends throughout the summer. Create your own dive-in movie theater at your UNIQUE pool. If you are currently designing your pool, be sure to ask your UNIQUE designer about features that will make watching movies from your pool as easy as making popcorn and inviting your friends.

A big-screen TV is a perfect way to watch movies from your pool. Many of the ramadas and outdoor shade structures that the UNIQUE Companies design and build are already prewired to install a TV. This includes electricity, cable, or even a satellite drop at the predetermines mounting location of your big screen. If you have not yet built a shade structure or did not include a location for an outdoor TV, you can still consider adding this feature, or you can create a temporary theater. Projectors and outdoor viewing screens can be purchased for a few hundred dollars and are very easy to set up.

Must-Haves For Your UNIQUE Dive-In Movie Night

Popcorn, drinks and snacks make a dive-in movie even more fun and no ticket is required. Just jump onto a float and relax.

Part of what makes a movie theater fun is relaxing in the large reclining seats. So while theater seating will not float, there are many great pool floats that will meet the needs of your guests. Larger lounge-style floats are great for a long relaxing evening, and most offer a handy drink holder. Kids often enjoy the round inner tube style floats that allow them to sit on and hang from the float. Tiny children might be more comfortable relaxing at the edge of the pool on a large towel or blanket. This is also much safer if your child is likely to fall asleep during the movie.

Concessions For Your UNIQUE Dive-In Movie

No movie night is complete without popcorn. Pop a large batch before the movie starts and fill large Ziploc bags. Each person will have some to enjoy without the potential for spilling into the pool. Retro sodas are also very popular when watching a movie, but the glass bottles can create some serious hazards. It is always a good idea to pour drinks into thermal plastic glasses that have a lid. Again, this helps to reduce what gets spilled in the pool and eliminate the potential for injuries from broken glass. For an even more authentic movie night experience, visit a local dollar store or grocery store to stock up on all of your favorite boxes of movie candy. If you have always dreamed of having an outdoor kitchen, a dive-in movie night might be just what it takes to motivate you. Call 480-969-1911 to schedule an appointment with a UNIQUE designer who can help you begin to create the plan for your outdoor kitchen for next year’s dive-in movie season.

A Few Final Tips For Your UNIQUE Dive-In Movie Night

Large family style floats can accommodate several people as well as drinks and snacks so you are set for the night.

Pool floats can begin to drift, which can make it difficult to watch a movie. Stinging a couple of ropes across the pool will provide your guests with a way to steady their float when the water is moving. This can also be a great tool when someone is trying to get to the edge of the pool to get out of the water. It will reduce splashing and commotion during the movie. For a family dive-in movie night, consider getting a large raft or float the is designed to seat the entire family. These floats often have a space in the center for drinks and snack storage. This is also helpful when children are too small to be left unattended on individual floats but want to be in the water where all of the action is. To begin designing your UNIQUE pool for your own dive-in movie nights, call 480-969-1911 to schedule your free consultation with a designer.

August 14, 2019

Enjoy The UNIQUE Health Benefits Of A Swimming Pool

Swimming pools offer more benefits than just a fun place to hang out with family and friends. There are many health benefits to swimming and water exercise.

Living in Arizona, we all know how refreshing it can be to jump into a swimming pool on a hot summer day. And it is also a great place to gather with friends and family for some fun and games. However, you might not be aware that there are the number of actual health benefits to owning a swimming pool. The first step is to contact a UNIQUE designer to learn more about designing and building your perfect pool to improve your health and to your enjoyment of your outdoor living space.

Swimming is a great form of aerobic exercise and one that you can still enjoy in the heat of our Phoenix summer. Let’s face it, even the most dedicated health conscious residents know that it can be tough to get our for a run when it is over 100 degrees. But a good swim offers many benefits:

Increases your heart rate
Provides a full body workout
Tones muscle
Build endurance
Builds strength

And possibly one of the greatest benefits to swimming is that it provides all of this without heavy stress from impact, like running or jogging.

Swimming and water aerobics offer a tremendous workout without the harsh impact to your joints. This is a great benefit for older adults and those who are rehabilitating from an injury.

Swimming Provides Rehabilitation After Injuries

Because swimming is considered to be a no impact form of exercise, it is often recommended during rehabilitation from injuries or surgery. There is far less stress places on muscles and joints than with other forms of exercise but it still provides the benefit of motion and an increased activity level. Many medical professionals also believe that swimming helps to reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis and other joint stiffness.

Swimming Burns Calories Quickly

If you are looking for a low impact way to burn calories then swimming is your solution. To put it into perspective, a 160 pound person burns over 420 calories swimming for an hour. That same person would only burn about 300 calories walking for the same hour. And in the arid climate of Phoenix, spending an hour in a swimming pool is far more enjoyable than spending an hour walking on scorching pavement. Even working out indoors on an elliptical trainer would only burn around 350 calories, so swimming gets you far more calories burned per hour of exercise.

Other Amazing Health Benefits Of Swimming

Water aerobics provide a great full body workout in an impact free environment. Classes are also a great way to socialize and keep each other motivated to exercise.

Swimming has been found to reduce insomnia in older people. In many cases, older adults are not very active during the day, which can lead to difficulty sleeping. Swimming provides enough activity to allow for better sleep patterns and a boost in quality of life. Research has also found that swimming boosted the mood of participants in a 12 week study. Other studies have found that participants also reported feeling less stressed after just 30 minutes in the pool.

Swimming pools have been a great source of enjoyment for many decades. From a fun day of splashing around with family and friends to an afternoon of relaxation and floating, everyone loves to hang out in the pool. But only recently have scientists been interested in tracing and monitoring the health benefits associated with a swimming pool. In the most recent studies, swimming pools have been found to offer physical, psychological and emotional benefits. And the greatest part is that everyone from small children to pregnant women and senior citizens can enjoy these benefits together.

To learn more about designing and building your own UNIQUE swimming pool to increase your health and the fun that you are having in your own backyard, call 480-969-1911 to schedule a free consultation. A UNIQUE designer will visit your home, answer your questions about the design and build process and provide you with ideas for creating your perfect outdoor oasis and exercise space.

Even the four-legged members of the family can benefit from a little exercise in the swimming pool. This is a great way to be certain that your pet does not overheat or get burned paws in the scorching summer heat.

July 31, 2019

Essential Ingredients for the Perfect Backyard Tailgate

This outdoor seating area offers plenty of space for a perfect backyard tailgate party.

It might seem like a bit early to be thinking about football season and tailgating, but it is never too early to begin planning the design of your ultimate tailgaters backyard extravaganza. At UNIQUE Landscape, we understand your passion for football and your desire to enjoy the amazing fall weather in Arizona. And we are ready to help you finalize your design and begin building your perfect backyard to feed and entertain all of your friends this football season and every season to come.

Setting the Scene

The first priority for any great party is plenty of seating and space for you and your guests to relax. This could be with bench seating around a fireplace or fire pit to enjoy as the sun sets or in a large covered area such as a Ramada or a covered patio extension. Extra seating can be added with outdoor furniture around the patio and pool area as well as relaxing hammocks where you can chill out and enjoy the shade while still enjoying the game.

Food Is A Must Have

The stainless steel appliances in this backyard are every chef’s dream.

It’s never a true tailgate party without some amazing food. And UNIQUE has you covered with hundreds of choices for your outdoor kitchen. We can design and build a gourmet quality outdoor kitchen complete with an oven, massive refrigerator, and expansive counter space. Or we can go for a more rugged man cave look with a huge smoker and grill, beer coolers throughout the bar area and several outdoor tv’s so you never miss a minute of the game even when you are manning the grill. And we can also do just about anything in between that you can imagine. The UNIQUE team of designers will work with you to create the outdoor kitchen of your dreams that will work just as well for tailgating as it does for family dinner any night of the week.

Fun At Halftime

The children’s play area is home to the swing set and kid friendly trampoline. And there is still plenty of space to run and play on the artificial turf. The artificial turf offers many benefits beyond the low maintenance. It reduces water usage and is a non-allergen so pets and children can enjoy this grass with no allergy issues.

No backyard is going to work if it doesn’t hold a few surprises and fun for halftime. Ask your UNIQUE designer about adding artificial turf for a great no hassle play area that looks just like some of the best football fields in the country. This surface needs no water or mowing and is always ready for a game of touch football, cornhole or volleyball. And the kids who get bored watching football will love to go play on your custom designed splash pad water feature. And their parents will love that this kid-friendly water play area is free from any standing water so there is never a danger even for small children.

Even with football season months away, this is the perfect time to call 480-969-1911 to schedule an appointment with a UNIQUE designer to talk about creating your perfect backyard to host tailgating parties and other gatherings for family and friends to enjoy.