Credit : Marshalls

Jasmine Roth moved into her new home in Huntington Beach, California, last summer – but between her multiple HGTV projects, writing a book, and wrangling her one-year-old daughter Hazel, decorating her backyard took a backseat.

“As you know, my husband [Brett Roth] and I moved into this house at the end of July last year, but I had a three-month-old and a lot going on, as everybody does, and I never really got to finish my backyard to the point where there was seating and accessories and a really thought-through function for it,” the Help! I Wrecked My House star, 36, tells PEOPLE.

That’s why she was excited when she was asked to team up with Marshalls to give her backyard a summer-ready makeover and teach others how to do the same on a budget.

Marshalls

Marshalls

Roth knew what aesthetic she was looking for from the start: “I always have this underlying California casual look that even if I tried to stray from it, I don’t think I could, because it’s just more of a lifestyle than it even is a design trend,” she says, adding that in California, where the sun is always shining, a backyard is a year-round extension of one’s home. “I wanted comfortable, I wanted cozy and I wanted pieces that felt multi-functional.”

And that’s exactly what she got.

By the pool, three “light and foldable” sun loungers lay waiting for sunbathers, covered in colorful pillows and towels and flanked by a couple of poufs, which Roth says are a great addition to any backyard. “Poufs are the best. You can use them in so many different ways – they could be a side table or they could be extra seating,” she says. “And they’re great for kids, as well.”

Marshalls

Marshalls

Hazel and her little friends played a big role in choosing what would go in the backyard space, Roth says, especially because she’s at the age where “she’s not walking yet, but she’s very close.”

“With a little one it’s extra important to have things be soft and cozy,” the mom of one says. “That’s why I love having blankets and pillows and outdoor rugs. They go a long way to making your outdoor area an extension of almost how your living room would feel.”

An outdoor rug is a simple way to make a huge difference in your backyard, the designer explains. “It’s a great opportunity to add a pop of color or just have something that’s neutral and a little bit softer than probably whatever your hardscape is,” she adds. Plus, “You don’t have to put them out and bring them back in or anything like that. And when they get dirty, you just hose them right off!”

Marshalls

Another must-have for the TV personality: outdoor lights. “It’s easy to forget that by adding string lights or some outdoor little lanterns you can double the life of your backyard,” she says. She’s obsessed with a set of solar-powered string lights she has strung up on her pergola. Not only are they just $20, but they don’t require a plug or extension cord, because they charge themselves throughout the day.

When Hazel’s friends come over, Roth likes to fold up the sun loungers and put them out of the way, then lay down cushions and poufs on the grass for the kids to play on. Her rattan swinging chairs are also a favorite for the little ones – and their parents, Roth jokes.

When it comes to entertaining, Roth also keeps things kid-friendly by utilizing dishes and drinkware made of melamine – a durable material designed for outdoor living.

“All of the wine glasses you see in my backyard, I mean, literally you could hold them up and just drop them and they won’t break, which is so important, especially when you’re outside by a pool or just outside in general,” she says.

Her outdoor kitchen area is now stocked with serving trays, drink jugs, dish covers and more, always ready for outdoor entertaining.

Because they moved in the middle of the pandemic, Roth and her husband haven’t been able to have many people over to enjoy their new house – something that has been hard on them, she says.

“You don’t build a house for yourself only, right? You build a house for everybody that’s in your circle, and that’s what’s important,” she says.

Moving into this new home and saying goodbye to their old one has been emotional, Roth admits, because they had such a strong connection to the old home.

jasmine roth/ instagram; Rick Mattson

“I’m not going to lie, it’s been tough,” she says of the moving process. “My old house was the first house that I ever built and it was what kind of kick-started my career. And I just have so many memories there. It’s where I brought Hazel home from the hospital.”

Finally finishing this new backyard and decorating it in her personal style has been huge for making the new house feel like home, Roth says.

“I hadn’t really fallen in love with this yard yet, even though it had a lot of cool features,” she admits. “So finishing the yard was a big deal. I finally feel moved in. Now we need some good memories and experiences and finally being able to have our friends and family here!”