*picnic basket -I’m loving the Peterboro Basket Company… sadly they are closing so if you don’t have one, go shopping!
*blanket/beach towel/table cloth- I happen to adore oilcloth… it repels spills so it’s easy to clean and sand falls right off
*reusable containers for nibbles/glass jars for drinks
*Food! As simple or fancy as you’d like. I tend to get snacks- a mix of pre-made and homemade. I don’t always bring a cooler so plan accordingly. Remember to pack a garage bag…carry in & carry out.
*sunblock/bugspray
*Journal/notebook… We have a family gratitude journal that has become our Picnic log…we record when, where, what we did! It’s been fun and I highly recommend it as the kids thoroughly enjoy looking back through it.
As summer approaches, Summer Bucket Lists emerge! Hitting #1 on our family list, is PICNICS (to be quite honest, it was my idea..they know just to go along with it!). I dusted off my old picnic basket (over 30 years old) and started making plans for New England Summer Picnics 2022. Family picnics pack adventure, food, and quality time all in one. We spend the summers in Cape Cod so our basket is going to earn a lot of mileage as picnics give us a reason to explore uncharted territory, places we’ve been meaning to go, or simply occasions to celebrate.
But did you know there are actual health benefits to picnics? The Health Fitness Revolution says there are 10 reasons to pack one:
Being outdoors (time to explore!)
Family Bonding ♥︎ (Yes!!)
Enables conversation (perfect for families so leave the phones in the car!)
Time for self-reflection (good time to talk about any issues)
Fosters healthy eating (depends what you pack!)
Keeps you active (bring along paddles, football, spike ball)
Mood booster 😀
Relieves stress (every family can relate..being outside calms us all!)
Build stronger bones (who would have thought but vitamin D is from the sun!)
Saves $ (simple pleasures, not fancy outings)
@South Cape Beach, Cape Cod
We took our first picnic of the season on Memorial Day Weekend. With a few festive items to make it extra special and enticing, we headed to a ‘secret beach’ nearby. It’s not really a secret at all but it requires a drive down a long, BUMPY, not well-traveled dirt road that gives it the impression that it’s all ours. My mother had passed on pictures of my grandfather who served during WWII at the young age of 19. Soon after being enlisted, he was captured and became a POW for several years. He did return to his family, but so many others were not as fortunate. We took time to honor his memory, service, sacrifice and selflessness. Our first picnic was a testament to why I wanted to make them a priority this summer: simple pleasures for lasting memories.
the Essentialist Family 