Picnic Lunch

     2020 has become quite the interesting year! I hope that you are all staying safe and healthy, and managing all the day to day activities without going absolutely stir crazy. One thing I am not taking for granted is the extra cuddles and family closeness we get by being quarantined together. I'm not saying it is always easy, but it we try to make everyday as special as we can.

     One way to keep our family entertained is by creating special moments and doing everyday things in different ways. Now, I definitely am guilty of having our dinners in front of the television or having my daughter eat in her playroom instead of with us, but there are days when those are warranted, and I will not judge anyone who feels the same way, nor will I apologize for it!

    But some days turn out better than others, and this was one of them! I created a little family picnic for lunch instead of being indoors. The days have finally been getting warmer, so outside time and a little Vitamin D is called for.

    It doesn't take much to create this little picnic and fun was had by all! I took this small collapsible picnic table that I have had for years now and has gotten a lot of use when we would go camping or to a park. It is from www.crateandbarrel.com, and it is probably the best if not the coolest little table!
It assembles easily and is made of wood to boot! It is also a great table for the kids to play on while being outdoors; they are the perfect size!

    I tried to make the area as comfortable as possible by throwing some outdoor cushions for us to sit on! These fun cushions are from www.jysk.ca, and were bought two summers ago. I draped the table with a simple linen tablecloth, but you could easily leave it bare or use placemats if you wanted.  I added these cute wicker chargers for under the plates to give it a more fancy yet homey feel. These were a great thrift store find. I find these all the time when shopping at the thrift stores (which I hope start to open back up soon, because I miss thrifting ), and they are always inexpensive.

    I had these cute blue tea towels in different patterns and thought they would make great napkins. I simply added two bamboo napkin rings to dress them up a bit. For the dinnerware, I decided to use melamine because it just works best for us when we dine outside. I have simple white dishes and cutlery, which I bought at the dollar store. I like the white because they go with everything, and you can add any colour of accessories or decor to amp them up! Scour your dollar stores, especially now that summer is approaching; you will be surprised at the items you can find at great prices and quality.

    The glasses here are plastic as well and are the perfect vessel to hold a fruity summer drink! They are from www.realcanadiansuperstore.ca. I dressed up the middle of the table with an outdoor lantern, and a faux arrangement that I made all with supplies from, you guessed it, the dollar store. www.dollarama.com.

    Seeing as this was just lunch, I kept the menu simple. Now that is not to say you can't eat like this for dinner too, actually I highly recommend it! I served a tray of a simple charcuterie that I know my daughter would enjoy too. I had some deli ham, cheese slices, crackers and grapes, as well as, a bowl filled with some salty snacks: roasted almonds, roasted lentils and peas and some pistachios. These cute little pineapple bowls held some raspberries and blueberries. The bowls are from www.walmart.ca and are melamine too. A perfect summer table accessory.

    For a sweet snack, I had these s'more cookies displayed in this adorable little rattan plate with a cover. It is the cutest little serving tray and the cover helps keeps the bugs away too. I found it at www.homesense.ca, where they have so many beautiful outdoor accessories at such great prices!

   All these items I used for out family picnic came from my home. These are items I have had for a while or bought pre-Covid. You really don't need to go out and spend a lot of money in order to do a similar set up as mine. Use what you have and get creative! That is the fun part!

   I do hope you walk away with some neat ideas and tips you can use for your own little family picnic and above all,  just have fun and enjoy a relaxing moment spent with the ones you love!

Until next time!
~A



PRODUCT INFORMATION:

- wicker placemats and wood bowl from www.valuevillage.com
- melamine plates from www.dollarama.com
- plastic glasses from www.realcanadiansuperstore.ca
- pineapple bowls from www.walmart.ca
- beige linen tablecloth from www.michaels.com
- small rattan serving plate with cover from www.homesense.ca
- napkin tea towels and outdoor pillows from www.jysk.ca

Adventure Birthday Party

     For my daughter's 6th birthday party this year, I wanted to do something different! So we came up with the idea of an outdoor adventure party.
    We had originally booked a park and were hoping to have the party there, however, with my daughter's birthday being in November, the weather is always tricky. It wasn't on our side!
    We ended up having it at home, but it turned out great and the kids had fun, which in the end is all that matters!
 

     To keep the kids entertained, we had a Scavenger Hunt prepared! Luckily for us, in our area we have a trail right across the street from our house. The kids had their lists ready to go, and seemed very eager to check off all the items on their list!

    Found this cute printable from www.momdot.com. I attached the printable to craft paper bags and added a crayon inside so it was easy for the kids to hold their collectibles and check the items off their lists!

     After they all got back from their activities, it was time to eat! We offered a simple meal of hot dogs and sides. Instead of serving french fries, there were corn chips and goldfish crackers. We also served pepperoni sticks ( which were a huge hit) and veggies! 

     Instead of paper plates, I found these cute pie pans from www.dollartree.com. It was a bit of a splurge, but we can use them for so many other parties or even for when we go camping! And they really fit the part too!

    I already had these cute enamel mugs and thought they were the perfect vessel for holding the bamboo cutlery and napkins. I found the cutlery here: www.amazon.ca. 

    For a fun alternative to a candy bar, I created this Trail Mix Bar. It was a big hit with the kids and the adults! You can really add whatever you like to your bar; you can go all out or keep it simple. For this one, I had mini marshmallows, pretzels, raisins, a mixture of dark chocolate, caramel and milk chocolate chips, and some delicious graham cracker cereal. 

    I included some small craft paper bags so everyone could eat them on the go or take them home with them. I also created this DIY stand to hold the bags. It was very easy to do. I took two small wood crates that I found at the dollar store, and I stained them. I found some mini dowels and simply hot glued them at each corner of the crates and attached it all together. So easy and so cute and I can use it for future parties and displays too!  

     This trail mix sign was found on www.catchmyparty.com as well as the other labels used throughout the party. I just added it to a simple black frame found at the dollar store. The DIY stand is at the back. 

     I found these metal bowls at the dollar store too to hold all the trail mix fixings and added some clear scoops. 

       

      A successful and fun party doesn't have to empty your bank account. With careful planning and sourcing, you can throw an entertaining and fun party just using your imagination and supplies you find at your favourite stores. 

     My daughter and her friends, as well as our guests, all had a great time! 

     I hope this post gives you some great ideas to use at your next party and inspires you to have fun in the planning process too!