Category

Summer

Category

 

Picnic Week on A Well Crafted Party

In honor of the Portland Bloggers’ Family Picnic happening this weekend I wanted to feature a post about picnics. My love for picnics and my ideas for picnic-related posts covered an entire sheet of brainstorming paper though, so instead of ONE post, I’m posting several throughout the week! You’ll see ideas for creating beautiful picnics, picnic supplies, picnic clothing ideas, picnic-ready recipes, some free picnic printables and MORE. Are you as excited as I am? 😉


To get the party started I wanted to share some of my favorite picnic supplies out there ready for your next picnic. I like to mix some handmade items with store bought, and vintage with modern to really set the scene for the perfect picnic. Pictured below are a selection of store bought items that I think could really put together a very pleasant picnic. Throw in some items of your own, make a few selections, and pick up one or two of these fun picnic supplies to put on a perfect Summer picnic.

Supplies for a Pleasant Picnic

Picnic Supplies for a Pleasant Summer Picnic

*The following are affiliate links— Affiliate Links help support the bloggers that post them. I only post products/brands I use and love or have been coveting for some time. See my policies for more information.

  1. Water resistant backed picnic blanket (You can also make your own… check out later this week to learn how!)
  2. A cooler of some sort. You can try just a regular everyday cooler like this one from Coleman, or a cool collapsable tote (pictured above).
  3. Wine Key— I’ve always been a fan of the traditional waiter’s wine key that has a foil cutter, corkscrew, and bottle opener all in one cool too. This lime green one needs to find its way into my cupboard!
  4. Cups and Plates— Picnics are a great time to bring out the outdoor dinnerware and use them instead of throwing away a lot of trash. This is especially great when picnicking somewhere that doesn’t have available trash containers. Campware tableware sets are great for picnics. I’m also a huge fan of these cute melamine plates and cups that look like the disposable kinds. My favorite type though are the ultra pretty ones, like the dinnerware pictured above from Waverly, that can bring a little cuteness to the practicalness of a picnic spread.
  5. A few throw pillows— this old lady can’t sit on the ground without a little cushion. I happen to love the pictured throw pillows because they are totally outdoor friendly!
  6. Great reusable containers to carry delish food and drinks in. While I love the above food storage containers from Kinetic, I’m a big fan of good old fashioned Kerr Jars or Ball Jars.

 

All in one picnic supplies

Okay, so you want something that is all in one and super portable? I LOVE my picnic backpack that has an insulated area, wine holder, plates, cups, etc. We got our backpack years ago… but, these packs look awesome as well: (The following links are affiliate links.)

  1. Picnic Time Malibu Insulated Cooler Picnic Tote, Service for 2
  2. Picnic Time Pioneer Picnic Basket, Moka— For the traditionalist who still wants to bring a basket to the picnic
  3. Picnic at Ascot Bold Lux Wine and Cheese Cooler(Perfect for when you just need the necessities— wine & cheese!)

What must-have item makes an appearance at all of YOUR Summer picnics?

 

 

I’ve been really good recently about sticking to my posting schedule. Today I had a post almost ready to go an just waiting a few small things before I could publish. But, life got in the way a bit. And, I’m so glad it did.

My husband’s parents are in town visiting and we are having such fun together! My son is calling them “BamMa” and “Papa.” Today we decided to go out to the Willamette River and paddle board. I stayed at the shore with the kiddo…but, we all had a grand time. Afterwards we enjoyed a homemade dinner on a rooftop in downtown Portland.

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PNW Summer Toddler Clothes

PNW Summer Toddler Boy Clothing Style

Summer in the Pacific Northwest just isn’t the same as it is in other places that I’ve lived. It is chilly in the morning and evening. It gets HOT in the day time. We wear layers year round. We buy cardigans in Summer colors and hang them in our closets rather than storing them away with our winter wear.

So, when writing this post I was going to title it “Summer Toddler Style” until I realized that this would be WAY too much clothing for a lot of toddlers. I really was dressing my son for a Pacific Northwest Summer Toddler Style. (mouthful much?) So, if you are visiting the Pacific Northwest this Summer or live here year-round and need tips on dressing your toddler boy for the PNW Summer then this post will be for you.

toddler clothing ideas

I dress my son in a hat as much as possible during the Summer. Most of the year the sun is scarse out here in Portland. But, during the Summer it is shining bright. The sun protects his pale skin from burns (along with copious amounts of sunscreen) and keeps his eyes shielded some. I love the way this little blue sun hat makes his blue eyes shine. It is getting a tad small (bought it last year) which makes me sad. My baby isn’t a baby anymore.

Pacific Northwest Summer Clothing Ideas

 

PNW toddler style

I like jeans year round for this kid. He has plenty of shorts for when it is really, really hot. However, because we were heading down to the water where it is cooler, I dressed him in jeans and rolled them into a capri length. We paired the jeans with a grey and white striped v-neck (big so he has room to grow) and a pair of black sandals. Closed toe shoes are important for my little guy… he stumbles a lot still and the closed toe protects his feet better than opened toe sandals. The jeans are the complementary jeans from 7 for All Mankind that I talked about in my 7 More Days of Toddler Style.

Toddler Boy Summer Styling Ideas

His Outfit: (The following links only go to the store website from which I got the clothing items. Many are from different seasons and are no longer being sold. However, similar items can be found.) Shirt: Old Navy, Jeans (Complimentary): 7 For All Mankind, Sun Hat: Old Navy, & Sandals: Burlington Coat Factory

** This is not a sponsored post as I did not receive anything in exchange for this post. However, I did receive the jeans my son is wearing in the photos above complimentary for a different series I wrote this year. All opinions are my own.**