"My house isn't nice enough for entertaining. I can barely get it clean, let alone have time to cook!"
It's spring! Who wants to sit inside, anyway? Overcome this all-too-common entertaining excuse with a picnic outside your home.
Is there a pretty park nearby? How about the grounds of a historic home or stately university? Can you plan your event around the free symphony concert?
Of course, you'll schlep everything from car to gazebo, but you don't have to scrub the toilet! Here are some ideas for making an easy picnic memorable:
- Bring your favorite quilt or old coverlet to cover a splintery picnic table.
- Stick a blooming plant in a basket for the centerpiece.
- Natural wicker plate holders look rustic and keep cheapo paper plates from blowing away.
- Don't serve chips from the greasy foil bag. Seriously! Decant into a napkin-lined basket or folded paper bag.
- Leave the Uncrustables and Capri Sun for the kids. Consider pretty box lunches for your mom friends.
- Ice down specialty bottled juices and waters. (Big Lots is a good place to find these on clearance.)
Have you hosted a Martha-worthy picnic? Give us the details that made it feel special!
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A spring picnic sounds lovely! But we still have snow on the ground up here (Minnesota).
I can't believe you had time for such a great post as you prepare for Destin! Thanks Meredith.
Greta ideas!
My fave romantic picnics involve sparkling cider or grape juice, croissants with chicken salad, fruit and something chocolate. Fave family-style picnios (like Mama used to make) include fried chicken (room temp), potato salad, baked beans, macaroni & cheese with pop or sweet tea–oh, and something like apple pie for dessert! Mmmmmm…..now I'm hungry!
Great ideas – and a great reminder for us to not let our perfectionism hinder our hospitality!
Love it!
Also love the owner's blog and the Proverbs 31 saying at the top.
We have a goal of entertaining more too. What a great idea – now if the snow would just melt so I could see the grass, we might be onto somethin.
Such great ideas! Makes me want to plan a picnic…tomorrow.
We love our outdoor concerts! If it is really about getting together with friends, there is nothing wrong with a pizza brought to the concert and served on paper plates. I tend to do more, but once in a while I have had to choose friends over fashion.
Oh, good idea! I love it. Thanks for sharing! (Now, if only I were as creative as YOU are.)
I don't have any picnic ideas on my mind, but I will say this: a friend of mind said when her house was messy, she'd have people come over late, after it was dark, and then just use candles and dim lighting to downplay the dust and stuff. Things seemed classy and calm. Nobody noticed if there were smudges on the rugs or smears on the windows. They simply sat and enjoyed the tea or coffee and dessert in the warm, dim glow of candlelight.
My daughter's birthday party was last weekend…right before Easter, with 3 feet of snow still on the ground.
I am preparing our home to sell and a party of 14 kids indoors was just NOT going to happen.
SO, I took the party to a local park near their school. After class we assembled to hunt white [boiled] eggs, well-hidden in the snow — and for the party entertainment, dyed and decorated them under the picnic pavillion. Even with the price of eggs, it was cheap and fun!
deb meyers