It’s almost MDW, so bbq and picnic season are about to be in full swing. Having a baby can change a lot. And if you give into it, you might find yourself sitting at home doing baby activities until they go off to college. I have chosen to try to incorporate BB into my life as much as possible. Sometimes, that means politely asking my server to please pack up our food to go as BB throws a tantrum in the middle of a restaurant. But most of the time, BB cooperates. Blake and I have a theory, that babies are as easy or as hard as you think they will be. If you think traveling with a baby, taking them out to dinner, etc. is going to be a nightmare, then it probably will be. But if you plan accordingly and treat your little mini like the sophisticated baby you know is in there somewhere, they might surprise you with their ability to adapt.

Last summer, when BB was in what I refer to as the “meatloaf phase,” when they just lay there like a piece of meatloaf and don’t do much, we used to go to the park daily, lay out a blanket, and have a mini picnic. Now, as she is running all over the place, it can be harder to make her sit still. But, that will not stop me from trying. Meg and I usually meet for music class or just a play-date at our houses, but we wanted to do something both baby and mama approved for a change. So we ventured out for a picnic. TBH, neither of us knew if this would be a triumph or failure. It turned out great and we both looked at eachother halfway through as we sipped our wine and said “picnic success.” 
So, here are 10 necessities for a picnic with a baby.

(1) Make your plans flexible: weather, naps, and fussiness can all throw a wrench in a picnic plan pretty quickly. So toss the hard and fast plans out the window and try to go with the flow. My husband is very regimented. Every morning when we wake up, one of his first questions is “so what’s the plan for today?” He wants to know when we are doing what. It took a while for him to adjust to “baby time” and realize our days of planning every little detail and sticking to it are long gone. When planning a picnic with two babies, finding that sweet spot when you know they will both be awake and happy can be a challenge. James is still on two naps a day and BB is down to one, so trying to plan something mid-day has been really challenging for us. After a few failed play-date attempts, we finally realized that from 3-6 we know both babies are always awake, so that’s what works for us.

(2) Shade and sunscreen: nothing can ruin a picnic quicker than steaming hot sun. Find the perfect spot under a tree and set up. Even in the shade, the sun seems to find BB’s perfectly alabaster skin. Tip, put the sunscreen on before you leave the house so you can wash your hands. It seems BB has inherited her dad’s strong aversion to lotion, so doing it at home avoids making a scene while your baby throws a tantrum in the middle of the park.

(3) A happy and content baby: if you bring a restless baby to a picnic…you can finish that sentence with your basic nightmare. Before we set up for the picnic, I took BB to the park next door and let her run around, swing on the swing, and go up and down the slide a million times. By the time we sat down for the picnic, she was wiped out and ready to sit down for a leisurely snack. Try to get some energy out before you ask your baby to sit still for an extended period of time.

(4) Food for baby: one sure fire thing that will keep BB occupied and happy is food. She loves food. One thing she hates is when our food looks better than hers. So make a baby safe charcuterie board filled with all of your baby’s favorite colorful foods. Then, while you are enjoying your picnic foods, baby can too. Don’t forget a sippy cup! Dining al fresco always seems to make BB extra parched.

(5) Food for mama: we went for easy and fresh finger foods and snacks that could be arranged on an assortment of boards. Think assorted crudité, charcuterie, dips, etc. Before BB, I would have made all the dips from scratch, but post BB, Trader Joe’s premade dips are a godsend. I am lucky enough to live next to a park that turns a blind eye to alcohol consumption, so this picnic included rosé.

(6) Cute serveware: I may be a mama and my hands may be VERY full, but that does not mean I will resort to a Tupperware picnic. I have an entire cabinet at home filled with assorted trays and platters. I love to mix and match and create a fun spread. My favorites are wood, marble or slate because they do not break as easily as a glass try and can be thrown in the bottom of a bumpy stroller. I linked all my favorites below.

(7) A picnic box: personally, I have never found a picnic basket to be practical. They do not seem to hold much and just end up getting in the way. And, with the top flaps, it is impossible to find anything in it. For picnics and Movie in the Park, my husband and I have always used this old wooden box. Full disclosure, when not being used as a picnic box, it is George’s dog toy bin. It has two easy to carry handles and it can be filled to the brim with wine, bread, and all the necessities. Since I didn’t have my pack horse (husband) to help me carry, I put the picnic box in the stroller and wore BB in the ergo.

(7) Baby safe utensils and glasses: the key to being able to actually sit back, relax, and enjoy your picnic is making it kid friendly. So no sharp knives, glass or anything dangerous. A really dull cheese spreader works well. Meg also had these AMAZING plastic wine glasses, which were knocked over a handful of times.

(8) A big garbage bag: in full disclosure, we forgot this item. When it comes time to pack up, I would typically run all the garbage to a nearby trash can. With a baby in tow, bring your own garbage bag, dump all the trash into it, and drop it on your way out of the park.

(9) Wide open space: when you are picking your picnic location, try to pick a spot with wide open and baby safe surroundings. If your baby is anything like BB and constantly getting into everything, it is nice to be able to sit and watch as she explores a safe area surrounding your picnic. If you live in the city, that can be hard. But there are some great options in Chicago like Millenium Park, Lincoln Park or A. Montgomery Ward Park.

(10) Patience: bring your patience. In reality, life after baby is not always the walk in the park it used to be. If you imagine yourself sitting pack and sipping wine for hours on end completely undisturbed, you are in for a rude awakening. BB and James knocked over our wine glasses. I had to stop BB from being attacked by a goose, several times. James tried to eat the entire block of cheese. But watching these two go to town on their charcuterie board, stare in awe at the ducks, and laugh at each other was so much fun and way better than any pre-baby picnic I have ever had. It looks like we might get one day of picnic-worthy weather this weekend so pack up your stuff and get to the nearest park! For more tips on packing the perfect picnic basket, head to megmcmillin.com!