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During a heatwave, the last thing I want to do is dine inside my sweaty apartment. While having a fan might help cool things down a bit, all I want to do is lounge around outside and pick on little bites at a time, rather than stomach a whole meal.
Although my hay fever might be raging this year, I’ll do anything I can to be able to sit in the sun in comfort as long as humanly possible.
Just like camping, you can either picnic, or picnic (if you catch my drift). I’m going to do something radical and propose we all start taking picnicking a little more seriously in the year of whimsy.
That’s why, ahead of yet another heatwave, I’ve rounded up a list of picnic essentials to help you dine outdoors in style. Just don’t forget the M&S picky bits.
The elevated picnic blankets, plates, and glasses to picnic in style
Look, this isn’t the Wizard Of Oz, but it could be if you started taking transporting yourself into another world through the medium of picnic more seriously. With plenty of room for a picnic for two, this basket has all the whimsy you could hope for on a sunny day outside.
Tbco
If you’ve ever tried to quickly stuff a picnic blanket in a bag on your way out the door, you’ll know that it rarely leaves space for the things you want to actually eat on your picnic. This strap solves that as it wraps around your picnic blanket so you can swing it from your shoulder as you skip on your merry way to the park. It also comes in a ton of colours so you can match it to your blanket.
I’m on a mission to make it socially acceptable for adults to carry lunch boxes again, because this tote is about to take your picnicking to the next level. If you’re the kind of person who likes to prepare salads, quiches, and whatnot ahead of time (good for you) they deserve the respect of being kept in a handy dandy cool bag like this one. I’m a huge fan of this turquoise colour, too.
Another pesky item to fit in your bag – a bottle of wine. But, as Damson Madder proves with this pretty patterned bottle carrier, there’s no reason you can’t carry it in style.
Because, unless you make a hole in the ground, there’s never anywhere to put your half-drunk bottle is there? This coaster will keep it upright, and remind you to keep topping yourself up as the day progresses. Day drinking is what picnics are all about, anyway.
I’m not exaggerating when I say I would truly trust M&S with my life, so I didn’t even have to question the fact they’d have all bases covered with this picnic hamper that has a holder specifically for your vino or whatever summer beverage you’ve opted for. Chiiiiic.
You know the drill: trying to get comfy at a picnic can result in some strange lying/sitting positions, and there’s always the risk everything is going to be on display if you’re wearing a skirt. Treat your tush to a comfy little seat in the form of this cushioned folding mat, which can sit atop or next to your picnic blanket to maximise space.
Whoever named these acrylic glasses was absolutely right: I will be gossiping as I sip, thank you very much. Made completely from acrylic, they won’t break in your bag, and they’ll match your picnic blanket, too.
If there’s one time I forget to drink enough water, it’s when I’m day-drinking at a picnic. My life hack is always having a water and a wine glass on hand, so you remember to stay hydrated in the heat – and so you can keep sipping, of course.
It’s giving grandma’s house in the best way. Who needs paper plates?
Enamel is your best friend for picnic implements – it won’t break en route, and it’s also pretty lightweight and cool, so you won’t have any problems carrying it in your dinky basket.
Using a plastic straw is sooo 20 years ago, but the paper ones are pretty shit, let’s be honest. So you’ll taste your drink through rose coloured glass (literally) with these straws, which can be reused to your heart’s content and won’t disintegrate into your drink after a mere few sips. Just be careful not to break them.
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