With the pandemic following us into fall, it kind of feels like a another season will be stolen from us this year. So, we have been putting in extra effort to make sure we can feel a semblance of normal during my favorite time of the year. Kevin and I have been getting creative and trying to modify/keep as much of our traditional fall bucket list as possible. Between outdoor activities like apple picking and visiting pumpkin patches, and stay at home approved activities like having a Halloween movie marathon and baking a pie, we are trying to embrace autumn in all her glory.
One of the reasons October is so special to us is that we were married 2 years ago on October 6th. Additionally, our first real vacation together was our honeymoon a week later. We went to Vermont and then Boston to soak up all the beautiful colors, history, nature, and more. Fall, and specifically October, hold a special place in our hearts. Earlier this year, we had planned to go back to Vermont to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Enter the coronavirus, and those plans quickly crumbled as we didn’t feel great about travelling. Instead, we chose to celebrate our anniversary with an at home approved date; our own autumnal picnic.
Over our years together as a couple, picnics have always been a fun date for us; from the local park to the zoo to our engagement photos, we love a good picnic. However, this year I think we found a new favorite spot to picnic; as recently christened homeowners we now have land (yay!), and on it, a perfect spot along the back edge of the property overlooking the river bend.
Some of our autumnal picnic essentials include a picnic basket, delicious food, cozy blankets, pillows for lounging, and a good wine. Our basket is the perfect size for two and includes all the basics – plates, napkins, silverware, wine glasses + opener, salt + pepper containers, and an insulated cooler portion of the basket that zips closed. Another necessity, this blanket. It is made for picnic and is awesome because it’s lined on the underside to prevent moisture from getting to the soft top fabric. We brought an additional sherpa lined plaid blanket out since we watched the sunset and anticipated the temperatures dropping. Plus, you can never really have too many blankets, right? As for pillows, we borrowed some from our porch to make ourselves more comfortable while lounging on the ground.
Lastly, food + wine! We wanted to be thoughtful in celebrating the occasion. That being said, this bottle of wine was from last year’s wedding anniversary trip to Traverse City, MI where we spent a long weekend wine tasting. So, it felt like an appropriate bottle to break out and cheers with. For food, we decided to add little sandwich bites inspired by a lunch we had on our honeymoon in Boston to our favorite picnic item; charcuterie. The sandwiches were a cranberry chutney with turkey, mixed greens, and cheddar on a toasted artisan bread from the local deli. Hello, deliciousness!
One of the best parts of creating your own picnic date is that there are no rules! We were celebrating a specific occasion, but you can make your picnic date whatever you want and have it almost anywhere. Dessert picnic in the park complete with apple pie, cider donuts, and a thermos of hot spiced cider, perfect! Soup + sandwich lunch picnic in the bed of your truck (or tailgate of your SUV) in an orchard after apple picking, awesome! Popcorn + corndogs with a movie picnic on your living room floor, love it! Food, drink, blanket, pillows, basket, loved one? Done.
Looking for something else to do on your picnic date besides eating, drinking, and cuddling? Bring along books, a deck of cards, a blanket friendly board game, a notebook, binoculars, or sketch pad. Kevin’s newest hobby is bird watching, so binoculars and his app are all he needs for a relaxing evening. I like to bring along a book or notepad depending on my mood. Make the date your own, tailoring it to your interests. The important thing is that you have fun, it’s a date night after all! Enjoy your quality time together.
I hope you enjoyed our pandemic approved date night (or date day) idea!
xo, Ray