I’ve always loved a good picnic. Growing up, it was such a treat to pack up the car with a cooler full of food for an afternoon picnic at Devils Lake. Eating outside is such a simple thing to do, but it always felt exciting and special.

My love of picnics quickly became apparent to Ian when we started dating in college and one day he surprised me with my very own picnic basket! We spent many summer evenings carrying our basket around to picturesque locations around campus for an inexpensive date night.

Over the weekend I saw our picnic basket in the closet and decided it was time we broke it out. We could have ran to the grocery store for supplies to prepare a full-blow picnic, but I wanted to be spontaneous and enjoy a laid back afternoon. I filled mason jars with fresh fruit, hummus, and carrots, then placed them in the basket with two bottles of our favorite seltzer soda. After a quick stop at Jimmy Johns for sandwiches our picnic basket was full and ready for a lazy afternoon soaking up the sun by the lake.

What are your quick and easy picnic essentials?