Have a picnic

June 15th

There is something about eating outside that makes the food taste exceptionally more satisfying. Even if it's a peanutbutter sandwich.

My five year old son asks if we can "go for a picnic" every.single.day. Sometimes I grab the picnic blanket from the car and say "sure!" and we have a spontaneous lunch in the backyard, under our little tree. Many times I think about how much work it would be for me. But in reality, it's less work. I have to make the kids and myself lunch anyway....and when we eat outside, I don't have to clean up ANY crumbs off ANY tables or floors! 

We soak in the vitamin D, breathe in the fresh air, listen to the birds. The kids are happy because it's a different experience than eating indoors. They're more likely to eat whatever I've made for them and to eat it all. It's some sort of picnic magic that causes this.

As I'm writing this post, i'm in my backyard, daydreaming about picnics and suddenly my children are literally running in circles around me as fast as they can while screaming. Next, they team up and rip up grass and throw it at me continuously while laughing like minisicule maniacs. So, I go inside, my only option to escape.

My husband is making dinner and he announced that it's done. Wahoo! I asked him if we can have a picnic, so we have less clean up. He says no because the pasta he made would be hard to eat without a table. I silently disagreed. 5 minutes into dinner, our 2 year old silently stuffs her cheeks with pasta like a chipmunk. It went unnoticed until too late. Suddenly she spit it all out onto the table and then ferociously wiped it onto the floor. "We should have eaten outside" I said to my husband.

If you don't have kids, you probably won't have much to clean up anyway. There are other benefits for you, and for everyone. The key is to find a quiet spot. Make something healthy to eat, so you feel good during and after the picnic. My husband absolutely loves to have a "french picnic" which has simple foods such as grapes, cheese, and bread or crackers. Silence your phone and don't touch it. If you're under a tree, look up! Notice the beauty of the light pouring through the leaves and branches. Notice the birds flitting about. If you're alone, ponder on the beauty of the space around you. Maybe say a prayer in your heart or meditate. If you're with someone, have a meaningful conversation about something that doesn't bring you stress. Talk about how the food tastes. How pretty the plants are. How the clouds look. Where you want to go on vacation. Be present and feel the simple peace from being outside, enjoying your food. It's free to go outside to eat, so do yourself a favor and try it out.