Picnic Essentials

Happy Labor Day! Summer might be winding down, but the weather is still perfect which means there is plenty of time to get in your picnics! I honestly prefer to have picnics when it's a tad bit cooler out, so you can enjoy time outside for longer without getting too hot. But for now, picnics near the water like my husband and I did here are so ideal.

We found this adorable little beach while out boating, docked our boat and set up shop.

For our picnic I packed Italian sandwiches, homemade chicken salad with mini bagels for serving, my all-time favorite pasta salad recipe (linked below), chips, sparkling rosé and beer. The sandwiches, chicken salad, pasta salad and drinks were transported in a cooler (simply wrap in aluminum foil) but placed in this adorable picnic basket for the photo. I carried this cute pineapple picnic blanket in the basket though along with other essentials.

Like this bluetooth speaker, because you need some good music to complete your picnic! See my list below for my favorite picnic essentials:

Food that doesn't need to be eaten hot and which can be transported in your cooler or picnic basket. As stated above we went with Italian sandwiches, chicken salad on mini bagels, pasta salad and chips. I also threw some apples and berries in the cooler. Popsicles are perfect for dessert!

For the Italian Sandwich I stacked salami, pepperoni, ham, turkey, a spicy cheddar cheese from a local farmer's market, mixed greens and mustard on fresh Ciabatta.

For my chicken salad I subbed Greek yogurt for the mayo to make it a little lighter (I was wearing a bikini at this picnic after all), and honestly couldn't tell the difference! I'll be posting this full recipe soon.

Drinks! As stated we brought some sparkling rosé which is my go-to out in the sun and local beer. We also packed lots of water to stay hydrated. I love mixing in some fresh fruit and herbs for infused water!
Cups! I use an aluminum stemless wine glass with a top. Also plates, utensils and napkins.
Waterproof picnic blanket so it doesn't get all wet and sandy. This is less important if you're having your picnic in a park but you still want something large.
Picnic basket and cooler.
Speaker for music.
Sunscreen!