Picnic Essentials

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This weekend we had impromptu cocktails on the grass with our neighbors and their ten-month old. We brought an old blanket, a bottle of wine, roasted garbanzo beans, and toys for the kiddos. 

We had so much fun!

After our picnic, my husband made a list of what we needed so that we would be better prepared for the next time.  He is quite practical, so the list consisted entirely of things we already own.  I however decided to do some online browsing. 

My preferences are guided by some overarching principles.

1. I don't like melamine and other materials that are said to leach into my food.  If I have a melamine plate or two, that's fine, but I prefer other materials.  (1,2,4,7,8,9)
2. Go for the more economical option.  Unless of course you are looking at cutting boards. . . a bad cutting board makes chopping quite difficult. (1,6)
3. When in doubt go with the multifunctional.  No need to have a bunch of stuff that can only be used for one purpose. (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
4. It's good to have items devoted just for your kiddos, so they feel like they are part of the fun too. (2,3)
5. Pretty things are always nice, especially when the items fit the above criteria.  (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)

Did you know that H&M has all sorts of wonderful picnic items? Do you have anything you love to bring on a picnic?