It’s that time of year again! Do you struggle with all the holidays? Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Christmas, Anniversaries, etc. I sure do. I love to celebrate, but I always struggle with ideas on what to do. I’d much rather plan a special day then buy a gift that may very well not be appreciated, however it can be tough to decide just what to do. 

 As I was browsing Instragram stories (I mean, does anyone even watch T.V. anymore?) the other evening I came across a homemade BBQ sauce recipe from Fraiche Nutrition. My husband LOVES to BBQ so I thought that would be a fun thing for my daughter and I to make together. Then I figured, why not celebrate with a picnic, where we could all enjoy eating the BBQ sauce! Even better, right? And that’s just what we did. With only a morning left to throw it altogether before my husband left for work again, we got to it and enjoyed a simple & sweet picnic together. It really didn’t take that long because I used a box cake and pre-made icing… sometimes something has to give! It’s all about balance right?!

The Best Picnic Spots

My favourite picnic spots are the ones with tables! I told you, I like easy 🙂 Some of our favourite (local to Smithers) spots are Tyhee Lake, Twin Falls, Riverside Campground, Ranger Park, or Telkwa by the river. These ones are all super close to town, but the options are endless if you bring your own table or go old school and have a picnic on the ground. If you’re not sure where to go, pick a campground, they’ll have picnic tables! 

 A Few Picnic Tips

I always make sure to bring a table cloth or quilt because you never know what the table will be like. I’d also recommend bringing a towel or another blanket incase things are wet! One thing I always forget is a bag for garbage. Everything usually just gets stuffed back in our picnic basket, but having an extra bag for garbage is handy. Don’t forget napkins or wipes and always pack extra water for drinking or cleaning hands. 

As for food, I like to keep it super simple. For this picnic I heated up leftover sausages and wrapped them in tinfoil. They were still warm when we got to our picnic spot. As for the rest, I packed a few toppings, our special BBQ sauce, fruit and chips, because what would a picnic be without chips?! Oh and dessert, with cupcakes and icing from a box, because let’s be honest, it doesn’t have to be perfect to be special and my husband could care less if it was made from scratch or not. He just wanted that peanut butter cup on top 🙂

A Little Homemade Touch

You know I love to make things, so I figured this homemade BBQ sauce would be the perfect touch to our picnic, and of course the inspiration for it! You can find the recipe on Fraiche Nutrition’s website, click HERE. We added some ground up flaming flare hot peppers, dried from our garden last summer. Needless to say, this BBQ sauce has some bite and my hubby loves it! 

When I ask my daughter if she wants to practice letters or writing the answer is always no. When I asked if she wants to help make a birthday card or gift, the answer is always yes! #momwin. She wrote BBQ all on her own, then I wrote sauce in pencil and she traced it. Can’t believe this chick is going into kindergarten in the Fall!

If you’re looking for some other Father’s Day gift ideas, check this post! 

Don’t Stress the Small Stuff

A picnic doesn’t have to be anything fancy to be special. Take leftovers for that matter! Pick up Subway if you’re in a time crunch. Take cheese and crackers and a bottle of wine if that’s your thing. It’s about getting out, enjoying a meal with people you love and making memories. Last summer we had a lot of picnics and I hope for many more this year!

PS. Happy Father’s Day!!!

Does your family do anything special for Father’s Day, or other holidays? My husband is not the best planner, to say the least, so these types of things really aren’t up his alley, at least when it comes to him planning them. I would always get my hopes up that the next year would be different. Not sure why he would magically change overnight though… I even lost interest in planning special things for holidays because why should I if he doesn’t? Now thats just a shitty attitude isn’t it? Truth is, I ENJOY it. I WANT to do it. Our daughter LOVES it. So by me not planning something special for him (trying to make a point), I was really just making my daughter and I miss out on something we enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, he does like it, he just doesn’t plan the same things for me, haha. 

As I write this I realize how ridiculous it sounds, but it’s hard when a person gets there hopes up that something special will be planned for them, since thats how it always was in my family. So here’s to me letting go, just a little bit more, each holiday at a time! Do you feel the same way? 

Do you have any favourite picnic tips or locations? Share in the comments!

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