7 Essential Items for the Perfect Springtime Picnic

The perfect time of year for some al fresco dining, Spring picnics are a great way to celebrate the beginning of warmer weather. Planning the perfect picnic for the next beautiful Spring day? We’ve come up with 7 Essential Items to help you plan for the for the Perfect Springtime Picnic:

1. Nantucket Bike Basket Company Picnic Basket ($59.98)

Need a beautiful basket to carry all of your Springtime Picnic Essentials with you? The Nantucket Bike Basket Company Steps Beach Gray with Red Lining Oval Picnic Handlebar Basket with Quick Release from Hayneedle.com makes a trip to the park easier than ever. (Sandwiches not included.) Using the best wicker material available, this lidded oval basket is hand-crafted to hold plenty under its hinged lids, and a red checkered liner lends a classic picnic look. Everyday wear and tear won’t slow this basket down. These baskets are designed to be naturally beautiful, super convenient, and extra durable. A manufacturer of high-quality, classic, handmade rattan and wicker handlebar baskets, Nantucket crafts the most original, authentic beach-style baskets on the market. Great for the boardwalk, the beach, the market, and for picnics anywhere, these baskets are made from all-natural materials. No unsightly Velcro, zippers, or nylon, these baskets feature buckle straps for stylish, strong practicality.

2. Rustic Linen Blanket ($158)

Perfect for picnics, and great for a wrap to keep warm if your Springtime Picnic gets a little chilly, this dense, drapey rustic linen blanket from Coyuchi is made with natural linen and the softest organic cotton flannel to create a blanket that’s welcome for any season cozy, breathable and equally beautiful alone or layered. Woven with yarn-dyed stripes, it’s neatly bound in ivory flannel and finished with rounded corners.

3. Sparkling ice ($1.29 each)

Sparkling ICE is the perfect picnic beverage for people of all ages. Crisp and refreshing, Sparkling ICE can be enjoyed alone or as a mixer for yummy low-calorie cocktails. Delicious, zero calories and refreshing, Sparkling ICE combines fresh spring water, natural fruit juices and vitamins and antioxidants to create tasty, lightly-carbonated, refreshments in assorted thirst-quenching flavors. A great alternative to soft drinks, appealing to all age groups, diabetics and the health-conscious, Sparkling ICE is available in eight distinct, delicious flavors sweetened with Splenda, all of which are caffeine-free, Kosher U and free of sodium and carbohydrates.

Sparkling ICE can be used to make delicious popsicles for the whole family. Just make them ahead of time, pop them in a cooler and bring them along for the picnic. These pops can be made with your favorite Sparkling ICE flavor and fresh fruit. This tasty recipe features Black Raspberry Sparkling ICE and fresh raspberries:

Sparkling ICE Pops

Ingredients:

Ice Cube Tray (or your favorite ice pop making molds)

Toothpicks or popsicle sticks

I bottle Black Raspberry Sparkling ICE

1 container of fresh raspberries, chopped

Directions:

Fill you trays or molds with Sparkling ICE, topping each with a scoop of chopped raspberries. If using ice cube trays cover tray tightly with tin foil. Poke a popsicle stick through the foil into each cube. If using an ice pop maker place the handle sticks into the molds. Place in the freezer for about 2 hours or until frozen. Enjoy!

Sparkling ICE retails for $1.29, or $12-$15 for a 12 pack. Sparking ICE is available at retailers nationwide, including Kroger, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Publix, Winn Dixie, Amazon and more!

4. VOGA Italia Wine

For a romantic picnic, or simply for the adults in the group, bring along some VOGA Italia Wine for a sophisticated and stylish adult beverage. VOGA Italia hails from Italy, the country best known for producing some of the world’s best wine as well as its’ keen sense of style. VOGA Italia encompasses all aspects offering a collection of crisp delicious wine thoughtfully packaged in a revolutionary re-designed bottle featuring a unique resealable cap. Since the company’s inception, VOGA has earned numerous awards and accolades for their sleek and sexy glass cylindrical bottle, presentation and most importantly taste. The collection retails from $10.99 to $15.99 and includes Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Moscato, and Premium Sparkling. VOGA is available in over 62 countries, hundreds of major cities, and can be found in thousands of the world’s trendiest bars, restaurants and shops. Wherever, whenever, if you are drinking VOGA you are drinking IN Style.

5. Picnic at Ascot Feta Round Cheese Board Set ($27.99)

Day or evening, beachside or backyard, picnics are a favorite event. By introducing Americans to the British tradition of upmarket picnics over a decade ago, Picnic at Ascot created a niche for picnic products combining British sophistication with an American fervor for excitement and exploration. Known as an industry leader in the outdoor gift market, Picnic at Ascot houses a design staff dedicated to preserving the prized designs and premium craftsmanship signature to the company. Their exclusive products are carried only by selective merchants. Picnic at Ascot provides quality products that meet the demands of today, yet reflect classic picnic style. This product can be found at Hayneedle.com.

6. NurturMe Baby Food ($20.00 for 18 servings)

Just in case you are bringing the little ones, NurturMe is the perfect on-the-go food to bring along on a picnic. Weighing less than a jar and packed in recyclable materials, each NurturMe pouch leaves a smaller carbon footprint on our planet.

Naturally grown and quick dried, NurturMe baby foods maintain more of their nutritional value than pre-cooked foods and come in light weight, palm-sized pouches – perfect for on the go feeding. Prepare the same way you would rice cereal by adding breast milk, water, or formula and stir to reach desired consistency. One pouch yields approximately 2.5 oz of prepared food.

Mix + match pouches for variety, mix into yogurt, combine with grains, the options are endless!

You can also sneak NurturMe fruits and veggies into toddler foods as a clever way to boost the nutritional value of older kids’ meals.

Nutritious. Convenient. Earth-friendly. NurturMe is Good for me, Good for we.

NurturME is made with organic ingredients sourced from farms in the USA.

7. Medical ID Braclets ($19.95 and up)

Medical ID Marketplace is a company that creates trendy and fashionable medical ID bracelets. While this may seem out of place for a picnic, what if you get stung by a mosquito or a bee while you are enjoying a great meal? If you are allergic and didn’t know it, your life could be at stake. With a medical ID bracelet, first responders would be able to react efficiently in case of emergency. With hundreds of styles to choose from, the bracelets also come with a complimentary engraving for emergency contact info and any pre-existing health condition.