Perfect Picnic

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Charlotte is experiencing a bout of sunny spring weather.  It’s perfect outside – warm but not hot, breezy but not too windy.  Spring has sprung in the South!

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We took an hour off in the middle of the day to have a picnic and play at the park.  We’ve been to the park for the last three days in a row.  No sense in wasting such perfect weather!

 

Salad.

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To save on dishes, I simply topped some greens with grilled tempeh, carrots, cranberries, and a big glob of raspberry dressing – all straight into the plastic tub.  All we needed was two forks.

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With some chips and hummus on the side.

 

Henry’s lunch consisted of broccoli and roasted tomato slices with the skin removed.

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Judging by how quickly he inhaled it, I would say it was pretty tasty.

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Anyone have a recommendation for baby sunglasses?  Henry refuses to wear regular baby sunglasses and rips hats off immediately, so he just wanders around with squinty eyes.  I cringe every time I look at him, but he really can’t stand regular sunglasses.  Ideas?

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James tagged along, too.  Maggie stayed at home (she’s afraid of 1) noise ; 2) large spaces; 3) strangers, so she is not a good picnic buddy).

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We spent some time on the playground (I’m rediscovering how awesome slides are…) and on the swings.

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Henry’s new trick is pointing at everything and nothing. 

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We also walked around the lake, marveling at the beauty that is the wonderful Queen City. 

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And then I found a tomato smashed into my hair, but that is a story for another day.

{ 32 comments }

 

  • Katie @ Talk Less, Say More March 11, 2013, 5:58 pm

    What a nice little break in the day. I hope we get some of that spring like weather around here soon!

  • Carly @ Life in Training March 11, 2013, 6:00 pm

    Looks like a perfect afternoon. NYC felt springlike today as well – it makes such a difference to be able to enjoy the park and playground again! As an Aussie ex-pat, I have to recommend this Australian company for baby sunglasses: http://www.banzworld.com
    They have a band right around so they can’t be pulled right off.
    Happy Spring!! 🙂

  • Amanda March 11, 2013, 6:13 pm

    Henry looks a little like he’s charging into battle in the first swing photo. It’s pretty awesome.

  • Miranda @ Miranda Runs March 11, 2013, 6:16 pm

    What a gorgeous day! I remember when I was a kid, my parents would take me to the park and we would play for hours. It’s great you’re doing the same thing with Henry! It’s great for his development 🙂

  • Alex @ Raw Recovery March 11, 2013, 6:19 pm

    Oh I’m so jealous of that weather!! Looks gorgeous. That salad looks great! I think it’s cute that Henry points at everything. I wish I could take my puggle, Buddha on picnics. He’s too much of a spaz and would bark at everything.

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat March 11, 2013, 6:21 pm

    What a great way to spend the afternoon! Picnics are one of my favourite things to do in the spring/summer. We had a gorgeous sunny weekend here as well (likely not as warm as yours though, and we’ve still got a good foot of snow on the ground). It’s amazing how much the sunshine lifts your spirits!

  • Alex @ Raw Recovery March 11, 2013, 6:25 pm

    Oh and for kiddie sunglasses….they make sunglasses for dogs that are called “doggles” that are basically goggles with sunglass lenses. Maybe they make a similar kind for kids? I hope that doesn’t come off as insulting! I really don’t mean it to!

  • Sara March 11, 2013, 6:27 pm

    Henry is such a cutie!! We had spring like weather here in Boston today also!!

  • DadHTP March 11, 2013, 6:30 pm

    You would NEVER wear sunglasses till you were six!

  • Sarah @ Yogi in Action March 11, 2013, 6:33 pm

    That looks like such a great day! I am very jealous of your beautiful spring weather- it is still very much winter in my city (it was snowing earlier today).

  • Lauren March 11, 2013, 6:39 pm

    I bought my daughter a pair of Babyaitors for our trip to Puerto Rico, on diapers.com. Literally the cutest things you’ve ever seen in your life.

  • Rebecca March 11, 2013, 7:07 pm

    I have multiple little cousins, and I’m pretty sure I never saw any of them wear sunglasses before they were about two or three and started caring about/being able to dressing themselves. I don’t know what “regular” baby sunglasses is supposed to mean (like regular adult sunglasses?) but there are brands that are basically goggles and fit around a kid’s head. Julbo and BabyBanz are two brands/lines that I’ve found on Google. Don’t know if there are others.

    Our weather is warming up here, too. My dad said it might be 40 for his run on Saturday morning. Our snow is starting to melt, but lots of ice and crap. I basically slide my way to my car. Hoping it all melts soon.

  • Caitlin March 11, 2013, 7:10 pm

    Our amazing weather yesterday is now up with y’all and we have rain. Boo.

    And, as always, Maggie gave me a good laugh!

  • Caitlin March 11, 2013, 7:31 pm

    When my nephew was about Henry’s age, he would rip his hats off too. We’d just put it straight back on him every time and say, “No, this needs to stay on.” Eventually he got used to it and it’s no longer a problem.

  • Allyson March 11, 2013, 7:33 pm

    Hi Caitlin!

    I saw your post today and thought I would pass along this link that may be helpful for your sunglasses dilemma.

    http://www.babiestravellite.com/FSSPE/FRUBI-Shades-soft-protective-eyewear.html

    There are baby sunglasses made by a company named FRUBI. They manufacture soft protective eyewear for babies, and offer protection from UVA light. I worked at an optical lab for about two years and always recommended them for patient’s with children. I hope that helps!

    Allyson

  • Kat @ Balance & Spice March 11, 2013, 7:42 pm

    I really wonder if Henry could get any cuter, but then every day, he just seems to become more adorable. Here in Australia, it’s still summertime, so it’s beautiful and temperate, but we’ve been having the wildest summer storms every afternoon. All of a sudden, the skies just open up and pour. Very strange, but at least it keeps life interesting.

  • Angela March 11, 2013, 7:45 pm

    What a fun little middle of the day break! Another perk of being a business owner. 🙂

  • emily March 11, 2013, 7:53 pm

    What a nice spring day! We’ve had really good weather the past two days as well. It’s back to 30* tomorrow, but it was nice while it lasted!

  • Erica March 11, 2013, 8:05 pm

    Ah!! We bought those same exact shoes for our son! I love them, they are very versatile. They look nice with both his grey AND blue sweat pants 😉 haha.

    For sunglasses we got the ones that wrap around the back of his head and have velcro. It’s not the greatest. We also have this hat http://www.cheapestees.com/bella-infant-sun-hat-160.html?gclid=CKSUiNLw9bUCFQ70nAodXR4A-A that we got at Buy Buy Baby. He begrudgingly wears it, but I think he knows he looks silly.

  • Amber K March 11, 2013, 8:08 pm

    We had a bout of sunny weather too! But now it’s gone and it’s back to cold and dreary. Boo.

  • BroccoliHut March 11, 2013, 8:33 pm

    We’ve been loving the spring-y weather here in Durham too! We’ve taken long walks with my dog Margot for the past three days. I hope it’s here to stay!

  • Rachel March 11, 2013, 9:18 pm

    Baby banz! I got my kids some on amazon.

  • Babs March 11, 2013, 9:36 pm

    Looks like a fun day in the park. I love the pointing. It’s like he’s saying – I am #1.

  • Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed March 11, 2013, 10:58 pm

    We had gorgeous weather up here in PA this weekend… today was warm but I was stuck at work. I tried to soak up the sun as much as I could on Saturday and Sunday… but tomorrow is rain and 40s, womp! I’m ready for spring! I haven’t had a picnic in so long… maybe something to make happen the next time it’s warm enough 🙂

    Love the pointing baby!

  • mindy @ just a one girl revolution. March 11, 2013, 11:24 pm

    “And then I found a tomato smashed into my hair, but that is a story for another day.”
    For another day, or just a regular day in the life of CaitlinHTP? 😉

    Also, super jealous of your spring weather. It’s slowly coming in Michigan, but not fast enough!

  • Susan March 11, 2013, 11:37 pm

    My three year old still sometimes refuses to wear sunglasses or a hat, but we found that a baseball hat works better than a sun hat for some reason. Although sometimes sunscreen is about the best we can do!

  • Maria March 12, 2013, 4:38 am

    I long for spring – it’s so cold in my country and the weather forecast says the rest of March will be chilly. Seeing your picnic pics made me promise myself to get out there and enjoy spring once it’s here. I too laughed at Maggie, guess she stayed home and got bossed around by Pippa. 🙂

  • Beks March 12, 2013, 9:11 am

    I am so jealous of your weather. We had a great day Saturday (albeit, a little rainy), but then it turned to sleet followed by a massive blizzard on Sunday. I’m so over snow! I can’t wait until I can move my running from the treadmill to the trail and not have to worry about slipping on ice or in the mud.

  • Jessica March 12, 2013, 10:07 am

    Did you see the Today Show Segment around 9:06 ET on Operation Beautiful? Very cool!

  • Amy@ahealthyandhappyheart March 12, 2013, 10:16 am

    Looks like a perfect day! I love the picture of Henry pointing…I totally laughed out loud!

  • Ann March 12, 2013, 10:48 am

    The baby sunglasses are a never ending battle. We got the kind with the strap from Target, I figured even if he didn’t wear them much we only invested a couple dollars. When my guy started pulling off his hat, I found that baseball hats were a little better.

  • Erin @ The Elliptical Chronicles March 12, 2013, 2:29 pm

    I love sunny afternoons spent outside – what a lovely picnic outing you had!

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