We’ve hit the stage where I can no longer wear Rex in a wrap and linger for dinner at our usual spots. (Dang!) Everyone warned me but I sort of didn’t believe them that meal times would get tricky. I thought well then Rex will graduate to a highchair and sit quietly… but that’s just not always the case. Most likely the scene looks something like this: T bounces Rex while I sip my wine and scarf down a few bites, and then we switch. I’m still totally up for the outing where T on the other hand would rather not chance a scene. Which means we’ve been compromising with a mix of casual kid friendlier spots when dining out and spending more time barbecuing and picnicking in our backyard. And I’ve actually been all about the latter. The past few weekends in fact we’ve been opting for meals out back over dining out and it’s been so nice.
Now my favorite way to spend our Saturday or Sunday afternoon is to throw down a picnic blanket filled with Rex’s toys and pull out whatever bottle of wine we have open. In a way I feel like staying home slows down the weekend and makes it last longer. I’ve had a hard couple of weeks which means this month I’ve been all for living in and soaking up the slower moments, and really needing all of the family time.
I’m all for elevating this new kind of happy hour so our backyard hangs feel a bit more special and make up for the fact that I’m not heading out. A pretty blanket, my Nana’s glassware, (I’ll even dress up a bit as if it was a date night), and more of my summer picnic essentials can be found over on Simon SAID where I shared my finds, all of which are available at the Simon shopping centers.
Photography | Stephanie Russo
