Thank you for dropping by my Raising Jane Journal to participate in my giveaways! We’ve chosen a winner for this giveaway already (click here for details), but don’t be afraid to leave a comment anyway. I love reading them. And stay tuned for more great MaryJanesFarm giveaways.
In the Apr/May issue of MaryJanesFarm, on newsstands March 6, you’ll see how Megan converted an old wicker bassinet into living-room picnic-gear storage that now holds a picnic quilt, a couple of pillows, and board games for the perfect indoor picnic.
In the photo above, you’ll see my MaryJane’s Home “”Busy Bee” quilt and pillow with my favorite patchwork shape, the hexagon. Why a hexagon? The hexagon, a shape that speaks the zen of the busy beehive or the wired manors of chickens (the oldest domesticated animal on Earth), symbolizes the unity and structure of the farmgirl life—a framework for the proper order of things, a pattern for life. In unwritten feminine language, it is a standard for farmgirls, or for that matter, the ordinary honeybee or the hen, rank and file workers that move the work along. It says that all things are to be done decently and in order, and that small things add up.
For a chance to win one of our “Busy Bee” twin quilts and matching 16″-square pillows, tell me all about your favorite picnic experience in the comments below. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-May.
Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.
The times while traveling with my family were the best picnics. We were sering new places & having fun.
I remember taking my mother inlaw and my girls to a summer concert in our local park .
Weather was perfect
Kids had a blast and my mother inlaw and I shared a special time
We didn’t always get along 😉🤔
We would often pack a lunch and head to the beach while we were living on the north coast of Puerto Rico. It was amazing to be able to take advantage of the sea air, sunshine and ocean waves whenever we liked. We’ve agreed that our retirement plans one day will have to include a beach that is great for picnics!
My favorite picnic memory was in 1970. I was a senior and so was the boy I was dating. It was in the spring, close to graduation, and most of the seniors were taking a “skip school ” day. I told my mom the day before and she asked if I was planning on skipping school. I told her that we really didn’t care about going with a bunch of kids acting crazy , but that we would just like to go on a nice quiet picknic. The next morning when I came into the kitchen , mom surprised me with a big bowl of her delicious fried chicken! “I thought you might like this today” Mom said. We went on a picnic that day and the memories of a beautiful spring day and moms great fried chicken and the wonderful boy that was with me. Time has passed, we married and celebrated our 47th Anniversary in December. Mom has long since passed, but the special memories will always be there.
I am using a picnic theme for our Spring luncheon at church this year. But the best picnic is a day when the grandkids and I go hiking and to the park to feed the ducks and fish then enjoy a picnic lunch.
When my friend (now husband) and I were in high school college, we would pack a picnic and go star-gazing at the beach. Surfside is 20 minutes or so from the town we were in and has very little light pollution. It is pretty much hot and humid year-round and the beach would clear out at night. So many great conversations and memories from our midnight picnics… I still have the basket 🙂
My favorite “picnic” was when I rode with my dad when he ground feed for farmers at the farms, we always stoped some place peaceful to have lunch. Had to be peanut butter, – no coolers back then- can’t remember what we drank probably water out of a creek. Loved time with my dad.
My favorite picnic experience was with my little sister a few months before I joined the Navy. It was the summer of 1970, I was 18, she was 16. I felt an urge to spend some alone time with her so I went and got a hibachi grill and a steak then picked her up. We went out to the Story, WY fish hatchery where they have a picnic spot. But I didn’t set up there. I took her deeper into the pine forest where we were completely alone and set up everything there. We had no plates, silverware, or blanket. As I cooked the steak we talked about some of the bad things that had happened to us as kids and the things we wanted to do. Just as the steak was about done it started to rain. We sat in the rain, eating that steak with our hands, and laughing our heads off. That is still my best memory.
Living in Montana we grew up doing a lot of camping and picnicking. Our mom and dad used to take on picnics all the time. I took this tradition with me when I had children and my children, now grown, also love the great outdoors. I remember one picnic in peticular we took to Vigilante Campground in the mountains. We had our kids and a bunch of cousins, aunts and uncles and we were all playing baseball in the common area and two bear cubs came running through the picnic area. Of course that sent excitement through all of us. We scattered to our vehicles as we were afraid the momma bear would soon follow. Fortunately she did not come into the campground. A very fun and exciting picnic day.
My favorite picnic experience was my second date with my now fiance. We went hiking and he packed a beautiful lunch with fresh fruit, a chickpea salad, and these awesome homemade roast beef roll ups, all made with wholesome real food 🙂 I’m pretty sure I fell in love with him that very moment! We are raising our blended family of 3 boys together on our new Farm, teaching them the joys of raising your own food and taking time to eat outside!
My mother took us fishing and picnicking quite often in the summer. We would ride a short distance up Dry Creek. Nice memories.
When I was about 5-6 Mom made us a picnic lunch basket to take under our cherry tree in the back yard. All went well until I bit into my Apple.
A pretty yellow and black bug was sitting there ready to help me eat my apple and wow did I get a surprise. My tongue swelled up and I’m sure I cried, not for the bee but for my tongue. It has been a life long memory and lesson. 🐝
The best picnic I have ever had was with my gram and my children when they were little. We set up the children’s tea set with coffee in it because Gram did not like tea. We had creamer and sugar, as well as little cookies that we called crumpets for fun. My Gram always played along saying how good it was with that twinkle in her eye and that smilish smirk. It was the best time ever! My Gram is no longer with is and I just love cherishing her memories.
Beach picnics are the best. There is nothing like having something to eat while listening to the waves roll in and out.
Our family picnics were great. We would rent a nice grove at North Park and we would all meet there around lunchtime or early afternoon. We played softball and volleyball or go swimming at the pool. The little ones would swing on the swings or slide down the slide or play on the seesaw. Then we would all eat our picnic supper (hot dogs, chicken, potato or mac salad, etc. and then take walks or sit around reminiscing. As it grew later and started to get dark, people started to leave. After we made sure everything was cleaned up, the last of us would go home. What a satisfying, fun-filled day it was!!
My favorite picnic is spent with a rescue dog at the park. I am a volunteer dog walker. When we first get the dogs from the pound, they are often times traumatized and unsure of people. Dax, a cattle dog, was afraid to even approach me. It took four visits with specialized training exercises before he would even get in the car, but once he did, it was a picnic in the park day! Dax ordered a hamburger. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch sitting in the grass together. It is so rewarding to help a dog feel good about humans again and that’s why my favorite picnics are with the special rescue dogs that just need a little bit more TLC.
One of my favorites was at night, on the beach, with my friend’s daughter. We were at a church retreat, so went to Burger King and walked to the beach to meet her mom. We met up with a new friend who didn’t realize when I said beach, I MEANT beach. We sat in the sand as far to the surf as possible without getting wet (It was VA Beach in October). We got sand in our face, hair and food, but had a blast!
When I was a kid we used to go swimming and have a picnic at our favorite swimming hole. It was spring fed and crystal blue. It was so could you could see fog forming in the evening even though it was August in Oklahoma! Both of my parents have since passed away and I will always cherish those memories.
I mean cold.
I inherited my mothers rather large red picnic basket with the green stripe and wooden lid , when both my parents passed 7 weeks apart in 1986. I loved that basket so it made the trek with us from Florida to Alaska when my husband got stationed there in 1989. We tried to fill every weekend during that first summer just learning our way around and that included taking that picnic basket , and 3 children to every lake and nearby park we could! Wherever we went , that picnic basket went too , along with the wonderful memories of my parents . I could hear myself saying “ My Mama & Daddy would have loved this place “ and then smile when one of my daughters would say something sweet about their Grandparents and a story would be shared . So all in all I feel like my parents were with us those 8 wonderful years , that picnic basket sure was .
I never went on picnics as a child 🙁 Now at 66 I have taken my grandkids to the little park down the street for several. We layed out a blanket on the ground or over a picnic table and talked and ate our MacD and then they played on the swings and walked around the pond. I need to do that soon again and would love to take the give-a-way quilt with us 🙂 thanks for doing this give-a-way..
My mom and dad always provided activities that the whole family could join in and enjoy. With a boat that we had all worked to repair and spiff up, we would spend our summers water skiing at the lake which always included a cooler of sodas, salads and the best…hot dogs. We had the best time after a day on the water roasting hot dogs and of course s’mores. We made a lot of memories.
When we were little my parents would take us on a picnic and we would have hot dogs and roast marshmallows and fish! We had lots of fun!
My favorite picnic is when I was a young girl and my aunt would make tuna fish sandwiches and kool aid. We would walk out to the maple tree on her farm put down a blanket and eat our lunch. It’s a memory i will NEVER forget.
My memory of our favorite picnic was packing up our camp stove and 4 children early in the morning and driving to a nearby park in the woods for a cook out breakfast… a special way to start a day! Now we live at a retreat center in rural Indiana and can enjoy breakfast outdoors in the woods anytime we choose by stepping out our back door – an added treat when out grandchildren can share it with us!
My greatest picnic experience was just last October….
The second day of my four day trek to Machu Picchu after reaching
Dead Woman’s Pass a late and quick mini picnic,but what a feeling and great
achievement and it was the best view, so rewarding….
My favorite picnic happened when I was a young girl. My Father was working a few towns over that summer. One beautiful day my Mother packed a picnic and had my brother and I put on our best clothes. We met my Dad in a park during his lunch hour. We all had a wonderful time and my Dad seemed so proud of his family.
My favorite memories were with our two daughters when they were young. We would go to the river and watch boats going by and skiers doing their tricks. We didn’t care what we had to eat. Just spending time with each other and enjoying the warm sunshine.
My favorite picnics were as a child when we went to the drive in movie. We sat on the car and ate moms dinner and then we had a full grocery bag of popcorn to eat during the movie
Our favorite place is up at Mt. Rainier in Washington. The mountain in the background is stunning and no matter how many times we go, we never tire of that site.
I remember as a child that my mom would love picnics, and in the summer time, on a weekday, we would venture to Edward Hines Park, a large park with a meandering road through it so that you could drive a while and find just the right hamlet for your picnic. My sister and I always wanted the site with the swings and the huge slide, in the shade of tall trees. Sometimes my aunt and cousins came too, and what a blissful afternoon of swinging, and sliding, and going to the river for frogs. Potato salad, sandwiches, lemonade and watermelon was our feast on the old wood picnic tables. Bright sun, warm wind and a blue sky . . . . a most cherished memory!!
I live on the farm I grew up on. We use to have apple trees in our meadow. I use to ask my Mom to make me a sandwich so I could go on a picnic there. Then I would pick her wild violets and she would put them on the window sill at the sink in a little glass. Bonnie,Slatington, PA
We like to picnic around on our farm. We have a picnic table in a little grove that we keep mowed just for picnics. There are woods surrounding this little spot. It is always a cool and refreshing haven. My grandchildren like to go there with me for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a cold glass of milk, the simplest of picnics. It is always a special time filled with memories.
Living at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains there are ample places to enjoy a hike and picnic in a meadow. Most often our picnics are simple but there are times when I really like to treat my family to a full spread of new but tested recipes.Our picnic at Humpback Rock along the Blue Ridge Parkway was one of my favorites. We not only enjoyed the feast before us,spread out on blankets, but blue grass musicians playing in the shade of a huge leafy tree.
My favorite picnics have been when I would take my mother and young daughter on our annual “fall foliage” trip to the mountains. We would drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, pulling over at every overlook to drink in the gorgeous views. So of course, we packed picnic lunches each day. If rain visited us, we would picnic in the car; otherwise, we would find a picnic table in a park area, usually near some waterfalls. Ah, the memories!
Living at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains there are ample places to enjoy a hike and picnic in a lush meadow. Most often our picnics are simple, but there are times when I really like to treat my family to a full spread of new but tested recipes. Our picnic at Humpback Rock along the Blue Ridge Parkway was one of my favorites. We not only enjoyed the feast spread out on blankets before us , but blue grass musicians playing fiddle and banjo-all in the shade of a huge leafy tree.
I’ve never been much of a picnic person. As a kid, there was always a squirrel or sea gull attempting to grab my food- while it was still in my hands. But then I had a daughter. She’s four now, and my favorite picnics are our pretend ones in our living room. Sometimes they’re on a beach, sometimes a park, maybe even while watching dinosaurs!
When I was a child we would have picnics on the side of the road at wayside areas when traveling from Virginia to Florida for vacation. It was always exciting to see the pretty areas with picnic tables in the cool shade of a group of trees. Sadly, you never see that anymore. Interstate highways have moved the traffic away from these quaint little towns and picnic areas.
My craziest memory of our picnic day was back in 2015. It almost never rains here but on this particular day that was not so. We were at our favorite location when a few sprinkles fell but were not concerned as this had happened earlier during the day. As we sat admiring the quietness which was quickly interrupted by great bouts of thunder and then what seemed like a river pour down over us. We quickly went under the picnic blanket, as if that were going to stop us from getting wet, to no avail. Well, long story short, as the rain continued to plummet down we picked up our picnic and continued as if nothing strange was going on. It turn out to be a cold, wet, and very fun picnic.
My favorite picnics were when all my brothers and sisters and there families would meet once a month for a pot luck picnic. My Mom and Dad would have so much fun seeing us all together. My Mom just had her 60th grandchild. Thats including great too. Fun memories.
My favorite picnic was the day my daughter brought my 4 year old grandson and his little girl friend to my house the summer before they started kindergarten.
We spread a blanket in the little field behind my house and ate in the shady spot surrounded by sunshine. Afterwards my daughter and I talked while the kids ran around picking little wildflowers and playing.
My grandson has always thought that i live on a farm even though I’m in a subdivision. I think because I’m in a spot surrounded by trees. I love it.
My favorite picnic time is in the winter. My hubby and I will go for a long drive, because winter is long here some years. He loves to snack along the way. I pack up a picnic to take along. Sometimes, it’s just sandwiches, fruit, cookies, and water. Sometimes it’s hot dogs, beans, etc. to cook on a small fire he builds in our small hibachi grill. We have a van to sit on the back, or sit on a log and just enjoy our surroundings. We’ve made some wonderful memories with our children and now our granddaughters over the years. I’m so blessed!
It started the wonderful relationship that I’m in now. He had a meal packed up, a bottle of wine. He took me to the rooftop of his building where we could see over the city. It doesn’t sound like much, but it was so romantic to beabpve everything.
While on our honeymoon we had leftovers from a fabulous restaurant we ate at the day before. We were driving down the road going back home, welive in Oklahoma and was in Arkansas , and we saw a beautiful river running beside the highway. We stopped and looked at it and decided to spread some plastic we had in the car out on the ground and have a spur of the moment picnic with our leftovers. We are beside the water with a gorgeous view. We were dressed up in nice clothes sitting on plastic eating leftovers but it was one of the best memories of our honeymoon.
We take a fall color trip each year up to a beautiful aspen covered spot up on the mountain which starts just 45 minutes from our house. One year I made a complete menu from a tea magazine and carefully packed it in my picnic backpack, and we had tea under the wondrous golden aspen. I will never forget that picnic, as it was the last one with my sis in law Sharon before she passed.
One of my favorite “picnics” was when my husband and I were fixing fence. I came in and fixed us lunch and we ate out by our mending area. He commented on that day several times. I guess we need to go fix fence again. It sure does need it! We started keeping bees a couple of years ago. When we lost our hive a friend called us to get some bees out of her tree. That was the first time we had gotten a swarm of bees! We went up in that tree 5 times to get all of the bees. They are still with us and we are so thankful. There are so many lessons from the bees. Thank you for this give away. It is a wonderful prize!
My most favorite memories of picnics were from the time all 4 of our sons were young. We would pack up picnic foods and head out to explore our surrounding communities. There were no stops are fast food places – might not have been any back then. This brings back sweet precious memories since the boys are grown with families of their own.
My favorite picnic was the 4th of July picnics we used to have in our very small community of approximately 14-18 people. There was a parade with people coming from all over to watch. Sometimes there were over 60 entries! The community people would have a pot luck picnic, sit around outside, visit all afternoon, and then watch the fireworks at night. It was, and still is, a tradition of keeping picnics and people together.
One special picnic I remember when my girls were little was on a beautiful summer morning. We walked to a park and ate our breakfast of cereal and fruit at one of the picnic tables. We would also have many “picnics” in the living room during snowy winters. I just finished reading my Mary Jane magazine while watching the snow fall from a nor’easter and getting 18 inches of fresh snow. Your magazine made me think of the coming spring and “picnic” days hopefully not too far away!!
The day after the 3 foster boys, who would later become grandsons 3,4 and 5, came to our family I took all 5 boys to a small lake we have in town. I packed a grand picnic, every outdoor toy I could think of, blankets for napping and a funny read a loud book. That day 5 strangers became brothers and my heart grew large enough to hold 5 little hearts next to mine.