Every year my family gets together and has a BBQ. Now when I say family I mean all of us. There are about 100 of us if you include all the aunts and uncles and their kids and their kids’ partners and….. you get the idea. So as you can imagine there is a lot of meat, a lot of smoke and an awful lot of noise. We get together every year just to catch up with each other. It’s hard with everyone leading such busy lives to keep up with what’s going on with everyone else so when we have our annual get together it’s really great. We chat, drink, eat and chat some more! There are so many people to get around that you often find you need another BBQ the next day just to finish your conversations! Of course with so many people it’s hard to find room for them all. My Mom has quite a big yard so we usually do it there but not everyone can get seated and there are lots of older folks there who can’t stand up all day. We bought along some oniva deluxe portable chairs for anyone who needed them and I must say they came in quite handy. Along with the rest of the tailgating gear that people brought along like benches and picnic blankets we were soon comfy and ready to gossip. I’d say our oniva deluxe portable chairs are about as important as our picnic basket when we come to our annual BBQ. That and the beer!

I have just started working for a design company as an intern. They design and make clothes for high street retailers. I had to beg and crawl my way up the ladder just to get my internship so now that I am here I am going to make the biggest impression ever (and hopefully a good one)!

My first day I arrived with a shocking pink shirt on and men’s braces to hold up my pants. Everyone was looking and I could tell they were thinking - who is that? The next day I wore my sneakers with a long flowing summer dress. Again everyone looked and I hoped that I was being noticed for my individuality. I was asked into the manager’s office within a week and I was so excited. I thought that they’d promote me there and then but unfortunately they were merely asking me to tone down my attire. They said that I was putting off the other workers and that I wouldn’t be a very good look for prospective business people. So I did as I was asked and toned down my dress sense. But I still needed to feel creative, to think that I was doing something a bit more than sticking on a grey suit every day. So I invested in an activo iris tote with pockets. I used it as my lunch bag and the amount of people who have asked me where I got it from is amazing. I’m thinking of producing my own range of designer, funky picnic baskets but as no one is keen on my dress sense I doubt people will buy my creations just yet!

We have always been a trendy couple. My girlfriend works in a designer clothes store and I work for a graphics design company so we are very into art and the appreciation of beautiful things. Our house is filled with abstract furniture and beautiful artwork. It is essential to your chi to have pretty things around you and items that inspire you every day of your life.

My girlfriend and I know good taste which is why we bought the metro insulated basket. We were looking for a picnic basket and didn’t want the boring traditional wicker one’s that were so popular hundreds of years ago. No we live for today and now and wanted a picnic basket to represent that. We often go on trips and excursions to see sights and sometimes to paint. There is something so invigorating about a sunrise over a smoky city. We chose the metro insulated basket not just because it inspired us but because it is so versatile and comes in so many different colors. There is no end to the choice you have with this picnic basket and it’s almost like it’s telling the old traditional baskets to keep up with the fashion and grab yourself some color! The best bit is that it fits everything we need in it. Some tofu, sushi and a nice bottle of wine. If we’re lucky there is even some space for our paintbrushes. Our picnic basket represents our love for fashion and art. Be abstract, even with your picnic basket.

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I was so pleased when my son got his first job that I would have done anything to keep him there. It was a brilliant company and the job prospects were fantastic so when he came home whining I was mortified. Determined to get to the bottom of it and resolve it as quickly as possible I started asking him what could possibly be wrong. Was it the pay? Was it the other members of staff? Was it his boss picking on him? No. It was none of these things. It was the coffee machine. Possibly the most stupid thing I had ever heard my son say. He wanted to leave because the coffee tasted awful. Well I couldn’t have my son leaving his brilliant job just because his coffee tasted foul and I could hardly go in and make his coffee for him every time he wanted one….. or could I? I started looking online for a coffee or picnic backpack. Lots of stores that sold picnic baskets and such like had them but I needed one that would hold a flask big enough. I found the ultimate Columbia coffee backpack. It was an ingenious idea! I knew I was going to keep my son at his job and this was how to do it!

Monday came and I sent him off with his picnic tote full of sandwiches and coffee. Sure enough I got a phone call at lunchtime saying thanks for the coffee (that;s as grateful as my son gets). That lasted about a week and now he is complaining that he wants to leave because his chair is too uncomfortable. I despair - sometimes I really do!

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Being one of seven children the increasingly difficult question of what to get our parents for Christmas begins looming over my head around July. I don’t even want to begin about what happens near their birthdays and anniversaries! Everyone is vying to get them something great because they never ask for anything. In fact they repeatedly say they don’t want anything and I actually believe them. But of course, we insist on trying to outdo each other regardless. It’s become a healthy game among us siblings and we even go to such extents to keep our gifts a secret from each other.

Whatever the opposite of materialistic is describes my father perfectly. Every year we continue to give him sweaters and books. The day I was looking for picnic baskets I saw this deluxe wine opener I knew it was going to be perfect. He loves a glass of wine on a Friday night or for family occasions. With the years, his joints and fingers have become a little arthritic and it seems as if this opener was custom made for him. It is the most simple but effective wine accessory anyone could have in their house and if they happen to find themselves struggling with dexterity then it is an absolute must. Not only is it simple to use, it is strong and durable so you know you won’t have to buy another one for a long time.

The only problem with it is that this was such an excellent gift for my Dad that I haven’t been able to top it since!

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Every time the sun peeks out from behind the clouds my five year old begins the same routine. It goes like this “Mom, can we go to the park and can we bring a picnic? Mom, can we go to the park and can we bring a picnic? ”, repeat ten times. Now you get the picture. I can’t think of any kid who would reject the notion of doing their two favorite things at once. Being outside and eating. I’m not a kid anymore but those two sure sound great to me!

They say it’s the simple pleasures of life that make us happy and I agree. This is one of the simplest things you can do to bring happiness to a child’s day, make memories and start or carry on traditions. Having the correct picnic accessories, like having the perfect picnic backpack, can mean that you will make it to the park, have the picnic and make it home before it rains, or gets too hot, or you get eaten by mosquitoes.

With the Bahamas travel picnic set, all you have to do is prepare the food and you don’t have to worry about utensils, plates, condiments or bottle openers. These are the typical items that are forgotten about in the sandwich making frenzy that is organizing a spur of the moment picnic. Murphy’s law will ensure that if you plan a picnic too far in advance the weather will not cooperate which is why you will find yourself very grateful for having the foresight to purchase the travel picnic set!