A pleasant outing with friends and family is a wonderful way to spend a sunny day.  Going to a park or going hiking, fishing, or whatever gets you outside to enjoy the sun.  It’s not good to be cooped up indoors all the time, and when the winter thaws away into spring the opportunities to enjoy the sun’s warmth become abundant.  Sometimes the trouble is finding the right excuse to go outside.  A good array of outdoor activities is great for people who are a bit more athletically inclined, but not everyone can stand  the five or ten mile hike, or the long bike-ride, swimming, or any number of things under a hot sun.  And on occasion it’s okay to just relax and enjoy the day.  So why not throw a picnic?  Food is more than enough of an excuse to get the couch potatoes out of the cave and the thrill-seekers to relax every once and awhile.  True, it can be a hassle to prepare and clean up, but these traditional picnic baskets can make things a whole lot easier.  Unlike a regular old picnic basket, these offer real cutlery and tableware that add more flair and class to your outing than paper alternatives offer.  The 4 Person Willow Seagrass Basket is a wonderful example of craftsmanship that goes into each of these unique items.  With a place for all that they come with, including salt and pepper shakers, a cooler bag that’s perfect for wines and other beverages, and even a table cloth, you can enjoy a small get-together at the park or a romantic interlude at a captivating setting anytime you want with style and ease of use.  So what are you waiting for?  Don’t let a sunny day go to waste!

Before you know it, spring melds into summer, transitioning from pleasant and sunny with a nice scattering of lazy clouds over a crystal blue sky to hot, humid, sweltering sunny days with no clouds to be seen in a punishing hazy sky.  Not that this is any time to be confined just to the indoors, and you certainly don’t have to do that to enjoy your hot summer days.  What you need is to stay as hydrated as you can, and the best way to do that is by taking in cold, refreshing drinks every now and then.  And nothing beats the heat like a cold drink short of jumping into a cold pool of water.  Unfortunately, to have a cold drink just anywhere, say at the beach, requires either buying one or taking your own in a large, bulky plastic cooler designed more to accommodate a party with a barbecue grill and several guest.  For a more personal, private experience, you don’t have a whole lot of options.  Until now.  The Insulated Tote Activo Natural is a handy, flexible cooler that you can sling under your shoulder.  Featuring numerous colors and designs to choose from, the Insulated Tote Activo Natural has several pockets to keep other things in addition to keeping your beverages nice and cool anywhere you want, when you want.  With these and other insulated cooler bags and picnic backpacks, you’re sure to find something not only practical, but distinctively stylish with a mark of civility in their designs.  Stay cool, and hydrated, and enjoy your summer! 

While tailgating can be a great fun-filled experience; the details required for its preparation can be tedious and frustrating. You have to be sure all of your items are gathered together for ease of transport and still leave room for the passengers and driver. Now that the kids are off to College you are looking at even more trips to ballparks and big out of town games. That is going to add even more items to your tail-gating list of supplies; after all you have to bring the grand-parents along so they can enjoy the pleasure of rooting for their favorite’s team. If you do not mind paying a bit more for it than the normal picnic baskets you have been using; then the perfect answer is our Berkeley Ultimate Tailgating Cooler . This versatile carry-all can place all your grilling needs within easy reach. Its size allows you to pack everything into one cooler instead of several. It can also be made entirely portable and hands free with the additional of our trolley added to your purchase.  Just imagine the envious looks you will receive when you pull up and start unpacking without having to strain your back every time you want to move an item.  The wonderful items described here and more are available through our website under the NCAA College Picnic Backpacks line. There you can purchase a multitude of gift items that carry college emblems from your child’s college. Show your pride in every way, by outfitting your entire tailgating party with wonderful, versatile, durable and fashionable gear.

Perhaps some of the most useful, but seldom used items a family owns are the Picnic baskets stored in the attic.  The time has come to bring them out into0 the daylight once more; with your children going off to college you will have lots of new opportunities to use these wonderful baskets.  Bring them along on game days and family celebrations on Campus. After all they are easy to maintain and keep clean, just wipe them off and you will be ready for the next big event. The natural materials these baskets are usually made with give them long life and durability. They are sturdy without being heavy or cumbersome. Leaving one on campus with the student will allow them to create a romantic afternoon by the lake without having to spend a great deal of money on take-out food. They will also appreciate the fact that they can join in on club outings and be prepared to kick in with their portion of donations in the food department.  Young students like to feel a part of a group that they are contributing too, not just hanging around with. There are many places to purchase these baskets, but by buying online from our  NCAA College Picnic Backpacks , you can choose from the many college emblem articles we carry. The Berkeley Willow Basket, is one of our finest items; this picnic basket is shaped like a barrel, and is constructed from natural fibers which promote its strength.  So promote your students school and have an essential and beautiful piece made from willow that last for years.

Fall is the season for what could be the greatest time of a young adult’s life. The time to start college has come; new experiences wait and new friends to make. It is also a transition period that can be difficult for both the students and their parents. For the student learning to balance both their time and energy between class schedules and fun can be hard. That coupled with having to manage on limited financial resources can prove daunting. They have left the familiar behind, and are surrounded by all new places, and people; making new friends and finding a new niche to fit into can be stressful. For the parents they have to let go and let their child be in a place they have no control over. There is no way to be sure the child is eating right, or sleeping enough or any of the myriad other things that worry parents. But this is a normal feeling for parents to have, they are also proud to have a child enter college; it shows they succeeded in teaching him or her that their continuing education is an important first step to independence and success. A great way for parents to show their pride is by carrying and using items that carry the college emblem of the school their child has been accepted into. We offer a wonderful line of Berkeley university gifts, which are perfect for both student and parents. They can choose from items such as the Berkeley Waterproof Tote or the picnic backpacks which are wonderful for a family get together on game days or just to show off with back in their hometown.

Sometimes going to the park or ballgame can mean toting along old outdoor coolers or picnic baskets that are way past their prime. They still work and hold everything you need, but you tend to want to throw a blanket over them to prevent people seeing them. These days we prefer to carry our lunch in to work to save money, and we like the ability to pack what we want in our totes. It is the look of these totes that bother us, we look like kids out for lunch or else they are bulky and ugly, No one wants to appear childish just because they hungry, or look cheap because the tote is made of ugly plastic or manmade rubber. They keep food and drink the right temperature but like our outdoor coolers and picnic baskets, they are dated and look it. Just because we are practical does not mean we are cheap, just frugal and trying to save money in difficult times, and looking at new replacements for these items just results in more money for the same newer, but still ugly and bulky items. The choices are not great for upgrades; they are just larger versions of the same. Well there is a choice, you just have to choose which one you want and you can be the proud owner of stylish new  Insulated Picnic Travel Tote     and outdoor coolers, which will allow you to be practical while looking fashionable. We offer many varieties to choose from and the price is right for everyone.

Picnic blankets come in lots of different shapes, styles, colors and most importantly of all, materials. Having many different types of picnic blanket is advisable as it allows you to have a choice as to which picnic blanket to use depending on the prevailing conditions. This can be vital, because if it starts raining half way through your picnic and you have the wrong type of picnic blanket it can end in disaster. Fleece picnic blankets are good for the cold winter months as they can absorb heat easily and retain it to keep you warm. You can also wrap the picnic blanket around your body to retain more heat in your body and you can stay warmer out in the open for longer. If you are going for a picnic in the cold winter months, make sure that you pack some warm drinks like tea, coffee or coco in your picnic basket. This will keep you warmer and more comfortable. Also the fleece material will help to absorb some of the water from dew or rain which may be on the ground. This will greatly increase your picnic experience as you won’t be wet during the picnic. Cotton blankets, however wouldn’t work at all during winter and would make you picnic end in disaster. But during the summer these thin, light picnic blankets are a god-send as they can help to keep you cool. They would reflect the suns heat away from you and at night would provide just the right amount of cover if you’re spending the night in the open. I recommend the 100% Cotton Picnic Blanket for great summer picnics.