Takeout Picnic Food

If you read my post about How to Create a Pretty Picnic Aesthetic for $25, then you know that you can make things simple and easy, including picnic food. A friend had a birthday recently and we grabbed takeout, brought a blanket, and had a Mexican Coke over a good conversation.

Sometimes the easiest picnic food you can bring is a delicious box of takeout.

We got tacos from Don't Look Back Tacos here in Richmond, VA. I recommend the potato and black bean if you're local and vegetarian. I'm not entirely vegetarian, but opt for that style every chance I get. We topped off our order with a side of chips, salsa, queso, and lime sour cream. This is one of the easiest ideas for picnic food that you can do. We didn't want to have to prepare food, carry a lot through the park, and we wanted minimal clean-up once our picnic was done. We picked a clear spot in the grass, laid our blanket, and enjoy food from a favorite spot.

3 Tips For Being in the Moment During Your Picnic

1. Focus on the now. In other words, put your phone away. Obvious right? Well not if you're like me and want to take a million photos. For someone that enjoys being in the moment, it's very important to me that my face isn't constantly looking at my phone. But I'm also a photographer that wants to document every experience to look back on later. How do you balance? Put your phone on airplane mode. I love sharing what I'm doing at the moment on Instagram, but a few hours post the experience is acceptable too. I put my phone on airplane mode so that I can use it as a camera without the distractions of texts, emails, and social media. If you have to keep your phone on for emergencies, you can put it in do not disturb. You won't receive notifications, but calls and texts can still come through. Unless you're willing to buy a digital camera separate from your phone, your phone is the next best thing to carrying a camera around. Airplane mode/do not disturb is an alternative to remove distractions. I post on Instagram later once I've fully enjoyed the present!

2. Notice the Small Things. Did you create a pretty picnic setup even if it was simple? Take a second to appreciate it. Is there a sunset happening in front of you? Spend a few minutes soaking it up and feeling the warm sun on you. If you're in a conversation with a friend, look at them when they speak and really listen to everything they have to say. Being present is about using your senses and not allowing your phone or other devices to distract you from the realness of life.

3. Be Grateful. This is such an important aspect of living intentionally. Being grateful for what you have in the present moment pulls you away from the past, away from the future, and brings you directly into the here and now where you are currently living. It brings a sense of peace over you, feelings of happiness, and allows you to enjoy the present in that moment.