I love a good picnic and this is the perfect time of year to do it. It requires a little bit of thinking ahead, but not too much. It's a great way to check out a new park and you don't even need a basket.

Here's a list of my favorite things for the perfect picnic:

• Water-resistant blanket - Wet grass = wet pants. That's a bummer. We have an outdoor blanket with a nylon backing that has worked perfectly at the beach, park and the tiny patch of grass in our own yard. It's lightweight and easy to clean. 

• Frisbee - When my husband bought one of these a few years ago I made fun of him. "What's next? A hacky sack?" I teased. How wrong I was. Throwing a Frisbee around is fun!

• Messy food - Why pack a demure ham sandwich when you can bring something sure to drop all over your clothes like a bean burrito with extra guacamole? I especially love when Kellan takes both of his hands and wipes them down the front of his shirt. It's a picnic not a wedding, right? 

• Clover flowers - When picking the perfect spot for a picnic, I like an area with a patch of clover with lots of little white flowers. That way I can busy myself with making garlands while Kellan and Erik are off making mischief.

• Ice cream - We don't actually bring this with us. We like to wrap up a nice outdoor meal with ice cream. It's a good way to add another layer of food stains to our shirts.

What do you do for picnics?