If you guys follow me on instagram then you know we had quite a picnic adventure last week. It was a beautiful winter in florida day with delicious food and quite a few uninvited guests. Overall a really good time. If theres one thing I really, really love it’s spending quality time with the people I love OUTSIDE.

I’d recommend it to everyone– grab your favorite friend or family member and go spend some time outdoors– in whatever capacity you can. For us that typically means the beach. But sometimes it also means a picnic… that ends up at the beach haha.

So we packed up our cooler and headed down to Bill Baggs park in Miami. We parked the car and took our feet out for a walk to find the perfect spot to set up for a picnic and hang a travel hammock for a day of fun and family time. (Travel hammocks are always a good idea).

You guys might remember that I partnered with Backcountry last month. I talked about cold weather outfits (and the best way to pack for colder weather trips). Well, it turns out we really needed clothes for colder weather, cause brrr it’s been cold here! Some days it’ll spike right up to 80 and then drop down to 48 the next morning. It’s been crazy. But we’re enjoying it for sure. And it’s nice wearing sustainable clothes from companies that we believe in 🙂 And hey, Alex says I look great in “winter” gear 😉

Little miss cutie a little too excited about getting the picnic started. She’s a sandwich fiend. But I understand. Who doesn’t love a good sandwich? And an adorable pink cooler for my sandwiches to go in and my fruit to stay cold in.

The hands of my papaya grower and papaya slicer. They are good hands. Ps. if you’re curious and thinking, “but can you eat the seeds?” I just did a whole post on that HERE.

Our little picnic spread. Sad we don’t have our sandwich wraps, but those were in our home. Here we have sandwiches, my wraps (not pictured),  cut pineapple, bananas, papaya, and grapes in our hydro flask food container. Let me tell you– this food jar is insane. I put a smoothie in it for Marlowe one morning and the smoothie was still ice-cold at dinner time!! It’s amazingggg. Oh and of course a giant water bottle for our filtered water. We carry it everywhere, every single time we leave the house. Such a necessity to avoid buying plastic jugs when out! All sitting on the prettiest luna picnic blanket I ever did own.
And we picnicked. I munched on my papaya and the other two went straight for their sandwiches. Which would you go for? I’d go for both but always started with the papaya for proper food combining haha.

You know, I’d say we’re typically pretty good at picnics, but this picnic was unlike any other. Because a few minutes into our picnic we welcomed….

A new raccoon friend to our family day. And not just one raccoon. It started with one and then the rest of his family joined. And before you knew it we were shoo-ing away a big ole’ family of them coming into our picnic space. Marlowe too refuge on the hammock and I packed up the food again. We laughed pretty hard at the ridiculousness of it all. And Alex was sad because he wanted a sandwich.

So we packed up the hammock, rolled up our blanket, Alex picked up the cool moved our picnic to the beach. Because raccoons don’t go to the beach right?

And yes, be alarmed: I’m wearing a dress. Alex has wanted me in a button up dress for quite some time. So when I found one made by Patagonia, I was sold. Layered with a light organic sweater/top, because I don’t need to be cold 😉

The beach was so nice. We haven’t been in a while. It was polluted for months. It seems to be clear now … and we weren’t going into the water anyway. But the sun was shining and it was such a pretty day. So we set up again and the papaya made it’s way back into my hands again.

Oh, and  Alex finally got his sandwich.

And I got my raw wrap. Well, my second one. I shoved the first one in my face while the first raccoon made his way at us.  Wrap: avocado, tomato, sprouts, greens, cucumber, radish, carrot: nom. And then you know what happened?

A friend came back. Because apparently raccoons DO go to the beach. Or at least these guys do– apparently they’ve been there for years scavenging for food from tourist and beach locals. Hello to the tinest friend of them all. The cutest little one. But he didn’t stay very long because we had mostly finished up and packed up all our food.  Gah, so cute right?!

And Alex and I relaxed.

And my amazing child built her very own kite from a sea grape leaf and a root of some sort. HER OWN NATURE KITE guys!

BECAUSE THAT IS THE GIFT OF BEING OUTSIDE. And getting the people you love outside. It’s taking in the nature and wonder in the world. It’s watching your kid let their creative side flourish away from blue light screens and other nonsense. It’s being where we belong, in fresh air and sunshine. And  taking it all in.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m SO freaking happy you guys are somewhere reading my blog in front of a blue screen– but I do hope that this post inspires you a bit to grab someone you love and HEAD OUTDOORS!

It’s magic out there.

And please take after Marlowe and build a nature kite. Cause that is amazing.


We had the best day. Again, all matching. Never planned. Marlowe hates it, but it makes me laugh. Also, I could be wrong, but I believe that’s the oldest lighthouse in Florida. Also fun fact: With my weird marine affairs major, I took a course about lighthouses in college. Good times.

You know, you dont have to be an expert outdoorsman to spend time adventuring outdoors. I think we prove that pretty well. While Alex and Marlowe dream of free-soloing mountains like Alex Honnold or I think it’d be amazing to one day wake up the water and have abs of steal from being able to surf the biggest waves– it’s just not happening. But it’s okay. We can still get up, put on some clothes (or a bathing suit) and head outdoors.

And you can too!

Backcountry has wonderful and amazing sustainable items for all levels of outdoors-ing. Gift the gift of outdoors this year. Maybe a cooler for major fruit (or sandwich hauls). Or a packable hammock to toss in your car and pull out when you find the perfect set of trees and breeze. Or maybe just a reusable water bottle— because even people stuck indoors need those too 🙂

Whatever calls to you to get yourself and the people outdoors and in nature: do that!

And then afterwards you can say thank you to the earth for a beautiful day. Thank you to the manatees for making an appearance. Thank you to the raccoons for not biting your face. And thank you to the sun and air for giving your body more life that it needs. Then you can pack up the cooler and head on home again.

Ps. If you’re wondering…
I’m wearing: Patagonia dress + organic Prana sweater.
Marlowe is wearing: a cozy organic Patagonia tee-shirt + Backcountry beanie.
And Alex has his stupid thrifted hat on and an amazing recycled + reversible vest on.

You can use code: DREA15 for 15% off your first order at Backcountry. Also– they offer free two day shipping on any order over 50$– which is crazy and awesome 🙂

Cheer’s friends! GET OUTSIDE.

4 Comments

  1. Great pics! And i happen to love the Patagonia dress!

    Just one word of caution about Raccoon visitors: They are nocturnal creatures. They avoid sunlight like the plague. So if you see them out during the day, even when it’s a whole family, it usually means they are ill…it may not be something as severe as rabies (thought it often is), but it is usually something serious. And they do bite… Just want you all to stay safe in case it ever happens again. Take care!

  2. as always, you inspire me! your picnic is perfect and I love that blanket! what raw wraps are you using?

  3. What do you wrap your raw wrap sandwiches in?

  4. Love love love your blog! And your photos are amazing!! What camera/lens do you use? The color and all your shots are amazing.❤️