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Ah, summer in DC! After a long and cold winter, it’s pretty much impossible to keep us indoors once the weather really starts to warm up in late spring and early summer. Our summer weekends usually consist of getting together with friends, going on adventures around the DC area, and balancing our kids’ insatiable desire for time at the local splash pad. Today, in the spirit of 4th of July picnic festivities, I’m sharing one of our recent weekend adventures (including a summer picnic!) in partnership with Peapod, who makes life a bit easier by delivering our groceries – giving us more free time for the things we love!

Since we live in the city, we try to make sure that at least one of our summer weekend adventures includes time out in nature. I’ve shared a bunch of our favorite outdoor destinations before – including the National Arboretum, Dumbarton Oaks Gardens, and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens â€“ and each time we head out on an outdoor adventure we love to pack a picnic to enjoy with our girls. Our most beloved destination is probably George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate. There’s a ton of outdoor space where the girls can run around, we can visit the resident farm animals, and I love walking around the historic gardens. On the 4th of July, they have a fantastic display of daytime fireworks, historical reenactments, and even a naturalization ceremony on the lawn in front of the mansion! We get a family membership to Mount Vernon each year and visit at least once every season. And there are plenty of little park areas along the Potomac River near Mount Vernon for a family picnic!

Our weeks are super hectic, and I hate having to give up our precious weekend time for things like errands and food shopping. Summer feels even more precious, since we only have a few short weeks to break away from our regular routine and take advantage of this gorgeous weather! Being able to order groceries from Peapod and have them delivered to our home makes life sooooo much easier, and I’m honestly just happy not to have to squeeze yet another errand into my already busy weekday schedule. I’m also convinced that ordering groceries in advance is better for my bank account, since it forces me to meal plan a bit better, and means less food waste overall. Win win!

Ordering our groceries from Peapod is super easy. I usually browse the aisles through the Peapod app on my phone to find what I need (just as I would in person!), or use the Past Purchases function to add frequently purchased items like milk and eggs. I’m also a big fan of the Fresh Meal Kits for extra busy weeks. Whenever we’re planning a picnic, I make sure to add a few extra items to our Peapod order, including snacks that I know will travel well and my girls will enjoy, like crackers and hummus, salami, fresh fruit, and sliced cheese, along with a few pre-made pasta salads and ingredients for sandwiches – mozzarella, basil, and prosciutto on a baguette for the adults, and PB&J for the girls. On our way out the door, I throw all of our food into a cooler and pack a few extra supplies in a basket, and off we go!

Sophie and Alice LOVE a good picnic! They’re even happy to lend a hand with set up. It helps to bring rainbow plates and napkins!

Look at their little faces! Those smiles are just the best.

Sometimes, even when we stay closer to home during the day, we’ll pack a picnic and take it to our local park for a picnic dinner. It stays light so much later and the evening breezes are so lovely, it’s nice to just hang out on the picnic blanket while the girls run and play a little while longer. I’m all about slow, easy evenings and enjoying the outdoors as much as possible during the summer.

Sophie will be five in September, and I definitely have some clear memories of having picnic lunches and dinners with my dad when I was that age. I’m hopeful that both Sophie and Alice will grow up with fond memories of our weekend family adventures and summer picnics.

 What are you doing to maximize your summer weekends? Are picnics and outdoor adventures part of your family’s summer traditions?

This post is brought to you by CJ Affiliate’s VIP Content Service. Thank you to Peapod for sponsoring this post! All content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible! Save $20 on your first Peapod order of $75+ and get free delivery for up to 60 days with code AFF20FD!