Autumn Apple Cider Picnic

Check out these five simple tips for an Autumn Apple Cider Picnic this fall with the kids!

Autumn is officially in full force. Pumpkins are popping up around the neighborhood and my two little Chicklets are pumped for trick-or-treating.

Is anyone else overwhelmed by the 101 amazing fall crafts on Pinterest?
Sometimes you've got to just let go and keep things simple.

Last weekend we spent an afternoon simply playing in the leaves. No crafts. No toys. No pressure.

As the sun started to slowly head toward the horizon, the temperature drastically fell. A light bulb went off in my head: APPLE CIDER PICNIC.

5 Tips For An Impromptu Apple Cider Picnic With The Kids

Below are five quick tips to keep in your pocket for hosting an apple cider picnic with your little ones:

1. Impromptu picnics are the best.

Really the only thing that is required is a blanket and a positive attitude. Randomly surprise your little ones by yelling, "Picnic time!"

2. Keep it cool.

Don't overheat the cider. Nothing kills a kid's buzz like having to "wait for it to cool." *NOTE: My husband disagrees and suggests that waiting makes the cider taste better. What do you think?

3. Simple details can make it special.

Throw a cinnamon stick or an orange slice into the cider to make it fancy. Can you hear Fancy Nancy saying, "ooh la la" right now? Don't have either of those things? A cookie with cider is also an easy way to catch a smile.

4. Toast the season or anything else their little hearts desire.

By the time our picnic was finished, we'd said "Cheers," I swear, twenty-plus times. Each gentle clink elicited smiles and laughter.

5. Don't let poor weather get you down.

While it is great to have an apple cider picnic on a pile of leaves, it is equally exciting to host a picnic right on your living room floor. *Why not throw some books into the mix? Pop on over to Peanut Blossom for a list of 30+ fall titles for a reading picnic.

Don't Burn The Day

Have you got work to complete? A mountain of laundry to scale? Dishes to do? Don't burn the day.

I need to take a moment to thank my husband for literally shoo, shoo, shooing me away from my computer so I could enjoy this lovely autumn day.

When an opportunity to connect with your kids presents itself, EMBRACE IT.

Enchanting moments like the ones below don't happen every day. I had a work deadline and was chugging along with my project when he suggested I put it off until the evening. I am so thankful he did.

Don't burn the day,

PS: I love leaf play photos. Are we connected on Instagram? You can find me here. I'd love to see your pics too, tag me!

THANK YOU to the website I Heart Faces and all the lovely photographers I met during the forum's 2013 conference. Because of the tips and tricks I picked up over the weekend event, I was able to capture these lovely shots of my ladies.