This is the week for new series! We came up with this one on this particular hike with Lizzie (my little sister) - we thought, why not come up with some simple small guides for people who need some adventure inspiration! Who doesn't need inspiration? One that rainy saturday morning we felt inspired & full of energy, but we could have very well stayed inside by the fire reading our books (which is a fine weekend activity by the way) but we wouldn't have laughed as much as we did on that morning hike, & making memories is what it's all about right?

So there we were, one grey & rainy saturday, with morning eyes & some serious bed hair, we decided to go on an adventure. We're half british after all, rain doesn't scare us away. So we packed two backpacks with our essentials for a winter picnic. We thought you might want to know what to take with you, just in case you find yourself lacking inspiration on a saturday morning. Maybe you've never had a winter picnic? Up until very recently neither did I! They are so much fun, perfect if you got yourself a serious case of cabin fever... 

Essentials (for 1 person) :

- 1 comfortable backpack

- 2 warm blankets (1 for the floor, 1 for yourself)

- 1 waterproof tarp

- 1 thermos with your favourite tea or coffee

- 1 thermos of homemade soup

- 1 hard boiled egg

- 1 mug (preferably an enamel tin cup)

- a warm waterproof jacket

- gloves & a hat

- 2 plastic bags

- your phone/camera/dog

- extra food if you're hungry (we had a big breakfast before leaving...& came back home to tea & cake!!)

Before you leave the house, make sure you've prepared a heart warming soup (maybe this one?), boiled your egg, prepared your tea thermos & packed everything safely & comfortably in your backpack. Bundle up, because if this is a winter picnic it is most likely raining/snowing/freezing outside. Map out your itinerary, make sure you know where you're going, this is not the time to get lost!

After hiking for a couple of hours find the perfect picnic spot, on top of a hill under a tree with a killer view would be perfect, but under a tree at your local park will do to! Lay down your waterproof tarp on a soft surface, place one of your picnic blankets on top of the tarp (the tarp is there to prevent water & humidity coming through), sit down, make yourself comfortable & start unpacking. 

Enjoy the view, while sipping on your hot soup & tea. Listen to the birds, read your book, have a laugh with your hiking partner/dog.

Before you leave & pack everything up again, make sure you pick up all the rubbish. A few egg shells & bread crumbs won't hurt as they will probably turn into a feast for the local badger/birds, but make sure you bin anything else in your plastic bag & take it with you!

The extra plastic bag is for discoveries on your hike, some fern to make a wreath at home, maybe a few berries you found on the way (make sure you know what they are before eating them!) a couple of pretty leaves to stick in your journal...

Winter picnics make you feel like a real adventurer. We ended up completely soaked, & sat way too close to a local hunt (which I don't recommend) but we had a laugh, singing along in the rain. We are determined to find more picnic spots in the weeks to come!