If you are like me, you not only like picnics because they mean outdoors, relaxed time, sun and play, but also because they involve good food, friends, and lots of nice gadgets to play with. Needless to say that I am a huge fan of anything I can find to make my picnics colorful and tasty. I like to feel as if I were dressing up a nice table outside.

You do not need much. A good picnic basket, some plastic containers that are easy to pack, a blanket, an umbrella, and a few picnic chairs. It can be done near a tree by a river, at the beach, or at the top of a mountain after an enjoyable hike.

To give you a few ideas, here are a few of my favorite items. Perhaps you can find some good ones for yourself too. For some ideas on what food to pack, check out my latest post on La Tartine Gourmande.

And let’s enjoy the good weather, time out and picnics.

Plenty of baskets to choose from:

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Whether you have a significant other or not, everyone needs to spend some quality time at home eating delicious food, watching good movies and getting some old-fashioned relaxation.

The key to relaxing at home after work or on the weekends is to have proper loungewear. Abandon those Juicy sweatpant combos and try a chemise or slip instead. Fashioned like a dress, but far more comfortable, pajama-like and yes, even sexy.

Here are some of my favorite affordable chemise/slip choices.

• The Gap sleep shirt below is a good choice if you want something to lounge AND sleep in. It looks like something you might have taken from your boyfriend (or ex-boyfriend) and neglected to give back.
• I also like the affordability of this Forever21 chemise.
• This Forever21 slip has a cool crinkle effect on the fabric, and black flatters all body types.

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My dog Molly is embarrassingly spoiled. THF puts up with it–he secretly adores the dog as much as I do–but he puts his foot down when I insist he walk Molly outside…while she’s wearing a pink tweed jacket.

Since I think it’s only fair that Molly get presents on Christmas as well, I have some ideas of things that THF and I could both agree on…and none of the items involve the color pink or an abundance of rhinestones.

This is the gift I won’t be getting Molly, simply because one, it’s got better style than my own Ikea-special bed, and two, because it’s (gulp) over $1,000. Yes, $1,000+. For a dog bed. But, if you had the money, it’s really adorable. Although perhaps, not a justifiable purchase…

This is more my budget: this $15 leather collar doesn’t have spikes or studs on it, nor is it sparkly and tacky. Molly (and THF) will like it.

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