Picnic Tub

Picnic season will be in full swing soon, that wonderful time of peanut butter sandwiches and juice boxes served upon outdoor tables blemished with bird poop. In the past I used a traditional picnic basket. After all it is a custom established by Adam and Eve when they decided to pack a lunch and eat beneath the tree in the garden. I being one that thoroughly endorses tradition, enthusiastically jumped on the band wagon.

However, I noted some flaws in using a basket. For one, there was a very limited amount of food that could be packed. And I with my brood of four, plus my husband and I, felt very limited in what I could house in the small space. I mean you wouldn't want to be forced to leave behind the cookies for lack of room. The cookies are the best part of a meal!

The other problem I had was that packing the basket full made it heavy and the handles began to break. It was not sturdy enough, in my estimation. Once the handles broke off, it was difficult to carry and didn't look so good anymore.

Several years ago, I purchased a galvanized tub at Tai Pan Trading for BBQs and entertaining guests for about $10. I filled it with ice to keep sodas in glass bottles cold while we ate. In between using it, I stored it downstairs on a high shelf. Until the day that I discovered an alternate use for it. I took it down for a picnic, lined it with a vintage tablecloth and loaded it with goodies for a lunch at the park.

More than sturdy, my tub held plenty and held up under the weight of it too. My tablecloth was not only attractive and festive but it covered the dirty table, leaving me free of worries when it came to the kids putting food down without something beneath it, as well as acting as a blanket when we didn't have a table and sat upon the ground. I look for vintage tablecloths on Etsy and Ebay, where I can find clothes that may have small stains for tears for a very reasonable price. Since I am using them outside around dirt or sand and with food, I don't stress over keeping them in perfect condition. Yes! No tears over spills. So on a chilly and overcast day, my children and I packed a lunch, with plenty of room for the homemade sugar cookies, and headed out to enjoy Spring. I really love my picnic tub.