It’s officially summer and it’s time for some fun. Summer is great for spending time with family and friends and I’ve got just the activity for you.

If you live near a park, have your own backyard or a backyard you can “visit”, have a picnic! I don’t really see many people doing this much anymore, but it can be fun. It doesn’t have to be fancy but it certainly can be frugally elegant fancy. If you need ideas, keep reading. If not, still keep reading

Your first question might be, “What else can we pack besides sandwiches?” I’m glad you asked. Why not pack some deviled eggs?  Be sure to put them on top of an ice bath so they don’t spoil! These are easy to make and are relatively inexpensive as well. If you like coleslaw, that’s also an option.  A creative way to transport it is in Chinese take-out boxes lined with wax paper. You can get the boxes at arts and craft stores for about 30 cents each or less. To be really creative, you can decorate them. This is especially fun if it’s a family picnic. Don’t like coleslaw? That’s fine. I’m not a coleslaw girl either You can bring salad instead. Put in some chicken or tofu for protein. Add some fruit and nuts (if no one has allergies) for variety. Another non-coleslaw idea is pasta salad. An orzo salad with mix-ins of your choosing is both inexpensive and filling.  All of it is portable in a cute little take out box!

There’s always room for cheese and crackers. To add a new twist, use pita chips instead of crackers. Using a soft spreadable cheese also makes serving a bit easier and it looks fancier .  Grab a dab of cheese, spread and you’re set!

<

You can also never go wrong with the old picnic staple of fried chicken. Oven fried works for this as well. Have vegetarians in your picnic party? That’s fine. In addition to the chicken, grill some soy burgers or mushrooms.

Now if you really do want sandwiches, I’ve got an idea for you. An easy and fancy looking sandwich to bring to the picnic is a pinwheel sandwich. You can be really colorful if you use tomato or spinach tortillas. You have many options with these sandwiches. You can even please a vegetarian with them by making some with black beans or carrots or cucumbers. There are plenty of options.

Subs are also a good option. These can be preassembled at home or right at the picnic.  You can also do “regular” sandwiches with a twist by using foccacia bread, bagel thins, sandwich thins or pita bread folds.  Try some new spreads for the sandwiches. These are simple ways to create new picnic traditions!

Fruit is great to pack.  It’s healthy and can add a bit of sweet to the picnic. That’s in addition to the sweet company you’ll enjoy of course. If you freeze some grapes or cut strawberries, they make great ice cubes for punch. How’s that for a simple way to add some “wow” to your feast.

For dessert, you can go simple with cookies or brownies. If you want to take it up a level, try cheesecake bites.  You can create these using no bake cheesecake mix and cupcake liners to create the small, bite size treats. This is also another part of the meal where fruit can do double duty.  A cup of fruit with a glaze or even some fruit salsa with cinnamon tortilla chips makes a great dessert. It’s simple but elegant.

So this weekend, why not do your own picnic. I bet you’ll add it to your summer fun ideas list! Enjoy!!!

My last “get-together” was actually a girls’ trip. It’s been a long, long time since I did that. Even though we traveled out of town, it was still a fairly reasonably priced trip. We were going to a Lifeway Event. The tickets for that were around $40.  That’s pretty inexpensive for a two-day conference.  We drove so the cost of gas was split between 4 people. Very economical. Lunch was at Burger King. I wish I had been thinking, I would have packed us all a lunch. Ah, next time. I think I got caught up in the excitement. We only needed the hotel for one night. That cost was also split between four people. Since it was a Residence Inn , it wasn’t nearly as expensive as a more traditional hotel. I spent less than $25  for a hotel in the DC Area.

For dinner, we splurged We ate at P.F. Changs. But even with that, we spent less than $20 each. My meal was around $15. Breakfast was free. YES! The conference offered Chick-Fil-A sandwiches, a drink and chips for $5. So that was lunch. We made it back home without having to eat again, though I did one additional splurge on a Caramel Apple Spice at Starbucks. Yep, I consider that a splurge.

All in all, the cost of the trip for me was around $130 when you include gas. That’s pretty good for a girlfriends weekend out of town. No,  I don’t always do this. There are other get togethers that are shorter, cheaper but just as much fun. My next one is going to be a dessert night. That may sound expensive but if everyone brings a dessert with just enough for everyone to get a sample, it’s quite budget friendly.

So what fun yet inexpensive get togethers have you participated in? Do share!

Now, many of you may love Starbucks for their coffee. I don’t. What I love is their Caramel Apple Spice. To. Die. For. But, it’s too expensive to purchase every time I crave one.  What’s a girl to do? Shoot, make her own at home that’s what!

I take one envelope of instant Spiced Apple Cider and add some caramel sundae syrup. Yes, it’s the kind you put on ice cream. I then add about 8 ounces of hot water.  Sometimes I add a dash of cinnamon.  After a little stirring, I add whipped cream and drizzle with more caramel syrup. After taking a sip I say, “ Starbucks who? ”

How economical is this? Let’s tally.

10 packets of Spiced Apple Cider                  $1.88

Caramel Syrup                                                       $3.29

Whipped Cream                                                    $1.97

So for under $8 I can make 10 Mari’s Spiced Caramel Apple Cider. I couldn’t even get 3 of these at Starbucks for $8. And, I can enjoy it whenever I want. There’s no price tag for that!

Quick, easy, frugally elegant! Try your own “knock-off”. Discover the beauty of being able to enjoy your favorite treat, on a whim, in the comfort of your own home.

FASHION ADVICE: Shop your own closet. Dig in the back and pull out those long lost items. Pair them with something unexpected that’s also already in your closet!

I didn’t have to look too far in the back of the closet. I had a brown pair of pants that I found on sale at Target. They are very comfortable and are a great fit.

Sale item from Target

I grabbed an orange and beige cowl turtleneck that I had received as a gift and paired that with the pants.

Orange Turtleneck - Gift

It was freezing cold outside so the short sleeve sweater wasn’t going to cut it for me. Enter, from the back of the closet, an orange jacket I purchased *on sale* an entire year ago.

Orange Jacket purchased on sale one year ago

My nice little bonus was that it was almost the exact same color as the turtleneck. Score one new outfit for Mari. Cost? ZIP!

So let’s recap: Two items purchased on sale + one gift = items never paired together before = one new outfit that garnered quite a few compliments.

Full Outfit

SCORE!!

Have you shopped your closet lately??? If so, share your journey!

Frugal Elegance consists of concrete, simple ideas for maintaining or infusing elegance in your lifestyle without having to “beg, borrow and steal” from other areas of your household budget/spending plans. I know, I hate the “b” word and the “sp” combo as well! But lets face it, in today’s economy they truly are a necessary evil.

By developing Frugal Elegance, you will be able to spend your time and energy being extravagant with the relationships in your lives instead of worrying over details of how to make your life look and feel a little richer, classier and more elegant.  I’ll share what I’ve done and what I’ve learned. Feel free to chime right in! I love company!

If you want to connect with me, follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

 
Marietta Jordan Taylor | Create Your Badge