A Picnic Party for Jo

When Jo turned one, our family was up North in La Union for the weekend because of Craft Camp, which I co-organized. We did celebrate Jo’s birthday there with a simple meal at Flotsam and Jetsam, then a stroll down the beach. Jo seemed to have really enjoyed her day!

After that weekend though, Kayo and I thought it would be nice to do another simple get together back in the city with our other loved ones who we knew would want to celebrate with her too. So, the following Sunday, we threw her a little Picnic Party at Salcedo Park.

Salcedo Park is one of our kids’ favorite places to visit. They love it there! Kayo and I enjoy going there too because, aside from the fact that it’s a walk away from many good dining spots and coffee stops, it’s a pleasant part of town. The park may be open to public but it never really gets overcrowded, unless of course there’s a weekend market or fair. It’s also perfect because now that Jo walks, all the space and grass is good for her.

We held Jo’s picnic mid afternoon so it wasn’t too hot but the light was good, and as the sun went down, the air got cooler still. So it really turned out to be a good day for a picnic!

I borrowed an oversized basket from my Mom which I dressed up with tassels and frills then later on filled with snacks. Kayo bought assorted breads and pastries at a nearby Wild Flour just in time to catch the price drop on bakery items right before store closed at four. It was a good variety of baked goods! We also had popcorn, berry cookies and juice for the kids. And instead of a birthday cake, we bought Jo an orange tart.

I brought tubes of bubbles for the children (and some adults) to have some fun with but we really didn’t have to do anything to keep them entertained because there was a playground right there! Kids ran around and played freely and happily.
There was an abundance of pop corn so we ended up sharing them with the other kids and parents playing at the park.

I love how this picnic came together and how simple and inexpensive yet pretty and fun it turned out to be. I’ve always wanted to do a party at a park, and I’m thrilled to find out it can be done as long as it’s only for a small group.

I’m also so proud of my little Jo. She’s such a smart, beautiful and strong little girl! She obviously enjoyed walking around the park, watching the bubbles and eating all the popcorn! Too bad it had to end so soon because we had to leave before it became too dark. I guess we just have to go on more picnics! 🙂

Photos by Peppy Salita, Kayo Cosio and Nica Cosio