Many of my childhood memories are of going to the park with my mom. We would travel to parks in other towns and have a picnic lunch, bring our bikes and make a parade there, get ice cream, or go to a park near a pond and feed the fish. We’d drive across town and visit “the train park”, or to the “pirate ship park”, or even just a short walk to our neighborhood park with the really, really big slide. She found a way to get us out of the house and make a simple thing so much more special.
I’m so proud of my mom. This past fall and winter she went through double knee replacements, but despite that, has been working hard to get back to feeling good. She is truly an inspiration to me. Now that she is able to walk without as much pain for the first time in almost 10 years, we have been going to the park for walks when we get together.
I’ve been wanting to treat my mom to a girls’ day out, and created a special picnic at the park.
We love the grocery section at our World Market, so we went there for picnic essentials. I love that their prices are similar to what you’d find in the grocery store, but their selection is anything but normal! We were greeted with happy and colorful displays, it was like spring in a store.
We picked up picnic perfect snacks: a six pack of sparkling lemonade, kettle corn, crackers, cheese wedges, and of course, lobster pate. Can’t have a picnic without it! 😉
(That’s a joke. This was our first time trying it.)
The World Market brand kettle corn was SO good! We used this galvanized bucket to hold it, but now can use it for storage, parties, or in décor.
The picnic blanket plates, bowls, charger, and woven mat add a nice touch, but my favorite were the .99 spreading knives. I don’t like wimpy spreaders touching my cheese, these were BIG.
Who brings a bottle opener to the park?! I did. And I’m not ashamed to admit it. This key bottle opener (1.99!) goes right on my keychain.
And the picnic blanket was the perfect tablecloth. It is big, rolls up, and can be washed easily.
You know, for the times when you’re being a ham for the camera and accidentally spill lemonade all over. 😉
You can treat your amazing mom to a shopping trip at World Market for jewelry or other Mother’s Day gifts, or you can enter to win the My Amazing Mom Sweepstakes!
Facebook fans can nominate their mother for a chance to win a $5,000 World Market gift card. Fans will upload a photo of their mother and tell us what makes her special. Once the photo and essay is complete, Facebook fans can share their entry on their social media channels and ask their friends to vote for her. The top 5 submissions will be entered as finalists and judges will review and choose a final winner.
Can’t nominate your mother? You can still enter the Fan Sweepstakes by following World Market on your favorite social media channels (within the Facebook application) for a chance to win one of 10 $500 World Market gift cards.
You can find World Market on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or Instagram and see what specials they have going on right now.
How are you going to pamper your mom this Mother’s Day?
This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and World Market, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #MyAmazingMom.http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO
Sarah McKenna says
Cute mom, cute blogger, cute table setup! Love it!
Ann Marie says
you forgot cute commenter 🙂 Thanks, Sarah!
Lolly Jane says
So cute! You and your mom are adorable…and now I need some lemonade. Love me some World Market!!
Ann Marie says
awww, thanks girls! I need some too and didn’t realize it until now. Thanks for bringing that up 😉
Megan says
Loved everything about this post! Loved seeing you and your mom, loved the photography, the bottle opener, the set-up…ALL OF IT! Glad your mom is walking comfortably and you guys got to enjoy special time together.
Ann Marie says
awwww, thank you Megan!!! 😀 I’m glad we did too, it was nice to relax and enjoy her company. We need to do it more often.
Erin @ DIY On the Cheap says
I love World Market! It looks like you and your mom had such a great time on your picnic. How fun!
Ann Marie says
thank you, Erin! They really are the best. Do you have to keep yourself away like I do? 😉
katie says
Awe I love this! I use to have picnic’s with my mom for mother’s day growing up! And my mom is about to have knee replacement next month–I’ll be so happy when her quality of life will greatly improve and we can walk long distance again!
Ann Marie says
I will keep her in my thoughts! Tell her to hang in there, my mom had a lot of highs and lows in recovery even though she was doing awesome and better than they expected. Things are slowly getting back to normal now. Let me know if you or she has any questions. And maybe you guys need a hospital picnic 🙂
Heidi @ Mom's Crafty Space says
This is SO cute! The picnic is totally adorable, but you and your mama are even cuter sitting there enjoying your time with each other. I can’t believe I missed meeting you at SNAP! Next time, for sure!
Ann Marie says
thank you, Heidi! I will be framing that pic, I’m thankful we had a chance to take it. 🙂
I CAN’T BELIEVE WE MISSED EACH OTHER EITHER!!!! I feel like I kept hearing how great you were, and then I never found ya. Definitely next time!
Kathe says
What a wonderful day spent with your special mom! Shopping and then a picnic 🙂 I LOVE WM and you are right, the prices are close to the same at a regular grocery store but, I’d be more inclined to buy lobster pate from WM 😉
Ann Marie says
ha! Yeah, I don’t know if I’d trust it in a normal store… 😉
Thanks Kathe!
crystal says
Doesn’t everyone eat lobster on a picnic? haha How fun! I loved everything you picked up, especially the bucket. 🙂
Ann Marie says
only if you’re cool I guess, which it seems like you are. 😉 Thanks, Crystal! I have about 50 places I want to put it, haha
Kristin @ Yellow Bliss Road says
What a fun time with your mom! I LOVE World Market. I think the key bottle opener is my favorite thing that you shared!!!
Ann Marie says
Isn’t it great?! I actually bought one for my husband one day, and went back and bought another for myself another trip haha.
Thanks, Kristin 🙂 It was nice to get out and enjoy an afternoon with her!
YOur moma says
YOU forgot about Park day, in the summer, we would try to hit all the parks in our town, staying at least 10 minutes and you guys would check them off as we went….lol I remember park day the most, it usually fell on the same day as …..I dont want to look at these four walls any more day, usually a little cooler day that came in the summer, and we always ended up at the clean train park for lunch, cuz they had the best picnic tables…..in the shade.
WHAT a miracle that it we always got to that park right at noon… lol
Love ya, thanks for the picnic!
Ann Marie says
I loved park day!!!! I can’t believe I forgot about that, but it was a long time ago and I’m getting old lol. I’m going to have to do that some day… Adam’s naps can be taken between a park by us and a far away park by you or something.
I’m glad you were able to make it out! The kids had a blast, but I had one too. I love you!