Date Night : Fall Mountain Picnic

It’s been almost a year since I’ve shared a Date Night post, but fall is always the one season Emmett & I resurrect our weekly date night and try to make time for festive and fun activities together (catch our fall to-do list in this post). The trees in our neighborhood are looking extra gorgeous, and are really starting to change, so I figured it was time for that mountain picnic we’ve been planning. Yesterday, we took our RZR up the mountain behind our house to catch the sunset, check out the fall foliage, and enjoy some hot pumpkin soup! Click through for some beautiful fall scenery, to check out our little picnic (and my beloved new english picnic basket), as well as some fall favorites for date night. 

*This post is sponsored by Walmart. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow us to create unique content while featuring products we actually use & enjoy!

I’ve been wanting a proper picnic basket for awhile now. Usually when we take food to go, we just use our camping cookware and it doesn’t feel very special. When Walmart asked me to partner for a fall related post, I knew exactly what I wanted to share… the mountain picnic Emmett & I had been planning. It felt like the perfect opportunity to curate my ideal, grown up picnic setup. Since we’re at the mercy of the weather and changing leaves, I took advantage of Walmart’s free 2-day shipping (and returns, if needed) on orders over $35. I wanted to be set once the weather cooled, so we could spontaneously have dinner on the mountainside! I grabbed some blankets and my dream picnic basket…

This picnic basket is the real deal, and is certainly a big improvement over our camping dishes that have seen better days. It’s perfect for a romantic meal outside, live music on the lawn, or soaking in the fall foliage mountainside. It comes with everything you need and more. I bought the smaller basket that serves two. It comes with cutlery, glassware, place settings, a corkscrew, salt & pepper, a mini charcuterie board, napkins, plus an insulated wine pouch & lunch bag for storing cold items. It also arrived with a super soft fleece blanket that attaches to the side. Let’s be real- I also really love the way it looks, in addition to its practicality.

Is that not the most charming and functional picnic basket you’ve seen? Emmett was also impressed! I can’t wait to make lots of memories, share many meals, and put this thing to good use in the coming years. This will definitely be the first of many fancy picnics!

Since it gets chilly when the sun ducks behind the mountains, I thought soup sounded like an excellent warm idea. I poured hot pumpkin soup with browned butter sage into Emmett’s thermos before leaving home- I got him this thermos for Christmas over a decade ago (when he was working construction) and it’s still one of our most used items. After we setup our spot, we poured the soup and it was still steaming & hot!

I also packed a fresh baguette and uncovered the mini charcuterie board that comes with the picnic basket. I prepared everything at home in advance, so it was quick & easy to setup, eat, and enjoy the view.

The weather in Salt Lake feels pretty perfect lately, and the leaves have already started to put on a show. I love this time of year near our house! We usually come to this spot at least once a week to hangout, chat, hike around, and take in the view. Last week the leaves looked nothing like this, and next week I imagine it will be even better (unless we get an early snow). Do you live in an area that has stunning fall foliage? What are the trees currently looking like in your location? Living at altitude, the colors usually turn a bit earlier than down in the valley.

If you’re also itching for all the autumnal vibes, be sure to check out Walmart’s fall home lookbook! They have lots of inspiring categories to shop & browse (decor, dining, entertaining, budget fall finds, seasonal cookware & bakeware, crafts, etc). I’ll link some of my current favorites and everything from our picnic below.

Click directly on my finds to be redirected to the source, or use the numbered links below the collage to shop…

01: stanley thermos // 02: cheese board // 03: running stitch blanket // 04: all season cotton blanket // 05: black lantern // 06: herringbone blanket // 07: english style picnic basket // 08: tartan throw // 09: napkins // 10: cast iron skillet // 11: stonewashed cotton throw

In regards to our blankets, we have an existing waterproof camp blanket I toss down first (here is a similar one), then I layered the large all season cotton blanket (#4… this one comes in multiple colors and I love the pattern), and last- I dropped the stonewashed cotton throw (#11) on top for easy access, in case it got cold.

Cozy blankets, a stellar view, hot seasonal soup, and a good glass of wine… this honestly felt like my ideal low-key date night. It was fun to get out of our regular dinner routine and do something different.

We’re fortunate to live in such a beautiful location! This special spot is just minutes from our house. If you’re wondering how we get to these remote areas without having to hike all day- we hop in our RZR (pictured below), cruise around, and go off the beaten path. It’s one of our favorite outdoor hobbies. I was actually a little worried about strapping our gorgeous new picnic basket to the back of the side-by-side, in fear things would break during the bumpy ride, but everything made it perfectly. I’d say that’s the ultimate test for a picnic basket fit for an outdoorsy family… gorgeous and durable enough to off road. Ha! It certainly has our stamp of approval.

What fall festivities are you looking forward to, or have you already enjoyed this season? I’d love to squeeze in another picnic before it gets too cold. This was too much fun! I’m also working on finishing my fall decor at home. My pumpkin-filled porch is still a work in progress, but I’ll share it with you soon… next week or the following!