I never thought there would be a time in my life where I had to consider things like social distancing because of a worldwide pandemic. It still seems very unreal even though it’s been our reality for weeks now. Athena has been home from school since March 6th and we are completing all of her school lessons at home. Things like isolated family picnics, games at home, and lots of tv have become the norm for our daily activities.
I’d normally be working and preparing for upcoming travel.
I actually planned to begin a two and a half month road trip in May to make Max the youngest child in the world to visit all 50 states in the US.
Everything was planned down to the last day when restricted travel and social distancing began because of coronavirus.
Now, we are restricted from traveling and most of my time is spent teaching Athena. We try to incorporate some outdoor activities in our day that don’t require us to be around others like walking the dog, swimming in our pool, and having family picnics in the field near our house or family picnics in other isolated areas where we can be outdoors and avoid contact with others.
One product that has stood out as super handy during this time is our Veno Bags.
We can pack them with snacks and lunch so we don’t need to stop at restaurants or stores during our outings. They are easy to carry and perfect for family picnics.
What Makes Veno Bags Perfect for Family Picnics?
The Insulated Reusable Grocery Bag from Veno Bags is durable, heavy duty, and extra large. It’s perfect for groceries or packing food for family picnics. (It’s also wonderful for parties, the beach, tailgating, and camping, but we’re focusing on what we can do now.) It’s made from heavyweight non-woven recycle fabric, aluminum covered thermal insulation, and features a reinforced dual tab zippered top. It can easily support 30+ pounds and it built to last. If it’s just Athena and I, we usually take a lot less with us since my carrying capacity right now is about 10 pounds, especially this late in pregnancy, but it keeps our food fresh and cool. We just add a little ice in a plastic bag at the top or bottom and we’re on our way.
Yesterday, we packed two bags and set out for a hiking trail that is usually very quiet. We packed a few of our favorite foods and a blanket for an afternoon picnic together. Athena carried the blanket bag and I managed the food bag. The durable handles make it easy to sling the bag over your shoulder for easy carrying. We spent an hour outdoors enjoying nature and chatting about some of our favorite experiences together. Athena talked about our trip last year to Beaches Turks & Caicos and how much she loved playing at the waterpark. I shared my fond memories of watching her learn to snowboard in Mont Tremblant. Although coronavirus has completely turned our lives on a different path, it’s been some of the most amazing quality time that I’ve had with Athena in years. It’s fun to sit together in a quiet place and share memories while making new ones.
When I’m not using the bags for picnics, I store them in the trunk of my SUV as a general organizer for now. They are perfect for holding clothes or small things that are always being misplaced in the car. I look forward to using them for road trips in the near future. They are perfect for storing food for the day or placing wet clothes after an afternoon of swimming. We may be restricted from doing that right now but we’re certainly not restricted from making new memories and cherishing this time together.