DoggyStyle: Picnic Blankets with Dogs

Miss M loves our blankets so much she even uses them indoors

It seems the goal of nearly even Chicagoan in the summer is to spend as much time outdoors as possible so things like this won't seem quite as bad. We spend our summer in a flurry of spontaneous picnics, neighborhood festivals, outdoor movies, and alfresco dining, all with the pups at our side. While we've learned to pack a 'city essentials' bag we've also learned the art of bringing just the right type of picnic blanket.

Impromptu Picnics and Outdoor Dining

Between all of the food trucks and our penchant for dog-walking dessert tours and taco crawls, it has become too easy for us to have spontaneous picnics mid-walk or just drop into an alfresco cafe. I always keep a light-weight sarong in my bag which is small enough to fit into our everyday dog walking bag while being easy enough to pull out for impromptu dining in the park and curbside sitting during street fests. For mid-length sitting in the park where we won't be out so long, sometimes we just grab a mid-weight sarape that is still lightweight, but a bit more comfortable to sit on.

Movies in the Park and Family Outings

For our planned picnics in the park that last a long time, we started using a large plush comforter that can fit all of us. We got ours on sale at Target. Miss M tends to get impatient sitting in parks, but we've found being able to lay on a comforter (maybe because it reminds her of the privilege of being able to lay on a bed?) is enough to keep even her satisfied. These are definitely more cumbersome to carry, so we usually plan to use these if driving, though we have also been able to use a vacuum-seal packing bag to stuff it into E's backpack for a 2+ mile walk home.

Wet Grass

After seeing how a lined picnic blanket is just that much more expensive, we started carrying a shower curtain liner to put under our blanket to keep us all dry.

What other preparations do you make when planning outings with your pups?

Also:
They also come in handy for things like this
Or this.
Don't forget you still have time to win a "Date with Your Dog"

Things to Do with Your Dogs: Outdoor Movies in the Park

Despite the impression many people might have of Chicago, we are a city of plentiful parks, green space, and an active Park District.
Besides having vibrant parks in each neighborhood, they've also started a summer movie series in each of the local parks where you can pack up a blanket and picnic dinner and enjoy an alfresco movie screening.
The added bonus for us is that these are dog-friendly family events. We even met up with our friend prettyZoe from Two Kitties, one Pittie.

We enjoyed tacos from nearby Big Star, with the pooches laying around on big blankets. We have found the secret to appeasing Miss M is to bring our comforter blanket which makes her feel like she has the privilege of laying on a bed.
They showed the movie Hugo, which was extra fun to watch outside. The only confusing part was when the dog in the film was barking.

We also had the chance to meet a friend who knew the pooches. Thanks for saying hi! We'd love to meet your pup too!

In Case you Missed It: Dog-friendly picnic blankets
Building our own Alfresco Movie Theatre
Deja-vu

Pooches: On Miss M vs. The Lawn

When I first wanted to adopt a dog, I had this idea we would spend a lot of time hanging out together in the (human) park.

I would bring a blanket. We would sit together as I read a book.
I would even use her as a pillow.
Though we all know how different the life we envision with our dogs can be.
Because out of all of the strange things I've discovered about Miss M, she absolutely hates sitting in parks. And she seems to really hate lawns.

I used to think it was just a fluke. 

Like that time we went to listen to a concert in the park and she got so frustrated she started trying to grab her own leash and simultaneously eat my picnic blanket. 

So I had to tackle her. 

And I was laying on top of my kicking dog just as a new co-worker was walking by (and recognized me).

Or maybe how every time we tried to sit in the park for an extended amount of time it ended this way.

I realized one way to work around this was to get an extra-large picnic blanket. If she didn't realize the lawn was there, she could actually enjoy sitting in the park:

Until she realized she was actually sitting on the lawn.
At which point, she tries to eat it.

Note the lawn coming out of Miss M's mouth ala Huck Finn

Now that we have our own lawn, Miss M has gone beyond just grazing and she is actually biting chunks out of the lawn and eating dirt.

Are there other dogs out there who hate the lawn? Or is this just another case of Miss M being Miss M?

Also:
So it's not just this?
Our favorite picnic blankets
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Schwang Swag: Finding the Perfect Large Picnic Blanket

Knowing how miserable the coming months will be here in Chicago, we're always taking the opportunity to sit in the sun and do things outside with the pooches. We have already perfected the art of having the spontaneous picnic with our dogs but at the same time, I've been searching for the perfect large picnic blanket to accommodate all of us at once.The blanket we use works well, but I have always dreamed of being able to stretch out and recline without my limbs hanging off into the itchy grass.Unfortunately, most of the cute, big blankets I have found have been way too expensive.
I think the answer may have been obvious to other people, but it wasn't until I spied a group doing this at Millennium Park that I realized how comforters can actually be the perfect picnic blanket:

A full-sized comforter will accommodate all four of us with room to lay and stretch out. Plus the extra padding can be super-comfortable:

 

It turns out Dwell Studio for Target even has some really cute options. If you watch the in-store sales you can usually get a really, really good discount. They have enough stuffing to be comfortable, but they're still thin enough to easily toss in the washer making them appropriate for daily use.

The only downfall is that it is too cumbersome to bring on our daily walk; we would have to plan to use it when we're not walking longer distances. Right now I have it rolled like a sleeping bag, but I wonder if I can find some way to keep it more compact?

But the big benefit is that we can enjoy having the pooches sitting on the blanket with us. It's just unfortunate it took me the whole summer to figure this out.

Pooches: Camping with the Pooches

Our camping trip earlier this week required a little more preparation, because of the pooches. Here are some of the things we brought that made the trip a little more enjoyable for the pooches:

Big Agnes Big House 4 Tent with Vestibule:

This tent was very easy to set up, though it required two people. It was pretty roomy with enough room to hold another person or two more pooches.

The vestibule came in handy because the pooches had a place to hang out in the evening or at night
that was similar to their crates and it provided shade during the day.
Pet Herbal Armor Natural Insect Repellent:

Since DEET is toxic to dogs, we chose to use a DEET-Free insect repellent that was safe for animals.

Picnic blankets and mats:

We brought mats that we use on the porch, so the pooches had places to lay by the campsite that they were used to.

Bowls and collapsable bowls:

Though we used their bowls, we also brought the collapsable bowl which takes up a lot less space when traveling.

Things to do in Chicago with Dogs: Miss M and Mr B go to the Movies

Before we got rid of our television, I used to watch a lot of terrible reality television. 

Does anyone remember Average Joe? (Please tell me I wasn't the only one!). 

It was memorable for the fact she still picked the good-looking guy at the end, and this one quote.

When the contestants are told they are going camping, one guy refuses to go because he just can't understand the fun of packing all of your indoor stuff, marching outside, unpacking it, sitting on it, packing it up again, and marching it back inside.

Sure it defies logic, but why is it so much fun?

Each summer the city of Chicago gives us opportunities to march our inside stuff outside and all hang out together for free movies in the park. 

We bring the blankets and picnic dinners. Chicago brings the big movie screen. 

And Mr. B brings his stuffy. 

Isn't everything twice as fun when enjoyed outdoors?

Also:

What we use

When we really did pack up all of our indoor stuff to go outdoors

Deja Vu

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