This is a follow up to my tales of grocery shopping with two small children. I've noticed that certain things work better than others and so I will share. Most of it is common sense, but maybe you'll learn something new. Please feel free to add your tips in the comments. I could clearly use them.
1. Shop with a list, your visit will be shorter and therefore your children happier.
2. Make sure you bring a snack for your kids or make sure they are well fed before you go.
3. Stealthfully put favorite food items in the cart or at the end of your excursion. Example: bananas. Joshua will whine for bananas the whole rest of the trip if he sees them in the basket. With items that are sold by the pound, you can't exactly let them have some and pay for an empty package.
4. Utilize the area under the main basket. I usually stash the diaper bag there as well as bulkier items. This keeps toddler hands from tearing through the diaper bag, and keeps it from being buried under the groceries should I need it in a hurry.
5. Organize your basket by food type. E.G- Perishables, non-perishables, fragile items etc.
6. Use your cart organization to help you organize your shopping bags.
7. When using a cashier put your heavy items on the belt first. (These items will go back into your cart first, and avoid crushing the eggs, bread, etc.)
7A. Also put your refrigerated items on the belt together, increasing the likelihood they will be bagged together.
7B. If necessary, shuffle items around in your bags later on yourself. This is important to me because I want the cold items to help keep each other cold. I also then know which bags have a priority to make it into the house. (Yes, I routinely leave non-perishables in the car until the kids are napping, Daddy comes home, or whenever.)
8. Use a self checkout so you can bag and load your groceries however you want.
9. Avoid the express lane. I find that with two small children, nothing is ever express. I would just as not feel the death stares from five people behind me because I am buying three items, but have six coupons, a screaming kid, a dropped sippy cup, etc.
10. If you can, go when someone else can watch the kids. :)
What works for you??
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Tetris anyone?
Grocery shopping with two small children can be described as a challenge at best and a downright nightmare at its worst. In a standard shopping cart, I put Morgan's carrier in the seat and Joshua sits in the main basket. Well I have a hard time seeing around/over the carrier and then Joshua is getting all knocked around in the basket. Plus, there is virtually no room for groceries. It's a bit like playing Tetris, how to fit the most groceries neatly in the cart without actually burying Joshua in the process. That is why I am a big fan of Costco, their carts have two seats. However, not everything needs to be purchased in bulk and it is pretty far away.
Some stores have the shopping carts that look like race cars and those are good and bad. Good because Joshua LOVES them and bad because if he sees one, but we can't use it for whatever reason, he throws a fit. He also usually has a fit when he has to get out of the cart. The race cars at my local Fry's have two seats in them, which I think I need to take advantage of more regularly. Here is a picture of a Home Depot cart. Fry's are the same style and design, just different colors.
All of this set-up takes us to my shopping trip today. I decided to brave it and go during a peak SAHM(stay at home mom) shopping time, 10:30am. I drove up and down the aisles to see if I could find an unused race car. None in the parking lot, but one by the exit. I find the closest spot I can and book it to the cart. Diaper bag, purse, and 18 lb baby on one arm, and Joshua's wrist in my other hand. I decided the best course of action was to keep Morgan out of the carrier and she could sit next to Joshua in the seat. Well, as I load Morgan into the seat and buckle her in, Joshua totally loses it. Joshua did NOT want to share his sweet sweet ride. On top of that, the seat belt in those things are really low on the waist and not much use in helping keep Morgan propped up.
I am so bummed I did not have a camera, because it was so cute and hilarious all at once. Joshua is screaming his head off, and Morgan is just sitting happy as can be, propped up with her blanket and my purse.
Here is the good news, Joshua calmed down eventually. Once he figured out he could still have both steering wheels, he was okay with the arrangement. He also found it amusing that from time to time Morgan's foot would manage to turn the steering wheel and she was driving with her, "Foot! Foot!" The better news is that I had a full size shopping basket to fill to my hearts content.
Two last little tidbits about grocery shopping.
1. I use the self-check lines almost exclusively. So today I had to hand every grocery item to Joshua, so he could hand it back to me and I could then scan it. (He got used to handing me items when he sat in the basket.)
2. The other day I brought those plastic reusable shopping bags and actually used a real cashier. I think the cashier's need some training on bagging with those reusable bags. Just because a gallon of milk, a 1/2 gallon of milk, and an 8 lb pork roast will fit in one bag, doesn't mean you should do it.
I think tomorrow I will post a list of tips for grocery shopping with kids. It's pretty much an art.
Some stores have the shopping carts that look like race cars and those are good and bad. Good because Joshua LOVES them and bad because if he sees one, but we can't use it for whatever reason, he throws a fit. He also usually has a fit when he has to get out of the cart. The race cars at my local Fry's have two seats in them, which I think I need to take advantage of more regularly. Here is a picture of a Home Depot cart. Fry's are the same style and design, just different colors.
All of this set-up takes us to my shopping trip today. I decided to brave it and go during a peak SAHM(stay at home mom) shopping time, 10:30am. I drove up and down the aisles to see if I could find an unused race car. None in the parking lot, but one by the exit. I find the closest spot I can and book it to the cart. Diaper bag, purse, and 18 lb baby on one arm, and Joshua's wrist in my other hand. I decided the best course of action was to keep Morgan out of the carrier and she could sit next to Joshua in the seat. Well, as I load Morgan into the seat and buckle her in, Joshua totally loses it. Joshua did NOT want to share his sweet sweet ride. On top of that, the seat belt in those things are really low on the waist and not much use in helping keep Morgan propped up.
I am so bummed I did not have a camera, because it was so cute and hilarious all at once. Joshua is screaming his head off, and Morgan is just sitting happy as can be, propped up with her blanket and my purse.
Here is the good news, Joshua calmed down eventually. Once he figured out he could still have both steering wheels, he was okay with the arrangement. He also found it amusing that from time to time Morgan's foot would manage to turn the steering wheel and she was driving with her, "Foot! Foot!" The better news is that I had a full size shopping basket to fill to my hearts content.
Two last little tidbits about grocery shopping.
1. I use the self-check lines almost exclusively. So today I had to hand every grocery item to Joshua, so he could hand it back to me and I could then scan it. (He got used to handing me items when he sat in the basket.)
2. The other day I brought those plastic reusable shopping bags and actually used a real cashier. I think the cashier's need some training on bagging with those reusable bags. Just because a gallon of milk, a 1/2 gallon of milk, and an 8 lb pork roast will fit in one bag, doesn't mean you should do it.
I think tomorrow I will post a list of tips for grocery shopping with kids. It's pretty much an art.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Slippin' and a Slidin'
This last weekend was Capper's 2nd birthday party. There was a slip and slide there, which sadly neither of my children liked. Joshua was having a very timid day or something and wasn't at all interested. The best I could get from him was to stand in the spray of water if I was holding his hand. Oi!
I put Morgan down for a minute and she didn't like that at all. I did get two pictures though.
I put Morgan down for a minute and she didn't like that at all. I did get two pictures though.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Hairbows
On Friday night my best friend Monica was in town for her sister's wedding, so we "crashed" the wedding reception. It was a lot of fun. I made a headband to match Morgan's dress and wanted to get some pictures before the wedding. Joshua was feeling like he wanted to pose for the camera too! So here are my two cuties. (FYI- That is NOT what Joshua wore to the reception)
It's a good thing we got some pictures because Morgan's headband has gone MIA. I had it in my hand on Saturday morning to take with us and it never made it to the diaper bag and I can't find the thing anywhere. Oi! She did get some comments about how cute her outfit was at the wedding.
It's a good thing we got some pictures because Morgan's headband has gone MIA. I had it in my hand on Saturday morning to take with us and it never made it to the diaper bag and I can't find the thing anywhere. Oi! She did get some comments about how cute her outfit was at the wedding.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Google images get to know you
I don't usually do things like this, but I thought this was cute.
Do a google image search, and pick a picture from the 1st page of results.
1. Age at next birthday: 27
2. A place I'd like to visit: Alaska
3. A favorite place
4. One of my favorite things to do: Scrapbooking/Crafts
5. One of my favorite foods: mexican food
6. My favorite flower: orchid (I don't really have a fave)
7. Favorite color: pink and brown
8. City I live in
9. Name of a past pet: Seacrest(when you have a lot of fish, you run out of names)
10. Nickname I've had: Ash (but please don't call me that)
12. First job:
13. Hope for 2008
Do a google image search, and pick a picture from the 1st page of results.
1. Age at next birthday: 27
2. A place I'd like to visit: Alaska
3. A favorite place
4. One of my favorite things to do: Scrapbooking/Crafts
5. One of my favorite foods: mexican food
6. My favorite flower: orchid (I don't really have a fave)
7. Favorite color: pink and brown
8. City I live in
9. Name of a past pet: Seacrest(when you have a lot of fish, you run out of names)
10. Nickname I've had: Ash (but please don't call me that)
12. First job:
13. Hope for 2008
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