(please excuse the fuzzy pic, it was taken on a cell phone)
I don't generally take my kids shopping because I need me time, they get cranky and bored, and it usually takes twice as long.
I recently took Thing 2 (three-year old) shopping while the boys stayed home with dad for guy time that we lovingly refer to as a "daddy party". Not half way into our excursion she groans, "I'm bored. Can we go home and have a daddy party?"
Ha.
I am torn when it comes to shopping. I love shopping for little people and for fabric but for pretty much anything else, I completely detest it.
I prefer moving quickly. I don't especially like walking slowly or flipping through every article of clothing on a rack. If I can't find something in 20 minutes or less I'm usually done.
I recently took Thing 2 (three-year old) shopping while the boys stayed home with dad for guy time that we lovingly refer to as a "daddy party". Not half way into our excursion she groans, "I'm bored. Can we go home and have a daddy party?"
Ha.
I am torn when it comes to shopping. I love shopping for little people and for fabric but for pretty much anything else, I completely detest it.
I prefer moving quickly. I don't especially like walking slowly or flipping through every article of clothing on a rack. If I can't find something in 20 minutes or less I'm usually done.
Grocery shopping hangs precariously between the two extremes. It all depends on the store! Thank you WinCo for have the BEST shopping cart returns EVER!!! I'll admit, that one feature sold me as a return customer. You don't have to walk halfway across the parking lot to return your cart AND they are double sided so you are never on the wrong side, having to weave in and out of parked cars just to get the dang thing out of the way of traffic.
So, I like WinCo. Since I am a frequent customer, I know where most everything is and I divide my shopping list accordingly by section/isle. First, I list my produce items. If there is not a baby in the seat that is where my more tender fruits and veggies go so they don't get squished...and my bread!
Next, my "everyday" baking and canned items are in the center of the store so I move on to there.
Then, things like cheese and meat.
After that I get my 20 gallons of milk (exaggerated, but not by much...we really need to get our own milking cow!) and any other refrigerated/frozen items. The milk usually goes on the rack under the basket. Yes, I use those for more then just dog food. :)
Finally, I get my bread. Place it tenderly on top of my heaving grocery cart and proceed to the checkout. I bag my items, pay for my goods, and head out the door.
I push my cart gingerly from the sidewalk to the parking lot and avoid uneven ground--like speed bumps--to keep my multi-layer stack of groceries from tumbling to the ground. I dropped a gallon of milk once and it exploded on my driveway. Imagine the kind of mess 20 gallons of milk would make! It would make for an interesting sight but I am not going to be the one to waste $60 to see it. Milk is a precious commodity in our home.
I make it to my mini-van mostly unscathed, fish around inside for a place for my--"Woaw! Who put all these groceries in my cart? Good thing I didn't bring any kids or someone would be riding home strapped to the top!"--and quickly close my back door before everything comes tumbling out. I take a conclusive deep breath and give a cheerful sigh of relief because I parked right next to one of WinCo's AWESOME shopping cart returns!
So, if you ever see someone at the grocery store pushing around enough groceries to last them through the next ice age, just give 'em a little space and an encouraging smile. Maybe even a helping hand. They might just have a bunch of hungry children at home having a daddy party.
What about you? Do you like shopping or do you avoid it like the plague? Is there something that keeps you coming back to your favorite store?
