Before you get too excited; no I don’t have any ideas. I am asking, no BEGGING you for yours.
A.P., Maybelle and I decided to check out the new Cascade Meijer. We were on this side of town because I had a Weight Watchers meeting near there. We lasted about 5 minutes in the meeting. This is the second time Maybelle has gotten me thrown out. It is the only thing that keeps me from sticking my head in a bag of chips at times… the sooner I lose the weight, the sooner I can stop trying to make my children shush!! while others are celebrating their losses. Ironically, my bribe offer of cookies for good behavior during a Weight Watchers meeting was ineffective.
Off to Meijer we went. The bribe reward for making good choices in the store was taking them to see “Shrek The Third” at the Dove Family Film Festival. As you can see, I am blogging rather than Shrek-ing, so that didn’t go too well either.
So about the new Cascade Meijer. It is beautiful. Shiny and new. If it is possible for a store to emit an air of confidence; this store does. I was a little confused by the back corner of the grocery section. The shelves all of a sudden change direction (if you attempted to shop during construction – it’s kind of the same; only clean) and it’s difficult to figure out what is the best way to get through there without doubling back.
The rest of the store looks great though. The most exciting part is the deli. Ohhhh the cheese.
There is cheese from all around town, the state, the country, the world. I am still under some budgetary restrictions so I had to look at the fancy cheese and not buy, but the next extra dollar (or $20) I have, I am headed to the cheese counter.
One really nice thing was the healthy snack stand. I think they ripped this off from Publix (oh Publix… how I miss thee) but it’s a good idea. There are fresh apples, bananas, and other fruits in cute little baskets. You (or more likely your child) put a quarter in a little box, and you can choose a piece of fruit to snack on while shopping.
I was armed with a fistful of coupons. Actually, I accidentally brought the clip with me, but it was a good accident. You know those things that are like huge clips, but have a magnet on the back, so you can hang it on the refrigerator? 
I have about 6. I love them. One had my coupons in it, and when I took it out of my coat pocket and set it in the cart – duh – it stuck! So my coupons were all clipped together, and easy to keep handy with the magnetized clip.
I recently signed up for “The Grocery Game”. You pay a set price per month, and get a listing of advertised and un-advertised specials. It generates a report and tells you when to ‘stockpile’; as well as matches the sales up with coupons and lists the dates the coupons were published.
This isn’t working out me, but it seems to for everyone else. I most likely won’t go beyond the trial period but if you want to read more about it, check out The Diaper Diaries post on it.
I did try the video carts. Once.
Right in front of the meat counter, the cart lurched forward; then stopped. It wouldn’t re-start. I had to get the hamburger grinder guy to stop his business and run to get a service counter person for me.
As it turns out; those carts stop after an hour. An HOUR?? By the time you get two kids into the cart, seat assignments negotiated, buckles fastened, and doors locked you’ve wasted 15 minutes right there. There is no timer on it, so even though you are done shopping and on your way to the checkout line, if the cart stops; the ride is over.
My kids get only two hours of TV a day and I hate to waste it at the grocery store. Besides; when they are not being naughty, they are pretty fun so I like talking to them.
So now I turn to you. What are your best tips for easier grocery shopping? Leave the kids at home? Unfortunately; my husband can’t distinguish between me ‘going to get a coffee’ and ‘going grocery shopping’. If he has to watch the kids – it’s all the same regardless of where I have gone. I don’t like to cash in my chips for shopping so I need to make this go better.
Any other ideas? Please leave a comment below. Thank you!
Another fun, free thing to do at Craig’s Cruisers is watch the chubby middle aged guy with a receeding hairline (the one who is not your husband – that would be horrifying and not funny at all) do “Dance Dance Revolution”. I have not had to work so hard to stifle a laugh in a long, long time.
The Kiddie Coaster is always a hit. It simulates a ride on the Blue Streak at Cedar Point. I think. I get the Blue Streak mixed up with that rickety old thing at Boblo Island, if anyone is old enough to be able to say they remember that.
There is a huge seat, so all four of us sit together. I shift, Mr. Binder works the gas and brake pedals, Maybelle is on the horn, and A.P. is at the wheel. I ask you – where can a whole family have more fun for $0.25??
Huevos Endiablados
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Some day, I will devote an entire post to why Steve is SO much better than Joe; but for now I will restrain myself.
Tasty Tuesday has been pre-empted by the 
I keep hearing about books with titles like, “1000 Things To Do/Places To Go/Foods To Eat Before You Die“.
