Grocery shopping has certainly changed. I miss being able to just run into the store and grab a few things. I miss strolling the aisles at Target with my coffee and throwing things in my cart that I don’t need because they’re $1. I miss how easy it was to just go to the store. We have been eating a few weird things these last few days as I’m trying to only shop every 7-10 days or so and our choices now at home are limited.
I love going to the grocery store. I know that a lot of people don’t like to do that but I do. I love shopping at different stores for favorite items, checking out any new items to try, stocking up on fresh fruits and veggies, organizing my pantry and fridge when I get home. I know this sounds silly to some, but there is just something about grocery shopping and having a stocked pantry and a fridge with fresh food that makes me feel….I don’t know…..
Organized? Structured? Prepared? Happy? I remember liking grocery shopping with my mom when I was a kid too.
Typically I like to shop every 3 or 4 days. I plan meals for a few days, then shop again. Everything is fresh this way and I don’t waste produce like I do if I buy a ton of it and then up not using it, or forgetting about it, or it goes bad within 5 days and I just didn’t get to it.
Now, I’m also shopping for my mom. Because I have the poor thing on lock down, (Well I mean I don’t, but you know. She wants to go back to work and I have to keep telling her she has to wait a little longer) I am taking her groceries. I am trying to practice this social distancing thing as best as I can so I don’t take the virus to her.
My last two trips out to grocery shop have really brought on some anxiety for me. Because I am going so infrequently, I have several things to buy. Also, I’m grabbing her groceries, so it’s a big shopping trip. The anxiety caught me off guard as I found myself going down an aisle one day that was marked one-way with arrows on the floor. I had passed something that I needed, but because there were other shoppers in the aisle, I ended up going on to the next aisle and walking in circles so I could come back down the aisle for the item that I’d passed. Then the anxiety just kind of lingered with not being able to find some of the items I usually buy, wearing the mask made me feel like I couldn’t breathe. Then my glasses fogged up so I couldn’t see or breathe! Then came a hot flash and everything just seemed to feel so overwhelming and claustrophobic! This has been my experience the last two times out shopping.
So….I’m missing my regular grocery shopping runs and I now dread shopping. I’ve had friends with some bad experiences with the grocery delivery lately, so I’m not sure I want to even try that option.
How about you? Shopping? Delivery? Curbside? How are you shopping for your groceries? Do you hate it? Don’t mind it? D you think I’m crazy?
All of the above?
I’m going out there today. Wish me luck!
Also, WW Workshops will remain Virtual until May 30th, so this working from home thing is going to last for quite a while.
Activity
After dinner last night Mike and I took a fairly leisurely 2 mile walk. Didn’t make my 10,000 step goal, but got in just over 8K and drank my 80 oz of water.
Breakfast
I don’t eat these often because they are over half of my daily WW Smartpoints, but once in a while they taste so good with a big cup of coffee for breakfast.
Lunch
Leftovers. Not very exciting. There are a few bites of Chicken Thigh in there somewhere.
Snack
Blueberry Mess. That’s what I’ve decided to call it.
Microwave frozen blueberries and granola for 1 minute. Top with Nut Butter.
Dinner
This meal idea popped up somewhere either on the WW website or my app. I had some leftover Chicken Thighs and I kinda sorta used this recipe to throw a dinner together. I used broccoli instead of cauliflower, and I subbed cauliflower rice. I omitted step 2 all together and added in some corn at the last minute. So basically this isn’t what I made at all, but this recipe sounds good! Ha!
I’m grocery shopping then headed over to put new screens in Effie and maybe hang out over there for a while. The last time I was over there I decided to set up camp!
Have an amazing day!
“love the life you live, live the life you love”
Thanks so much for sharing your experience Laura! I was excited when I saw your name pop up! Reading all of this makes me just want to crawl in my closet.😂 I shopped today and I just had to concentrate on taking deep breath’s. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I think I’ll continue to do my own shopping and hope for the best. Sending a big warm hug to you!
Great to hear from you and Nyleen. I’m glad somebody understands that full pantry feeling I have.🤣 I will certainly be happy when we get back to our regular life. Thanks for sticking with me! Hope to see you in a workshop soon.
It sounds like your situation with your son is very similar to me and my mom. I try hard to find the things that she likes and I know sometimes she’s disappointed. It’s such a hard position to be in for all of us. We will get through this. Sending you a big hug and positive vibes.
Nancy, I am happy to hear that you were having a good experience with Kroger‘s. Now you have me thinking about marshmallows. Thank you for that great suggestion!❤️
I miss you Celeste. I’m sorry you had to have surgery. I would imagine that does make this even more difficult. I haven’t heard any good stories about pick up or delivery or ordering online so I am avoiding it. I’m glad you have your daughter and husband with you too. Take care of yourself. Hugs.
The whole thing is crazy really. And I was thinking about the whole control thing too. It’s exactly what we talked about last week. I’m trying to focus on what I do have control over but I’m feeling just a tad overwhelmed these last few days of what I don’t have control over. I’ll get there. We all will. Powering through.😊
I have done the instacart delivery 2x with Price Chopper (it is pretty expensive with the fees and the tip). I had trouble with them sending the shopper to the store that was further away based on my zip code so it took them almost 30 minutes away and some items that were on sale didn’t show up for the instacart.
I did the pick up from Walmart, Price Chopper and Hy Vee. It was easiest with Walmart because you can add to your order until the night before pick up. The PC pick up was good too (but harder to get a time) and you can add until the instacart shopper starts your shop. Also, they text you about substitutes and you can add while they shop. Hy Vee you can’t add to the order once placed and they were so busy, I ordered on a Wed for pickup on Mon, then it was pushed out another 3 days (probably won’t do them again). So that’s my experience. Stay safe!
Hi Julie, I totally agree with everything you said. I like to shop & a full pantry makes me feel prepared. My husband is doing most of shopping though I go out to Whole Foods for better produce & chicken & ground 99% turkey. It feels like an outing at this point. Here in New Jersey we need the boardwalks, beaches, parks, & forests to reopen so we can walk in places other than our town, though we do live in a beautiful town. Jus’ sayin’ Nyleen
I am in the “at risk” group and have to rely on others to shop for me. I really don’t like losing that control! My son is very protective of me and does my shopping for me. He tries but seems to get different brands, most expensive, and lots of ‘extras’. I didn’t realize how picky and controlling I am.
I have home delivery from Krogers.
The shoppers have done a wonderful job but I do get substitutes and some I don’t care for. I know so many people need food now so I’ve been eating up my substitutes the past couple of days.
I know your feeling of anxiety at the grocery store because I make myself sick when I go to the doctor’s office.
Setting up camp sounds like a good idea but that is because roasted marshmallows sound so good to me right now.
I feel the exact way you do when out grocery shopping. My experience has been a bit difficult with my walking disability as well. People do not empathize with my slowness, get frustrated. I see too many workers out stocking in the afternoon (I thought they closed in order to clean and stock properly.) And pick up has been not available when I want it. I’ve resorted to prayer-though it should be my first go to.
I focus on being grateful: I am great ful for my daughter and husband home. Grateful I got surgery before this went crazy. Grateful that my daughter in Chicago takes lockdown seriously.
Know your anxiety is normal. The new norm. We will get through this and become better people out of it.
Who knew one day we’d be anxious about grocery shopping? Like you say, it sounds a little silly, but it’s just one more thing that seems out of control on a list of way too many things we can’t control anymore. (Where have I heard that before? Oh, that’s right, last week’s WW topic!) So power through, girlfriend, and look beyond the shopping when you’ll be hanging out with Effie! Thanks for your posts – keep ’em coming!