Marketing

In my twenties, one of my favorite weekly activities was grocery shopping. Maybe it was the newfound feeling of power that I could take a cart and fill it up with whatever I wanted. I would add a bouquet of fresh gerber daisies or sunflowers and the latest issue of Instyle to my cart and feel "oh so modern". I spent about $60.00 a week. I did most of my shopping at Publix and more infrequently at Albertson's. I would go to Whole Foods Market once every couple of months as a fun splurge. It was an adventure.

Cut to today. I abhor marketing. I avoid it whenever possible. It is cold in there. And there are TOO many DECISIONS to make. Plus you have to:

1. remember your reusable bags (which I've been using since the days when you had to tell the cashier really fast so they wouldn't start bagging things.)
2. bring your club card.
3. remember what long lost phone number you registered for said club card with so you can use it if you (gasp) can't find your club card or brought the other keychain without the beloved club card.
4. bring your coupons.
5. have a meal plan or a semblance of one.
6. bring a baby.
a.this means going at the right time and avoiding nap and/or meal time.
b.this also means bringing extra diapers, clothes, food, and/or entertainment items for said (beautiful) baby

Up until about a year and a half ago, I was very very lucky. My husband likes (!) shopping. He takes his time, goes down every aisle, and generally makes an event out of it. His preferred marketing time is (was) Sunday night. I would go along for "together" time sometimes, except:

1. I don't go down every aisle.
2.It is cold.
3. I like to read and relax (preferable in a bubble bath with a glass of pinot grigio) on sunday night.

But he has been so busy with his side project that the chore is mine. Yesterday I had an amazing shopping experience with O.
We went after nap and lunch, primetime for babies. We had a weekly meal plan, a menu, a shopping list, and COUPONS! We even had the club card and the reusable bags. We had spare diapers. We were done in 75 minutes. It was great. How did I manage it? With all the extra energy I garnered by sleeping in til 8 for mother's day. YAY!