FOUR GROCERY STORE DAY

I set out to do our weekly grocery shopping today around 1pm. After stops at three local grocery stores, I arrived home around 3pm. I just made my last stop at the local market to pick up a gallon of milk. Making today my first ever FOUR grocery store day.

Usually, I'm a two grocery store shopper. I get most of my pantry items, eggs, milk, personal hygiene products, and household cleaners at Target. You just cannot beat their prices (but it should be noted that the price of eggs went up by 40 cents this past week; still they have the best prices around). I then go to the nicer grocery store to get produce and other items that are not sold at Target (such as hummos). Today I made an extra trip to the organic market to purchase some bulk items to make homemade granola. That makes three grocery stores.

I had to go to the fourth store to get the milk (and laundry detergent that was on sale) because I purchased too much at Target (including a new bathmat and towels for our newly finished second bathroom) and the other stores. The thought of walking home with a backpack full of food and bathroom accessories and FOUR bags of groceries PLUS a gallon of milk was more than I could handle. My swollen ankles/feet just couldn't take it. So I opted to delay purchasing the milk until this evening. Having just arrived home with my milk, I realized it was my fourth grocery store stop of the day. Amazing what I will do (and the lengths I will walk) to get the products that I want at the cheapest prices.

My biggest complaint: At each of the stores, I used my own reusable grocery bags (and a backpack at Target). And not one of the store employees helped me pack my bags. It's like store employees are afraid of the reusable bag or maybe during their training they were not taught how to properly put food items into them. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? The will double and even triple bag a gallon of milk for the woman behind me, but they'll make me (the VERY pregnant lady) bag all of my groceries. It really ticks me off. I expect the same service as any other customers. Just because I say, "I brought my own bags," it does not mean I don't want any help bagging my groceries. In fact, I'd like some help; right now, I need the help. Next time, I think I'm going to just ask for it. Or I'm going to start complaining...

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Basement: our construction project is finished (minus a fresh coat of paint). I love the new bathroom and my functional laundry room is a dream come true.

What I did today: other than grocery stopping, I made a veggie lasagna and several pounds of granola. Does anyone know if granola can be frozen? I also was able to serve as a proxy for David in a Census survey on employment and volunteer activities (I love participating in surveys).

Tomorrow: off to school to meet with my comps study group. We're growing through one-third of a semester's worth of biostats in an hour.