A mom's quality time...
Yes, going grocery shopping alone makes me THIS excited!
You wanna know what Moms fantasize about? Now, now – before your mind goes to the gutter, let’s keep this G rated, people! In addition to being whisked away on vacation, being taken out to dinner, date night, uninterrupted bubble baths and long showers, hot coffee, getting a fantastic blowout, and sleeping in, we also fantasize about grocery shopping. Alone. Or any kind of shopping, really. At least that’s what I fantasize about.
I love grocery shopping with my daughter too, don’t get me wrong. It’s fun to have her involved in the process. I get her to choose fruits and veggies, put them in the cart, and she’s generally very helpful and involved. Especially for a picky eater, it’s great to get them involved in all parts of meal planning, shopping, and preparation. She loves choosing a healthy snack – a banana or an orange from the special kid snack station at the store. She loves watching the other shoppers, and asking me lots of questions about what I’ll be making with the ingredients. It’s great.
Now, let’s paint a different picture. Close your eyes, and envision not packing a diaper bag, snacks (basically a mobile picnic), water, extra clothes, car seats, bathroom trips, sometimes whining, sometimes meltdowns, picking up dropped or thrown items in the backseat while driving to the store, and the list goes on. Just picture you, leaving the house with your purse and grocery list, getting in your car, and going shopping alone. It’s downright dreamy. Let’s take the whole experience to the next level by stopping at your favourite coffee shop first and grabbing a hot beverage to enjoy while you take as much time as you want wandering the aisles. I’m getting excited just thinking about it. No rushing. Just leisurely enjoying the whole experience.
Perhaps the best part about shopping alone is that you can go to as many stores as you want with ease and without time limits. I usually have a 2-store max when my daughter is with me. Toddlers often have trouble being carted around to too many places. Plus all the loading and unloading into car seats and shopping carts isn’t super fun, either.
I never thought that shopping alone would be something that I love and look forward to so much. It’s hilarious, actually. And it’s something that a lot of other moms I talk to also enjoy, maybe a little too much. It’s one of those universal mom-isms. A guilty pleasure, even.
Well, today’s my day for solo shopping. Heck, I might even take myself out for lunch, too. But first, a nice, long, uninterrupted hot shower.
xo Leigh
