Online Grocery Shopping: A Review

I feel kind of lame writing a post about grocery shopping, but that's just where my life is at right now so I am going to embrace it.

BACKGROUND
Before I review the process of ordering groceries online, let me start by explaining my current process. For as random and unorganized as I am in general, I actually have this area of my life down to a predictable routine. I typically plan meals for one week at a time. I'll sit down on Sunday morning or afternoon and make a list of what we're going to have each night and what I need to buy. Then I'll circle everything I need to get at Walmart (basically whatever Aldi doesn't carry), head there, then finish out the trip by going to Aldi, then home. I go on Sundays so I can go without children.

A $1 steno pad, cut in half. The groceries go on the left, the meal plan goes on the right. Yes, that says "Tim yogurt".  

I like meal planning and getting it all over with in one day. I forget things sometimes but for the most part I feel pretty prepared. Some weeks I struggle to figure out what we should eat, and sometimes nothing sounds good so it takes longer.

For the past several weeks, I've been receiving emails from Walmart saying that they have a new online grocery shopping deal and that I should try it out. The emails have included a coupon for $10 off, and the service is free. I just have to pick up the food. I have been exhausted this week with all the house stuff, going out of town, and a poorly-timed cold, so I decided to finally give it a try.


THE "SHOPPING"
I sat down last night around 10pm and started adding things to my cart. I'd started a partial paper list so I added those items first. I've used Walmart's Savings Catcher program for a while now and because of that, they already had a small list of items I typically buy started for me, which I thought was very cool. I found the shopping experience to be very easy. I was able to create a list of favorite items, which was useful. I had the option of shopping by department or searching specific items. I mostly searched and it didn't take too long.

I liked how it kept a running total of how much I had spent. I try to do this as I am shopping, but I am not very good at mental math and it's hard to juggle a calculator and a grocery list while pushing a cart. I have a ballpark of how much I want to spend each week and I liked being able to tell how close I was while I was shopping. I was also happy to learn that I could add items like cat litter and vitamins to the list too.

When I finished, it was time to pay and schedule a time for pick up. Before I paid, it asked if there was anything else I wanted and showed a few items that I've bought in the past. I decided that yes, it would be good to have a couple of these things, so I added them as well. Then I paid with my debit card and scheduled a pick up time. I was a little confused about this initially because it was a one hour slot, but further reading showed me that my food would be ready by the start of the pick up time (in my case, 10am) and would be ready until the end of the window (11am) after which it would be put away. I was told I'd receive a call when it was ready. I went to bed kind of excited that I had finished my shopping from, well, my bed.


THE PICK UP
So this morning around 9:25, I received a call that my groceries were ready. I was surprised because it was 35 minutes before my pick up window. Luckily that wasn't a problem. I told them I would be there in about 15 minutes. Unfortunately for me, I went to the wrong Walmart (I'm special like that) and then I had to call them and let them know I'd be late. The lady laughed and told me it had happened before and that she would wheel my food back into the refrigerator. The correct location was quite a ways from my house, but it is very close to our church so if I want to try this again, I could schedule a pick up time for right after church so we could pick our food up on the way home.

When we finally got there, I parked in a reserved spot and called to let her know I was there. She came right out with my food and I helped her load it into the trunk. She told me that two items were not available so I had not been charged for them. It wasn't a big deal, but it would have been cool to have been able to substitute. One of the items was a package of blueberry yogurt and I would have been happy to sub in a different flavor, if that were an option. She presented me with a goody bag full of random sample items that we probably won't ever use, and I was on my way. I wasn't given a printed out receipt, which would have been handy for checking things over, but I do have a receipt in my email and could have done that.

The Freebies were pretty lame, but this little bag is cute. 

Lexi and I unloaded everything and it seems that everything was there. We noticed that they used a TON of bags, but I can see that some people would be picky about loading things separately. We Franzens are pretty simple creatures who like to make the fewest possible trips from the car to the kitchen so we tend to cram as much as possible into each bag. It's not a big deal because I will use the bags for cleaning out the litter box.

Holy bags, Batman!

PROS
+ Shopping from my bed! When I felt like it!
+ No herding children through the stores
+ Easy!
+ Free pick up
+ Can potentially free up 1-2 hours of my Sunday afternoons
+ Favorites list makes shopping quick
+ It was easy to compare prices between generics and name brands
+ Got $10 off my first order


CONS
- It's kind of a trek from my house unless I plan strategically
- Website was a little slow
- Substitutions? The FAQ says there is a way to substitute but I can't figure it out.  Before checking out, you can select whether or not you want to allow substitutions for each item, HOWEVER, it seems these substitutions are more about size/quantity of a specific item rather than flavors.
- Have to buy everything at Walmart
- Doesn't work with Savings Catcher  It DOES work with Savings Catcher! They provide a code to enter into the app.
- Timing. Picking up early wasn't a problem today but could be in the future.


THE VERDICT
Overall, I was very pleased with this process! I was really not looking forward to shopping this week and this certainly made it easier on me and the kids. I could see myself working on the list throughout the week which would streamline things even more. I'm not sure if I can give up shopping at Aldi altogether, but for busy weeks like the ones we've been having, this could be a real time saver, especially if I strategically schedule the pick up for a time when I'm near the store. I think I'll try it again.

This post was brought to you by a helpful cat. 

June Goals

It's been a while since I've done monthly goals but I feel like now is a good time to start up again! I'm feeling like my old self again, which is a wonderful feeling. We're several days into the month but I'm going to give this goals thing a go anyhow!


No pretty pictures because my life is chaotic. We're currently having the trim and rooms on the main floor of our house painted, so random things are everywhere. The living room has no furniture other than a TV stand. Next week, we're having the floors refinished and we'll need to remove all the furniture from our bedroom and Lexi's room as well. Good times!

Since we're planning to get the house listed this month, House Goals are going to dominate my life ;)

The Power of Words

I've been cleaning out the basement and I have to accept it- I am a recovering hoarder. I'm not so much a hoarder of stuff as I am a hoarder of memories and, most of all, of words.

I have so many boxes labeled, "Melissa's Keepsakes" that it is a little embarrassing. I have pictures and mementos from childhood, from high school, college, our wedding, and so on.

I know I need to purge, purge, purge. I've shredded what has to be thousands of pieces of paper and old checks, so I know that I should just get rid of stuff rather than packing it up and taking it with me into the future. But I'm having a hard time with it.

I struggle to give away words.

I have books of poetry that I've written, journals from before I really knew how to write, cards from loved ones, newspaper articles I wrote for the school paper, handwritten notes passed to me in class, college papers with comments and grades.

I have little books that Lexi wrote (or started writing and never finished) and pictures Lydia drew and signed her name to. I have letters from childhood pen pals, notebooks full of concepts jotted down during class, and final projects that were just too much work to ever be thrown away.

I found three stories I wrote for Fiction Writing class that got mediocre grades and some harsh, but probably deserved, criticism.

But the words that really touched me last night during my basement purge were from two different professors I had during my time at KU.

You see, Words of Affirmation is my Love Language. If you've read The Five Love Languages, you'll know what I'm talking about. If not, the basic idea is that all people feel love differently. Some feel loved by physical touch, others when people give them gifts or spend time with them.

I feel most loved and appreciated when people express their feelings for me in words. And that's the kind of love I am best at giving too. It doesn't mean that I need to be told, "I love you" all the time, it means that when someone compliments me in words, I feel it deeply and often replay it over and over in my head.

One professor, Dr. Nielsen, taught me about Children's Literature and different aspects of Primary Literacy. Her assignments were a lot of work. Hours of work. And they were only ever worth about ten points each, which killed me. I felt as though each needed to be worth a minimum of 100 points, based on all the effort I put in. But what I treasured most were her comments. She read every word I wrote.

That shouldn't feel so special, but it is. I had several professors that would require giant binders or lengthy papers that would never be returned. I remember specifically hunting one professor down to ask when I would be getting a project from the previous semester back, which is just ridiculous. I wanted to read her comments and see what she thought about all the work I had done.

Dr. Nielsen told me on more than one occasion (in the form of a comment on an assignment) that I was a good writer, and that meant, and still means, a lot to me. Last night I discovered a stack of old assignments full of encouraging comments and I felt so inspired that I couldn't bear to part with them. In fact, I wrote her an email to let her know how much her words still matter to me 8 years later. I can't bring myself to throw the papers away, so they'll be coming with me to the new house.

Another professor, Dr. Crawford, assigned group discussions in the form of comments in an online forum. We'd be required to post our thoughts on a particular topic of educational law, and then we'd have to respond to other people's thoughts as well. This was not a new concept to me, so I went ahead with it. What was new to me was what happened the first class period after such an online discussion took place. Dr. Crawford printed off every single comment we made and returned them with handwritten notes and follow-up questions. I was absolutely blown away by the time and care he'd taken with our work, and you can bet that knowing my word were heard inspired me to write thoughtfully for the rest of the semester. I'll probably be keeping several of those print outs as well.

It may seem silly to keep years-old assignments and random cards I've been given, and to some degree, it probably is. But something about those handwritten, thought-provoking words of encouragement are too special to be thrown away.  They remind me that I am valuable, and that there are others who care about me. Honestly, I cherish them.

So thank you, my friends, for your words. They mean so much to me that I can't bear to give them away. Perhaps there's a lesson in this too. Your words have the power to pull someone up, or push someone down.  Know that your words linger long after you've forgotten what you said. Choose them with care.

Brain Dump

I have so many swirling thoughts that I need to just get some out. So here we go!



Lydia told me that she is starting to enjoy wearing shirts (instead of dresses) because she likes putting outfits together. Be still, my heart.

The kitten is becoming more insanely rambunctious with each passing day.

Is moving really a good idea?

Change is scary, staying the same is comfortable.

I'm glad I finished season 3 of Brooklyn 99. It was funny.

Why do my kids try to wear long sleeves and pants in the summer?

Maybe I should write a book.

Why do cats like going inside of plastic sacks so much?

I guess that's why they have to say "this bag is not a toy" on the side.

What if no one wants to buy our house?

What if everyone wants to buy our house and we can't find a place to live?!

What if someone steals our kitten?

Why do I have all of the pay stubs from my part time job in 2003 but none of the important paperwork that came with our house?

I am never saying utility statements to this degree again.

Will I ever learn to empty a paper shredder without getting crap all over the floor?

Why is Lexi so grumpy?

Lydia can do puzzles all the sudden and it is way cute!

Do Arya and Hiccup like each other?

They fight all the time but it looks like playing. Why can't they just cuddle like I've always wanted?

YOU WILL SNUGGLE AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!

Why is our shower rod so rusty? Whoa.

What were they thinking when they put in these weirdo speakers in our basement?

How are we going to refinish the floors with four people and two cats running around?

I hope I have all the paint needed for touch ups...

I hate painting.

I actually don't mind painting, but I don't think I'm that good at it.

Can I count pretzels and hummus as a meal?

Cuz I have been.

I just canceled our Omaha trip and I feel relieved.

A little sad, but it's the adulty/right thing to do.

Except for the fact that I had to pay a cancellation fee.

Oh well.

Maybe a stay cation will be cool.

Or super lame.

Teresa is the best, I'm so glad we reconnected.

John Oliver is also the best.

The kids are listening to audiobooks without headphones and it hurts me.

I think I have sensory processing disorder a little bit.

Sounds are the worst.

Except for purring cats.

I hope school goes well this fall.

I chose a lot of curricula that requires direct instruction. I hope I don't regret it.

I love books. We have so many. This next house better have a library. It'll be great. I just want to smell all the books.

We need a lofted room for school and such. Yay.

I hope we have enough money to retire on.

What am I going to do with myself when the kids move out?

I'll be so obsolete and weird.

I love how Lydia calls pretzels "prinsills"

God she is so so cute.

Why does my brain think so much?

Arya has the softest fur ever. So so soft.

I think I hear Lydia dropping prinsills on the floor.

Now I want pretzels. With hummus. But I don't want to fall into that trap again.

I wonder who our next president will be. It will probably be epic either way.

How did Trump get this far? Seriously. My biggest issue with him is the packaging. Like, him, in general. Be nice, dude.

I have so many political opinions that I keep private lest I ruin relationships left and right.

But it doesn't matter if I don't talk about politics on Facebook. Cuz my vote still counts the same.

My kids know way more about politics then I did at their ages. Like, I didn't even fully understand a caucus til this year.

America. Get it together.

Arya really wants me to pet her but she;s blo9cking the screen. The struggkle is real.

I should probably get some work done.

Did I eat breakfast?

I had cereal. Cereal is magnificent. I had it for dinner the other night and it was delightful.

I should probably go clean something.

I am the worst housekeeper. My children are not going to be that way.

I am paying so much for health insurance every month! But this year we have deductibles and I don't want to pay them so I am avoiding going to the doctor. For the rest of the year. That is stupid. Health care is a joke. A JOKE!

Why do we have so many CDs? Aren't those obsolete now? Get with the time, Franzens.

I pretty much use YouTube and the radio exclusively to listen to music.

We're going to see a house at 3. It's beautiful. I wonder if anyone is willing to accept a contingent offer.

I don't want to be homeless.

That filing cabinet is going to be SO heavy to move. Tim can do it.

The unfinished side of the basement is a DISASTER.

DISASTER.

I'm just going to throw everything away.

With an earth shattering ki-yi! Kee yi? Ke-yah? I don't know how to spell that. But I know how to scream it! KEE YAH!!!!

Sometimes I don't think people understand me fully.

I just noticed there are light fixtures I've never noticed before. Why? What switch turns those on?!

I need a vacation.

I need pretzels with hummus. That's like a vacation for my mouth.

KEE-YAH!!!