{"id":16161,"date":"2013-06-11T07:41:40","date_gmt":"2013-06-11T11:41:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/?p=16161"},"modified":"2021-02-13T12:19:28","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T17:19:28","slug":"how-to-grocery-shop-like-a-pro-with-a-toddler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/how-to-grocery-shop-like-a-pro-with-a-toddler\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Grocery Shop like a Pro with a Toddler"},"content":{"rendered":"

I could have easily titled this \u2018How to Grocery Shop like a Crazy Person\u2019 because I realize my affection for grocery shopping goes beyond what is normal. And taking a toddler along with me to three different locations might qualify as borderline insanity. But it\u2019s sort of my thing, so here\u2019s how we manage it.<\/p>\n

\"grocery<\/a><\/p>\n

Preparation is key. After you write your list, gather the necessary supplies.<\/p>\n

\"grocery<\/a><\/p>\n

Choose the time of day when your toddler is usually the happiest.  Even if your child just ate, pack snacks.<\/p>\n

\"grocery<\/a><\/p>\n

Yes, the snack cup is empty and being used only for prop purposes. We were out of snacks- that\u2019s why we were going grocery shopping!<\/em><\/p>\n

When hitting up three different locations, always start with the farmers market. Produce is freshest and cheapest here so load up on as much of your list as possible.<\/p>\n

Let your child run free. Set them up with a game of seeing how many rocks they can get in a basket before you check out.<\/p>\n

\"grocery<\/a><\/p>\n

The answer is 36 when gathered 2 at a time.<\/p>\n

Back in the car within 15 minutes and on to store numero dos, The Meat House.<\/p>\n

\"grocery<\/a><\/p>\n

Again, risk letting your child run free, as this should be a quick stop as well. Go in knowing what you need to maximize speed, as there are many short shelves with breakable jars. Also, maximize the samples.<\/p>\n

\"grocery<\/a><\/p>\n

Only shop places with samples.<\/p>\n

Return to car, put meat in cooler and drive to final location. Check list before you leave the car to plan exactly which aisles you need to hit.<\/p>\n

Apologize to toddler for having to strap her into the cart. Make up for it by distracting her with a snack.<\/p>\n

\"grocery<\/a><\/p>\n

And a necklace. Shopping at a place like Target means there are plenty of props ready to help you out: toys, necklaces, Easter eggs (only seasonally). Just remember to drop them back off in the $1 bin section before checking out. They won\u2019t give a darn about that toy once they\u2019re home.<\/p>\n

Check out and let your child receive a sticker from the cashier. Unless they are out, like they were yesterday. Then run for the car before meltdown occurs.<\/p>\n

Once home, let the toddler sample the goods.<\/p>\n

\"grocery<\/a><\/p>\n

This gives you time to unload, put up and high five yourself for being a super mom. There might even be time for a solo celebratory dance party, but keep that to yourself.<\/p>\n

Shopping with kids- any tips to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I could have easily titled this \u2018How to Grocery Shop like a Crazy Person\u2019 because I realize my affection for grocery shopping…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":16155,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1484,1475],"tags":[1247,1060,291,1246],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16161"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16161"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16161\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}