Grocery Shopping-- Family Style

We all go grocery shopping together most Saturdays. It is a pretty fun experience. There are two ways I enjoy grocery shopping-- completely alone or with everyone (Trent included). Everyone is a lot happier when we all go together. Everyone gets a say in what we buy; It seems like an adventure as opposed to a burdensome chore; and Our kids are so cute doing it that we end up smiling the whole time.

First, notice the "mini" shopping carts. The girls love to push them and fill them. They each want the best things placed in their cart. On this particular Saturday, Madelyn was so funny. She kept adding things to her cart and then telling me why we needed it. For example, the colored mini marshmallows (because ours are only white); the 2 boxes of cheeze-it GRIPZ (one for her and one for Adam so he won't be sad); the care bears fruit snacks (so that each girl has a fruit snack box in her cart).

Yes, I know . . . some of you think I am crazy to take 4 kids and a husband shopping with me, but there really are a few plusses. First, not everything we need fits into 1 cart anymore and though I have tried many ways to shop (checking out multiple times, stuffing and cramming) having an extra large cart and 3 small carts in addition to mine really does help out. Second, the bread usually makes it home unsquished. Third, all the comments from the other shoppers about how good the kids are does cheer me up. And, fourth because we know we have a limited "happy" kid time, we go fast!


There are a few drawbacks though. First, we spend more money. Second, we buy more things we shouldn't eat and don't need. Third, you can only do this when the grocery store is very empty. And, fourth, sometimes the kids do misbehave and fight over why she got to have the yoplait yumsters and she got to have the go-gurts, and I have to have the yucky plain yogurt in my cart.

But all in all it does work well for us right now.