Grocery Hacks and Food Things*

It feels like Friday today.

I know it’s not but it just has that end of week feel… especially since M finished his training course today. He’s basically been locked in the basement office on his computer ALL DAY listening to some guy talk while he takes notes and does labs. He sort of stumbles up out of the basement at the end of the day like he’s coming out of a cave desperate for sunlight.

Tomorrow he goes back to his regular job to catch up all the stuff he missed while he was in training.

Work life is so, so fun.

THEN it will be the weekend.

Today was grocery day for me. I’m still doing online ordering and pickup, and honestly… I don’t know when I’ll go back to in-store shopping. I know it’s probably fine to be in the stores now, but it’s just so dang convenient to order online. I hate when they omit things, but generally it’s been pretty good.

We’ve also noticed that we’re saving a decent amount of money shopping this way.

Back in the pre-covid days, I tried to shop once a week. For our family of 5 with multiple food sensitivities (dairy, wheat, soy, nitrates and chocolate), it was challenging to keep my grocery bills down. I was generally spending $175 – $200 on a big shop each week.

Then, inevitably I would forget something I “needed”, or think of something I wanted, or find some other excuse to find myself back at the store. Or M would stop on his way home from work to pick up one thing for me, find some great sales, and there went another $60. Without really realizing it, we were adding quite a bit to our grocery budget, but it all felt like things we needed.

Since I’ve switched to online pickup, I do one large shop about every 10 days. If I run out of things before the 10 days are up, I’ve learned to make do, substitute, or do without. Needing more fresh fruits or veggies was one of my biggest reasons to head back to the store before–now I’m using frozen if I run out before my next shop and it’s actually been really great.

Instead of shopping 4 or 5 (or 6 or 7) times in a month, I’m basically shopping 3 times. That’s it. If I forget to buy it or I run out, too bad. I’ll figure it out. It has saved us SO much. I’m using my food storage better, and we are also wasting less food, which I really, really love.

I seriously feel like SUCH a boss when I can use up all the leftovers. It’s my favourite.

Anyway. We picked up our groceries and got them all put away, then the kids decided they wanted to have another go a the mini perler Beads. S did so much better today and actually made this really cute princess bride!! H got frustrated, so I sat down and helped him make a mini Luigi… which he was pretty excited about.

P and I battled all afternoon.

Right around the beginning of the pandemic, P started regressing with his eating. He wanted me to feed him all his meals again, and since everything was SO upside down I happily obliged.

Five months later it’s still going on.

He’s going to be four in two weeks, and I think it’s time he starts eating on his own again. He will do it when it’s a food he loves so I know he CAN, he just doesn’t want to. If I feed him his hands are free to play toys so it’s a win-win for him. (Clever kid.)

We’ve been cracking down a little lately, but he often just won’t eat the meal and will then come begging for snacks (or will simply go and sneak some on his own). Then of course he’s not hungry enough at dinner to be motivated to feed himself. Today I said enough was enough.

I made him spaghetti for lunch–one of his favourite meals. As soon as I served it to him, he auto responded: “I want you to help me!” I lovingly (and firmly) told him that he needed to try eating on his own today. He whipped back telling me that he ate his own breakfast and now it was “my turn”.

Nope.

I gave him his plate and walked away. He stirred the pasta around but wouldn’t eat it. After the other kids had finished eating, I left him for a bit, then told him lunch was over and took his plate. He hopped away without complaint.

…within an hour he came looking for snacks.

I pulled out his lunch plate and offered it to him, and he was horrified that I would put that in front of him again. He refused, so I took it away and refused to give him snacks. This went on ALL AFTERNOON. He melted down twice and came DEMANDING snacks, but I wouldn’t relent. I offered him his lunch plate each time but it wasn’t what he wanted.

Needless to say, he was a little hungry at dinner time and ate his whole meal ON HIS OWN. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction!!! I just need to keep going and not cave, which is not my strong suit.

Wish me luck!