How do you shop?

I have been thinking about this a lot lately because I have friends that are all over the map with this.

Some plan, shop flyers, clip coupons, use multiple stores to get the best deal.

Others go for the closest easiest place regardless of cost.

I am somewhere in between although my method makes pretty much no sense, just based on my own “what I can deal with at this moment” lifestyle.

I am a HUGE Costco shopper.  For many reasons but mostly because of their huge organic section.  I can get organic peanut butter, juice boxes, cookies, bread, you name it.  And I am a bit of an organic junkie.  I mean I don’t want to eat stuff loaded with stuff that kills other stuff.  It just doesn’t make much sense to me.  Costco has their own house brand of most of this organic stuff. Plus other good stuff.

 

But there is also the stuff that I just always buy there

 

Laundry detergent- costco brand enviro friendly

toilet paper

dog food

Smart water- I live on this stuff

gatorade

dishwasher detergent and liquid

Nutella- my kids love this stuff- Cole takes a Nutella and Almond butter sandwich to school most days.  Although he came home today and told me he’s tired of it now.  I guess it was ok for a 1st grader, not so much for a 2nd grader.

Almond Milk- Eva and I drink this instead of milk.  Trying to get Austin to convert but he keeps complaining, “it tastes like almonds!!”  duh.

organic milk and butter

bagel bites- middle son eats these like theres no tomorrow

organic frozen broccoli.  I actually throw this in smoothies- weird I know but you can’t taste it.

batteries

hummus- 3 out of 4 of my kids like hummus, and I LOVE it.  I eat it almost daily.

diapers and wipes- I asked girly if this could be our last box as she helped me put them away.  She refused to answer….

OJ

Organic Cotton PJ’s- one of my best finds- Cole’s fave pirate pj’s. That they were organic was just an added bonus.

Next on my list from there, this

Our neighbors that lived behind us were both ER docs and they swore by theirs. I can only imagine how good it would feel to come home and climb in after a good round of kick boxing….

 

I probably should say that having a basement with a storage room (with extra fridge) is what makes costco work for me, that and the fact that I ABHOR running out of stuff.  I just hate it.  I love telling the kids to run to the basement for more oj, milk, paper towels, ziplocks, whatevs….  it’s just how I keep my sanity.

 

So, while I am not a coupon cutter- I do use the coupons that Costco sends to me.

 

Besides that, I shop for convenience.  And sometimes I stock up there as well- like today when Annies mac and cheese was on sale 10 for 10 at Kroger I bought about $50 worth.  I mean really?  $1 per box?  Score.

I have been thinking I want to utilize our farmers market more, we walked over last Saturday (every Saturday they shut down the main street in our little town) and bought produce, yummy organic grass fed cheese in different flavors, bread, and soy candles from the Candle Lab (which I can get anytime but I LOVE them). This time Lemmongrass.

 

Our market is one of the best in the state and it really can get crowded.  I had to laugh when I read this on Yelp about it

too freaking crowded!  You are practically standing on top of one another in a lot of the market area.  I’m not against strollers and puppy dogs, but add that into the mix  along with the people trying to enjoy their food  at some of the restaurants patio dining and it is organized chaos!  And of course the parking situation.  Don’t try to park close; park a bit away and walk.

 

 

 

Obviously it is good for us, we walk from our house, and push a stroller, and sometimes take a dog.  Oh well.

 

 

Not my dog

 

 

 

 

 

I have been doing a lot of shopping this week which has made me think a lot about it.  And my quirkiness with it all.

And I am going to probably get a lot of hate mail over this but I am pretty much over Matilda Jane.  I know.  Don’t hate.  I am perfectly ok if you still love it.

But I think my chickita might be done.  At least for a little while.

And if you were to ask me why, I guess it’s a combo of things.  I like to buy my clothes when I want to buy my clothes, not have to order.  I don’t like getting online and seeing every other little girl in the same dress, and I’m tired of knot dresses and ruffle pants.  That said, Eva has a bunch of these for next year that she couldn’t wear last year so she will be wearing it either way…

My new love?

Crewcuts

And if I could make this face for every picture I am in I totally would.

 

Eva and I hit the crewcuts outlet store today and picked up some fun stuff for her on clearance. I just love their stuff.

We also had to go to the Pottery Barn Outlet. Which has probably provided 80% of the stuff in my house. I have bought very little from the regular PB store- only our big desk system in the study and the desk in our homework nook. The rest has been outlet baby. Love it. I am not a flea market girl- I love reading blogs about the great finds someone found and then painted and now its this fabulous piece in their house. It’s just not me. Now a great find at Pottery Barn? That makes me jump up and down and clap my hands. I know, I’m so generic.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Halloween? It’s just the best holiday. Fall is perfect here, pumpkin patches are my all time fave, pumpkin carving parties are a blast… I just love it all.

What I don’t love? When my kids wait until the last minute to tell me what they want to be. This year I am hoping to get a jump start. And I already have with at least one. Found this awesome witch costume for Miss Sassy (who can sometimes be a bit of witchy girl). The one I found is green. Exactly the same except it didn’t cost $79 like this one did. Outlet mall, it’s where it’s at.

 

PB also had all of their backpacks and lunch boxes at an additional %15 off. Every year we lose one of these, even though I put our name on the back in sharpie.

The other thing I knew I wanted to grab for her was some skeleton pj’s. I got these at the Gap outlet for 40% which put them at $13. Saw them at Old Navy for $10- so there you go.

All of the stores were having huge sales- shorts and dresses at Gap and Gymboree for dirt cheap so if you have an outlet mall near you, head that way!