E-Produce and Just About Anything Else I Want…

This past weekend when I whined about… er, mentioned having to do my grocery shopping. I will now admit that I was being a bit over-dramatic.

I DID have to buy in groceries, but I actually took care of it from the warmth and comfort of my cozy sofa… ONLINE!!!!

(And the clouds part and angels from on high start singing)

All right. I realize that online grocery shopping was a novel concept… like, over ten years ago, but it’s new to me, so bear with me, okay…

I never really had a need to do my grocery shopping online when we were living stateside. Not when I could get in my car and drive less than five minutes to my friendly, neighborhood Kroger’s.

I would plop Avery in the shopping cart, provided he was willing. If not, I’d just swing by the bakery for his *free* cookie bribe before proceeding to stock up on anything and everything I wanted for the week.

If I wanted, I could then get back into my car and head to Costco or Sam’s to stock up on a year’s worth of Brita filters, paper towels, or dental floss, but otherwise it was one trip once a week to get everything in one place.

Life…

was…

GOOD.

I now WALK to a grocery store that ought to be a five minute drive from my house. I take Avery with me, pushing him along the crowded street in his stroller. I wait at the crosswalk for the signal to turn green, so we can safely get to the other side.

I could go before the signal turns green. Everyone else does. But I don’t exactly want to chance getting hit by one of the bright red buses that could care less.

This, in addition to the sudden downpours, flying cigarette butts, street cleaners, and dog poop, are just a few of of the many hazards that lies between our house and the store.

When we arrive, I grab a tiny shopping basket. I would like to get a cart, but then I’d have to push it and the stroller down the tiny aisles and well… it’s just not worth it.

Instead, I’ve mastered the art of balancing my purchases on my forearm while stealthily navigating the stroller around curmudgeons who refuse to make way for anyone else as they stop in the middle of the freezing dairy section to chat about the weather (!!!)

We finally make it to the check out lane. We wait in line forever only to be hurried on by the person behind me as I try to pay for and bag my own groceries.

Of course, there’s never that much to bag since I can only buy exactly what I can carry home…

…and we would do this four or fives times a week.

Fortunately, Avery’s stroller has room to carry some of the heavier or bulkier items, but it hardly offers the trunk space that my station wagon once did…

Each trip to the store, I’ve had to decide whether to get milk for Avery or paper towels for the kitchen as only one or the other will fit, but not both. Let’s just say, I’ve been cleaning up spills with my t-shirt when no one is looking… shhh.

Well, finally a fellow American Mom (and blogger) in London turned my attention to online grocery shopping with it’s inexpensive delivery and other incentives. I had my doubts, but gave it a whirl this weekend…

I am in LOVE.

While every major national chain offers online shopping, I signed up with my favorite, Sainsbury and went about perusing their site.

I could click on any of their complete range of products from fresh baked goods to frozen meat pies to carpet cleaner and view their ingredients and/or cooking instructions and nutritional info. I could also browse all of the offers (sale items) for the week and base our meals around them.

The site even offered recipe ideas and suggested pairings, just in case I got stumped… and all without ever having to unfold my umbrella or put on shoes!!!

It was all delivered to our house earlier this week and at precisely the time slot that I had designated. A man came to my front door with three large crates pulled along with a dolly and just started handing me bag after bag… and just like that, my grocery shopping for the week was done.

In all of my excitement, I actually overlooked one thing.

Where to put it?

You see, our fridge is actually not that much bigger than the one I had…

…IN MY DORM AT COLLEGE.

Whoops!