Usually, for our monthly groceries, I shop at Hy-Vee, Sam’s Club, and occasionally Moser’s. Hy-Vee is a “big box store” and it has the best produce around. Sam’s Club has the best deals on fresh steaks, pork, etc. Moser’s is a locally-owned grocery store that has some extremely great deals on varying things. Recently, a new Aldi grocery store was built in Columbia. We’ve had an Aldi for a long time, but I never shopped there. Why? Well, because I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m a snob. There was always a certain stigma attached to shopping at Aldi, but I’m 38 years old now. I should know better than to think such things. So, I checked out the new store. My first time in there I was a bit stunned by the prices on some of the various foods. $1.39 for a box of graham crackers? I usually pay $2.50 at our regular shopping spot. Snacks for the kids cost me $5. Easily $12 at my regular stores. That convinced me to return. The next time in there I found MORE things at a distinctly discounted rate, not the least of which was frozen chicken nuggets for $2 less a bag. On my last menu plan, I spent $110 for two weeks worth of food between Aldi and Hy-Vee. Shopping at Hy-Vee alone would have been $200. Somehow I can’t ignore saving $90. This month, I’m experimenting a bit more and I’ve spent a grand total of $50 at Hy-Vee (mostly milk, coffee, and produce) and only $140 at Aldi. At this rate, our monthly grocery bill will total out to less than $250. THAT IS APPROXIMATELY A $250 PER MONTH SAVINGS. Let me repeat that…$250. While I will continue to shop at Hy-Vee, Sam’s Club, and Moser’s for some things, Aldi has become my main grocery store. And next time I find myself thinking that some place is beneath me, I’ll think twice…. How funny that a grocery store slapped me back to reality.
Micaya
I think that most of you know that this year was the year for the 13-year cicadas to emerge.
Well, John can’t say “cicada.” He says “micaya.” We’ve corrected him a ton of times and each time he looks at us like we have lost our minds. Almost as if to say, “That is what I said!” As the 13-year cicadas begin to die off, it occurs to me that “micaya” is something I want to remember…. After all, he’ll be 15 the next time they emerge and, somehow, I don’t think the micayas will be anywhere near as interesting.
Kathryn and Brent!
Kathryn and Brent came to play today! Kathryn was here all day and Brent came over for the afternoon. The kids had so much fun and did all kinds of things. It was a day of bikes, toys, running, eating, and movies. By the end of the day, my downstairs looked like a tornado of toys ripped through it. Thanks to both Andrea and Jenna for letting Kathryn and Brent play! It made the day lots of fun for the kids!
Running!
Kathryn and Laura
Movies!
French Braid
Laura’s hair is long enough to french braid (finally) AND she even likes me to fix it that way. I’ve been trying to braid her hair for a quite a while, but she would never stand still long enough for me to do it. I finally got the chance to try it again and this time she was excited that Mommy was “fixing her hair in a special way.”
Laundry Sundays
Sunday is laundry day. For nearly as long as Andy and I have had a washer and dryer, we’ve been doing our laundry on Sundays. I’m not even really sure how it got started that way, but it did. It really does make things easier for us because we just know that on Sundays, we have to do the laundry. We don’t always get the laundry done (like today), but for the most part, it’s always Sunday.
The Big Tree
Andy took the kids down to McBaine to see the “Big Tree.” It’s a Champion Bur Oak tree estimated to be about 350+ years old and it stands a staggering 90-feet tall. The pictures of how tiny the kids look standing next to Missouri’s beloved Big Tree should give you an idea of how big it really is.
A close-up picture of the kids standing by the Big Tree trunk
Blissful
5:30 AM = Reading + Steaming Cup of Coffee + Blissful Quiet
