A Day In The Life

I'm all for finding ways to make life a little easier, so long as it's cheap, sustainable and without negative consequences.

So, I managed to pluck up the courage to do my grocery shopping on-line. It was a little daunting at first, but something that I now would thoroughly recommend - especially to all of those busy Mamas out there.

It took me 20 minutes to do my shopping and the beauty of it is that I did it after The Dude had gone to bed! That's right, no more grabbing items off the shelves when my back is turned, no more screaming his little lungs out when I return said item to the shelf, no more playing tug-of-war with him over my shopping list. I no longer have to worry about trying to get out of the door without at least one diaper change and making sure he has toys to amuse himself with on the journey to the store then having to fight to get him to sit in the shopping cart for longer than five minutes without him causing a scene. No longer do I need to spend at least an hour of my day doing a thankless task while spending more money than necessary.

My bill was significantly reduced because I wasn't enticed by the usual crap that ends up in my shopping cart - I was quite content to stick to my list.

I chose my delivery date and time and sure enough it arrived promptly and was all organised so that I could just pop it away ready for use. Lovely. I was so proud of myself.

I also learned a very valuable lesson from my latest adventure. Don't be afraid to try new things. If it doesn't work out, there is sure to be a different method that will. And, don't be ashamed to make a change in your life that helps you out. For too long I have tried to be Super-Mom and it just burned me out. I'm still the same wife and parent, just with one less thing to worry about on my list.

If you have a great time-saving, stress-busting tip, please feel free to post a comment and share it with us. I love to hear from you all!

Growing Veg

I have been growing some herbs for a little while now. I get so excited when I see new seedlings appear. So when our family took a trip to the local 'Home Depot', I took a stroll through the garden center.

It felt like a candy store! All kinds of vegetable packets and grow kits lined the shelves and a variety of bulbs hung on stands. But what amazed me even more were the amount of people buying these little packets ready to take home and nurture.

My Husband and I would like to have a few veggies growing in the garden for a couple of reasons; to be more self-sufficient and to teach our son that food does not grow on shelves in a supermarket. We want him to have a healthy attitude to food and a good understanding of where it comes from. We want to do our bit for the environment and reduce our family's food miles.

So to see other families huddled around the seed section choosing which vegetables to grow, really made my day. I'm so glad to see kids learning about nature and being involved in where their food comes from. It's so important for kids to be out and about learning new things instead of being sat indoors watching television.

Spring is definitely here and I can't wait to tuck into my greens. I'm looking forward to Little Dude being able to enjoy them too - not just by eating them, but by watching the magic as they grow.