When I was teenager I knew I wanted to be a good wife and mother. Call it a simple dream, but hey, that's just me. Although the idea of a corporate job appealed to me at one point (more so because of my fondness for the fashionable power suit and the huge wooden desk overlooking the city on the top floor of a sleek building) it ebbed off as soon as the closing credits of the movie came on. Yup, it's appeal was purely cinematic. Not necessarily real, too rose-colored to be true, fleeting at best. Being a homemaker is an idea I held on to. Although I may not like the thought of a nine-to-five job, I have never qualms about taking on the challenge of being truly domesticated 24/7. I remember when I could not wait to do wifey things like run a household, cook, bake, do arts and crafts with my children, I even wanted to go to the wet market and meet the fish.
Now that I am a wife and mother, I have happily discovered that my domestic dreams are not too far-fetched from reality. I enjoyed doing the grocery even if I do it most of the time just by myself. It became such a chore for me that I do it almost everyday. I buy everything in huge quantities (the fresh fish, chicken and vegetables, our cook gets once a week at Dapitan or Kamuning Market). To make my grocery shopping easy, I drew out a very organized list. I started by listing everything I needed to keep the household running, from groceries to toiletries to cleaning aids, office supplies and personal effects, and categorized them in alphabetical order according to kind (i.e. sauces, canned goods, dairy, medicines, condiments, etc.). It is less trouble for the help because I just print out the list and all they have to do is mark the items needed in addition to specifying the quantity. I avoid going to groceries on weekends unless I absolutely have to and I never go without my valuable custom-made list. It has served me quite well. The few hours you will spend personalizing your list will be worth the time you save going back and forth the grocery aisles like a headless chicken.
I like going to Waltermart and Puregold because it is consistently well-stocked, it is always neat and clean and I'm already very familiar with the place. Because Puregold is quite popular, the long lines at the checkout counter can be taxing. It is also a good place to get choice cut of meats. I buy the fresh meats at Monterey (you can find this at the meat section) and have them cut the way I want them to. For deli fare, Santi's is an all time favorite.
Another place I truly enjoy going to is S&R. They have a wide variety of goods, it is also clean, the space in between aisles is wide. You can buy the items in bulk. My kids loved the food samplings along the aisles, especially on weekends. They have a good selection of processed meats and dairy products too.
Whenever I travel with my family abroad, our first stop is usually the grocery. We buy all sorts of foods and refreshments that we stock up in the fridge of our hotel room.
I really enjoy going to the grocery because it is there where I can unwind, relax, and have a quiet time. Our house is open most of the times to friends and loved ones, and whenever they drop by the house and they haven't eaten or they feel like eating again, I can make use of whatever is in our pantry or refrigerator to serve them. Come to think of it, maybe that is why I also like going to grocery and buying in bulk, I want to be a girl scout in the kitchen, always prepared! And more than anything else, I love seeing the biggest smile plastered on my children's face every time I come home with bags of their favorite snacks and juices.
No comments:
Post a Comment