Treat Yourself!

My favorite day of the week is when we go grocery shopping 🙂 I know some people hate shopping. I generally don’t like other types of shopping as much, unless it’s for something fun, like toys. But I love shopping for food and household needs. It’s festive for me. A celebration of nourishment and self-care luxuries.

I feel so fortunate that I can find so much in one place with so many interesting choices. Drue and I shop together and it’s like a date for us. We help each other decide what to get and it’s hilarious how we sometimes hesitate in buying something a little indulgent, then we encourage one another to splurge and enjoy.

“Oh, look at these The Most Stuf Oreos (back by popular demand). Should we get it?” I shake my head no as he’s putting it in the basket, then I change my mind and say “Yes, yes, get ’em!” Nodding my head emphatically, eyes wide, thoughts nomming, lol. I was eager to try them and found I could only eat one of those things at a sitting! So sweet!

I’ll be considering buying something that I’ve picked up and put down each time we’ve grocery shopped for weeks until finally, he’ll say, “I’ve watched you eyeballing that for weeks now, just get it!” (It was Dave’s Killer Raisin Bread, heh 🙂 ) He’ll agonize about which cereals to get, there’s always something new they trick you with, the novelty (like all the new Oreo flavors, lol) and I’ll say, “Just get them all! They won’t go bad.”

We search together for the greenest bananas so they’ll last all week, I’ll have to feel all the bread in the deli and touch all the items in the store that catch my eye, he says, “You have to touch it, don’t you.” I giggle maniacally.

There’ll be catchy earwormy tunes tinkling overhead and we’ll break out in goofy dances. My favorite is the elevator music version of Hey Ya! lmao 😀

He waits patiently while curiosity gets the best of me at the clearance endcaps, I pick up and put down random items, saying, “What’s this? Oooo What’s this?” And he’ll go off on his own to the aisles where he knows I want nothing and brings his goodies back to the buggy so I don’t have to wait while he looks, lol 🙂 Such consideration.

The most fun is when we sniff liquid hand soaps. All the grimacing faces and gagging retching noises, or the smells good noises and the accidental soap dripping on us slimy surprise gasps or the soap up the nostrils snorts 😀

It’s been more exciting because there’s so much more vegan stuff, most of it is not very healthy, but I get nostalgic for tastes I grew up with ya know, comfort foody goodness. Like macaroni and cheese and ice cream. I can get that at the grocery store now! Incredible!

We’ll chuckle at one another because we’re subliminally influenced by the food that we saw a character eating on a TV show and we blame that character for our impulse buys. Like Bunchy was eating pop tarts on Ray Donovan and we both bought some, mine unfrosted brown sugar cinnamon, his berry strawberry. When we eat them we say, “Damn it, Bunchy!” All the pasta I gobbled when we were watching The Sopranos and now I’m watching Twin Peaks, so coffee and pie! Damn it, Agent Cooper/Dougie!

Even when funds are tight, we still enjoy the challenge of economizing and feel accomplished when everything totals out just right.

At the checkout, we’ll take turns putting our spoils on the conveyor, a competition on who can grab items the fastest and most. When we arrive home, it continues with who can get the heaviest and most bags first.

I derive more satisfaction than I wanna admit from arranging all the yummy foods and treats neatly and attractively, so when I open the pantry, drawer, or fridge, I smile. My tea/coffee drawer is especially pleasing. I feel so spoiled when I’m able to try new teas and coffees.

Sometimes I’ll go down the candy and toy aisles just to be cheered up like when I was a kid. All the vivid colors, the imagination, and creativity of it all. The fun of it! I grin and reminisce. I used to adore getting fun things for the kids, one of life’s greatest joys! Sometimes I’ll get a little toy just for me. I have a mini Godzilla and Mothra that I’m looking at now as I type, lol 😀

When we’re driving home, we say to one another, “Thanks for coming with me” and laugh. It’s tradition now.

What’s y’all’s favorite activity or day of the week? How do y’all make the mundane a riveting joy ride? Do you think grocery shopping is fun? I try to shift my perspective so that most activities can be more pleasurable or tolerable. Why not enjoy every minute as much as possible? 😀