Re-Learning how to shop

Today was grocery shopping day. Normally I make my list and head to WalMart and buy the same things every week. I shop on auto pilot and most of the food items are frozen boxes of stuff. Now that we have moved and I have a farmers market (the largest in the Atlanta area) not too far from my house, I decided to do my grocery shopping there. The idea of getting fresh foods and healthy items appealed to me. Then I walked into the store and almost had an anxiety filled breakdown.

I had my list on my awesome new Nexus 4 phone and I was ready to shop. However I went in with the mindset of grab n go. This is not the case when shopping at the farmers market. Nothing is prepackaged and everything including meat, is fresh. Sure there is packaged pastas and rice and spices things that would normally come packaged. I realized quickly as I walked up to the counter and tried to buy chicken breasts for dinner that I had no idea how much to buy. I mean in WalMart I grab the bag of frozen breasts and head off to another aisle. I had no clue how much that frozen bag of chicken (which would last us two meals) weighed. People were behind me looking impatient and also wanting there chicken. I decided to get a pound. That was two chicken breasts (they were huge). I had him add two more large breast pieces to that and it was almost 4 pounds of chicken and came to over $18. I almost died. He couldn't take the chicken out of the bag and put it back, so I put it in my cart and moved on. I suddenly felt ignorant and overwhelmed and decided I couldn't do the meat section at that point so I moved onto the dairy section. I navigated through most of the rest of my shopping fairly well with only a few stops of confusion. Locating where needed items were in aisles that are barely large enough for a cart is difficult in a store where hundreds of people are trying to shop too. I think I did pretty well. I realized quickly that I have to learn how to shop again. Not purchase pre-packaged or frozen meals. I purchased a ton of fruits and vegetables that I knew we would eat. There are plenty of exotic produce choices there I want to try but for today I wanted to get what we needed and be done. I waited until my husband joined us to purchase the meat I needed for dinners. We got out of the market and we spent our normal amount for a week and a half's worth of groceries. I was pleased with my choices and my fridge is full of healthy stuff. I think things will go smoother once I learn to navigate the market and learn where frequently purchased items I need are located.

I have slowly been working on getting things put away. I finished up the kitchen (with the exception of my cookbooks which don't have a home yet). I got a few of our jackets hung up in the coat closet in the front room and I got the garbage taken out. I have been doing laundry as needed the past couple of days and I got the dishes all done this morning. Having to do the dishes by hand because our dishwasher is broken sucks. I hate washing dishes by hand but it's what needs to be done for now. I'm trying not only to stay on top of daily chores but to get things organized and put away so we can start a normal routine.

I will get my son registered for school tomorrow and he should be able to start on Tuesday. I have to go tomorrow and pick up his school uniforms and his school supplies that he will need for class. For someone who doesn't like to shop, I've been doing a ton of it lately! It's going to be a busy Monday.

I'm starting to feel a little more normal now that we've been here a few days and things are starting to settle down. I am sleeping well at night. My feet and back have been sore recently due to all the unpacking and walking and putting together of furniture. I've been really physically active lately, so I expected to have soreness. I stretch a few times a day and that seems to help. Nothing that I can't handle. When I'm tired it's because I've been busy and active and I'm actually tired from physical exertion not just tired from being bored. I've definitely been getting my strength and cardio workouts in lately! There is still a bit to do but nothing that I can't handle!