"Use It!"
I don't know about you, but I have quite a collection of the reusable totes they now sell at grocery and drug stores. Indeed, I have enough of these bags to easily accommodate any shopping trip. The problem is that I never seem to have a single one of them when I am actually at the store, likely because I am usually racing to the store when I realize we need milk or Diet Coke or when a convenient child-free window presents itself. I barely remember to bring my wallet and my scribbled list.
Though I don't often use those bags at the grocery store, I do use them. Here some recent uses for my grocery totes:
* diaper bag -- I don't bother with a diaper bag very often these days and usually just stuff a diaper and pull-up in my purse when we leave the house, but if we are going on a more "major outing" (ex., playdate more than ten minutes away, visit to children's museum) then I have taken to throwing diapers, wipes, food for Little Bit, snacks for Bub, and whatever else I can think of into one of these totes.
* surface cleaner -- if you are expecting guests, these bags make nice storage containers for the mail, magazines, and other random papers and junk cluttering your flat surfaces.
* car trip bag -- we drove from Chicago to Cincy today, and I used a grocery tote to hold all our "car emergency stuff" which includes: DVD's, frosted animal crackers, corn puffs, veggie booty for Little Bit, baby bottles, sippy cup, pretzels, and etc.
What about you? Do you use the grocery totes? At the grocery store? Any tricks for remembering to bring them to the store? If you say "keep them in the car," any tricks for remembering how to put them back in the car after you put your groceries away? Please tell.
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5 comments:
I'm in the same boat. It's tote-a-palooza around here, but I almost never have them when I really need them. I've heard that keeping them on the door handle helps in getting them back out to the car. I keep meaning to try it.
I was a champ about having one squished in my work bag at all times, and I keep a few in the bottom of the stroller; because we don't have a car in the City, the return trip isn't an issue. Sadly, however, I actually purposefully don't use them now more often than not, because I re-use the plastic totes for the liner of our diaper trashcan, and the brown bags get used for newspaper recycle. Can't decide if I'm still doing okay, environmnetally? I think so?
I remember mine about half the time. They are currently taking up an entire cabinet, which doesn't seem right, but at least they are stored SOMEWHERE. I also use one for all the toys/detritus that collects in the van, and occasionally sort it out. Also one for the onions/potatoes that otherwise would leave dirt and onion skins all over my laundry room. They are great for packing the N.-friendly snacks I now have to bring anywhere I go. Occasionally I've used it for library toting, though I have a separate bag that is supposed to be used for that.
I have actually on several occasions put the totes back in the car the very next trip to the car. That is the good news. They are in the car ready for next use, right? Negative. I usually hit the produce dept. at Kroger when I say to my new best friend. produce manager. Steve, Oh I forgot my recycling bags again. Now I just have to look at him and he says it before I do. He actually kept an eye on my cart the last time so I could go retrieve them to break the cycle if you will. Haven't put them back in the car yet. m
I truly love those totes. They reduce the number of bags I have to carry in the house by at least half since you can load them up with so much more. I try to put them back in the car after use, though I keep a few in the house for toting large amounts of stuff from floor to floor. As a side note, I often just grab a couple when I just need a few items from the store. This never works as I seem incapable of only buying what's on my list. LAP
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