A Simple Solution for Meal Planning (Even When IEPs Get in the Way)

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Jewel-Osco. The opinions and text are all mine.

Ugh. It’s Monday again.

I’ve got yet another IEP meeting, laundry piled up from the weekend, and a week’s worth of meals to plan and shop for.

The to-do list parents are required to maintain can be extremely overwhelming, especially for parents with multiple kids, who have multiple needs.

My four-year old has to get to ballet whether I’ve bought groceries or not. My sons have to get their homework done correctly, even if I forgot the one ingredient I need for the dinner I’m halfway through making.

Moms need easy. We need fast. We need things that improve our lives so we can spend time doing the things that matter. Like watching our daughters dance in ballet class and helping our kids with their homework.

Figuring out meals, shopping lists, and then actually carving out time to drive to the store, shop, and unload it is unbelievably time consuming. It’s my least favorite adult chore. I really only force myself to go so I don’t run out of chocolate ice cream.

And heaven help me if I forget an item I needed for dinner. I have to load all three kids in the car, drag them through the store, and then load them and my food back in the car.

There has to be an easier solution to shopping for groceries.

Is it too much to ask to grocery shop in my slippers, with a coffee in one hand and just have my groceries brought right into my kitchen for me?

I just found a way to make it happen and my life just got a whole lot better.

One Simple Trick to Save Time and Money

I seriously just grocery shopped in my pajamas.

No winter coats needed. No need to walk down every aisle searching for what I’m looking for while pushing a cart that doesn’t work. No forcing the kids to come with me and be on their best behavior while crossing my fingers for no meltdowns.

I got exactly what I need from Jewel-Osco from the comfort of my home.

And these groceries will be delivered to me today, right to my kitchen. This is a game changer.

Ordering Groceries Online the Easy Way

How many times have you gotten to the grocery store and then wondered if you were out of milk?

I just walked to my fridge and gave my milk jug a little shake. Time to order more milk.

How many times have you desperately tried to remember the ingredients in the dish you want to make?

I grabbed my recipe, read off the ingredients, and popped them into my cart.

How many times have you wondered if you’re on your last bottle of red wine?

Who am I kidding?… I keep that cabinet fully stocked at all times.

To make the online order process even easier, Jewel-Osco’s website is so simple to use. Once you’ve created an account (which took me less than a minute) and placed your first order, you can use their “Shop by History” feature to click on items you purchase weekly to shop even faster.

Need something specific? Type it into their search bar. Every size and flavor will pop up as an option.

And if you want to be even more organized with entering items into their online search, you can use this free shopping list printable! (just click the big download button right below this!)

Not sure exactly what items you need? You can “Shop by Aisle” and peruse every brand of applesauce pouches Jewel-Osco carries.

Shopping on a tight budget? The cart keeps a running total so you know exactly how much you’re spending before you pay. Jewel-Osco’s website includes the price, the price per ounce, and any Red Alert Sales for each item you click on.

Concerned about ingredients or sugar content or food allergens? All you have to do is click on the “More Information” button next to the item and the nutrition facts and ingredient list pops up.

Are you picky about your bananas and avocados and expiration dates?

Yeah, me too. I just clicked on “Request to Your Personal Shopper” and wrote a note that I wanted greenish bananas, an unripe avocado, and the latest expiration date on the milk they could find.

Home Delivery Changed My Life (And My Budget!!)

I had never entertained the idea of ordering my groceries online. I work from home. I can stop working whenever and pop over to the grocery store. Before that, I was a stay at home mom. I could just swing by the store after a visit to the park.

But you guys. I didn’t have to stop what I was doing to go to the store. I didn’t have to drag my kids and wrestle them into the cart.

After placing my online order, I picked when I wanted my groceries delivered. Done. Jewel-Osco offers Same Day Delivery, seven days a week and you can pick a one hour window that’s convenient for you.

Here’s what you need to know. Place your online order before 1:00 pm for same day delivery:

Order before 3:00am for delivery between 7:00am-10:00am
Order before 5:00am for delivery between 11:00am-4:00pm
Order before 1:00 pm for delivery between 5:00pm-10:00pm

When Mike and the Jewel-Osco delivery truck pulled up, he had my freezer foods in his frozen compartment and my refrigerated items and veggies in the refrigerated compartment.

Mike then carried my groceries into my kitchen for me.

Are you kidding me? Some days I can’t get that level of service from my husband or kids!

I stayed in my slippers, sipping more coffee. Literally, all I had to do was put the groceries away before my chocolate ice cream melted.

I didn’t just save time, I saved money.

This delivery service actually saves me cash. The money I save on impulse items I often buy wandering the aisles (like the dark chocolate squares that I never knew I desperately needed and the new flavor of yogurt I just have to try) will more than pay for the small delivery fee.

If you choose a 1-hour delivery window, the delivery price is between $5.95 and $7.95
If you choose a 2-hour delivery window, the delivery price is between $2.95 and $4.95
If you choose a 4-hour delivery window, it’s typically FREE!

Plus, for your first order, you can typically get FREE delivery on your $30 or more order with the promo code FREE (valid until 2/28/18).

Or, you can get $25 off your first $100 or more order plus typically FREE delivery with the promo code JEWEL (valid until 2/28/18), which is what I did. I saved 25% of my groceries, I checked something off my to-do list, and I didn’t have to get dressed. That’s a triple win in my book.