Three days a week, all three kids have school. The little kids have school for three hours, while Harlan is in school all day. I treat those three hours in the morning like gold. While I should be sitting in a quiet place and getting work done, I usually take that time to run every single errand that I can possibly get done so that I can do them child-free. I never truly appreciated how quickly I could get things on my own until I became a parent and added kids to the equation of grocery shopping, picking up dry-cleaning, or even a “quick” trip to grab some milk. When kids are involved, it takes you double (or sometimes triple) the amount of time that it would take you on your own. Guaranteed.
On the days that I do have a child with me and I need to run an errand, I usually try to strategically plan it so that I only have to go to one place to get everything I need. That way it reduces the amount of places that Macks can throw a tantrum. I know that time is not on my side when I am shopping with him, so I need to get in and get out as quickly as possible. With him still very much a toddler, he’s still unpredictable nearly 95% of the time, which makes 95% of the things that I do very difficult. He’s still in need of a lot of my attention and sometimes that means that I have less time to focus on the things I need to get done, so I can concentrate on the things he needs me for.
Because Macks is still a toddler, I’m still hitting the baby aisle every trip to the grocery store, regardless of if he’s shopping with me or not. Whether it’s diapers or snacks, I can’t make a trip to the store without making a stop in that aisle. That’s why I’m so happy that ALDI recently launched their Little Journey line. Little Journey is ALDI’s line of baby essentials that includes everything from diapers, wipes, formula, organic food and snacks. And best of all, every Little Journey product is tested to meet high quality standards, while still costing up to half less than name brands. With three kids, that helps tremendously.
ALDI sent us a few of their Little Journey products for the kids to enjoy. I came home late one night after the box of snacks was delivered and MacKay must not have known what the box was for (or that I needed to photograph some before I let the kids dig in) because nearly all of the snacks were gone. Their organic pouches (made with pure fruits and vegetables) were left empty on the counter, the yogurt bites (which are their fav and made with real fruit and yogurt) were gone, and the container of puffs was left open and half empty. Is that an official seal of approval from the kids? I’m going to take that as a yes. The girls have already asked for me to buy more Yogurt Bites so that I can put them in their snack bags for school.
The Little Journey line really does have anything and everything that a parent needs for their little one. And I’m happy to say that they are all high-quality products that I can easily incorporate into our daily routine.
As much as I do savor my trips to the grocery store on my own to avoid the toddler tantrums, the reality is our journey through the toddler years will soon be over. I know that soon I won’t have to make a trip down that baby aisle to stock up. So that’s why, even with the tantrums in the middle of the store, or having to make an unexpected diaper change in the front seat of my car, I have to remind myself that these moments won’t last forever. Because sometimes it’s when it’s over that you realize how little the journey really is.
All photos taken by Ana of AnaPhoto.
