Why I Am Planning to Pay More for Groceries.

Just about any time you turn on the TV you will have someone fussing about the economy. It's enough to make you quit watching the news. Like it's not stressful enough to re-budget and be trying to eat healthfully and be paranoid about the effects of all the new frankenfoods....you have to hear about food price increases and the newest concern about corn.

As if I wasn't increasing my food bill enough by trying to go more fresh and natural. (See Sticky Elephants, if you want some of our new favorite recipes!)

I will be paying more for my groceries, but not because food prices are increasing or because I am eating better-for-us-foods. It will be because I will be changing where I am shopping. I know you totally care. But this came as such a shocking realization and if it took me so long to figure it out, I thought I might save someone else a few heart-rate increasing, nausea inducing, sweaty shopping trips.

Elise doesn't grocery shop well. It is stressful for me to realize that I need to go. I have been know to wait until we seriously don't have anything edible in my pantry for supper. Unless we run out of peanut butter. But I managed to side step that a few times...this is a friendly, special needs parent secret, okay? Don't tell anybody. I will call ahead to the pharmacy at CVS and see how busy they are. Then I will beg them to get me random things from their main store part, and ask them to bring it to the drive through. MIND YOU I NEVER COME IF THEY ARE BUSY. But if they say that things are handle-able, I will ask, with the preface "You can totally say 'no'!!", if they will bring me baby wipes or PB or Tylenol. I confess to doing this monthly or every two or so, not weekly! And I always cap it out at 3 items. Never more than that, although, it's usually only one. I only did it at my old CVS for a long time because they all knew me by name, but now I will do it at the CVS near me, too. I always thank them profusely and tell them that they are now my personal hero. Which is NO exaggeration.

Yes, I definitely am digressing as usual. Sorry. Anyway, grocery shopping involves keening and growling and spitting and the angry goose step. Yes, I've tried rewards and consequences. Yes, I've tried my iPod, a Leapster, books.....please don't offer me advice...I've tried it all. I get LOOKS from my fellow shoppers. I am sorry for this (Truly, TRULY sorry!!) if it gets on your nerves, but sometimes I just don't have a choice. I tend to sweat profusely and may keel over with a heart attack from stress one of these days....

Now to the point. Elise doesn't mind Publix as much as Kroger. Or Walmart. Or Ingles. She likes Target and likes Publix to a lesser degree. I used to think it was the toys at Target. But the mind-blowing conclusion of this week is...wait for it... THE LIGHTING. Yes. I'm serious. We know that she has sensory issues in addition to the Downs. She'll walk through crowds with her fingers in her ears chanting "loud.loud.loud." She will wear shoes based on how they feel...food if it crunches "right". Yeah, this list can keep going. But where the lighting and colors are warmer and not florescent, she shops much more happily. She doesn't go straight the keening. Publix has "yellow" lights, so does Target. Neither one uses blue and white. I noticed this for the first time about 3 weeks ago and have kept the "testing" on-going and it hasn't failed me. It has happened at every time of the day, nap or no nap, meds on board or none, morning or evening. The only factor is the lighting or colors or some combination of the two.

Crazy right?

I will keep testing, but I have been shocked at the consistency of this discovery. If you find it to be true with yours, message me or comment, okay? I always love proof that I am not insane.

Thank you for joining me on Science Theater brought to you by Tiffany. Let me know if it works for you!