Costco Purchases

Part of the strategy for tackling so many womanly responsibilities at the same time involves thinking ahead and thinking in large quantities (I’ll explain in a bit).

If I’m going to work an 8-hour shift, spend time with my son to play, bathe, feed and read, take an hour to go to the gym, eat a healthy meal, prepare lunches for the next day, write a blog post and spend quiet time with Paul, well, by logic, something’s gotta give!

A sweet moment with Benny when he was 3 months

In my case, I’ve had to give up my beloved eight hours of sleep, I don't bother trying to keep the house clean every day; I no longer have phone conversations at home with friends and relatives, and I had to quit my amazing Crossfit Gym in Monrovia to join the UFC Gym in Rosemead  (which is pretty amazing too AND it offers child care services for up to two hours!!). I’ve also started working from home once a week, I've put my interior décor of the living room on hold and I make a weekly meal plan and stick to it. I no longer have time to prepare nice and time consuming home cooked meals (like Paul's favorite onion, blue cheese and sausage stuffed pasta!) I cannot get my regular mani-pedis or keep eyebrow threading and waxing appointments (but in a later post, I'll share how I've managed to still get these things done).

As far as thinking in large quantities, what I mean by that is: Costco. That is where I like to shop for healthy foods that make quick, tasty dinners as well as snacks that keep me going through the day. Since most things are sold in wholesale quantities, it’s not cheap but the good thing about Costco is that they offer coupons and if you have an Executive membership, you get a check at the end of your membership contract for an amount that equals 2% of the total purchases made throughout the year (for me, that was $21.00 last year, which isn't much but it covers at least our supply of vitamins). 

My picks for the month of August (new items I bought and loved):

*Microvawe ready Quinoa Bowls. Did you know Quinoa is considered the “supergrain of the future?” It’s one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat, containing all nine essential amino acids.

*Angie’s Delightfully Different Kettle Corn. They’re individually packaged popcorn bags with no high-fructose corn syrup, no trans fat, no cholesterol and only a handful of simple ingredients

*Stretch Island Fruit Co. All Natural Fruit Strips. There’s nearly 50 bars in the box and only 45 calories per fruit strip; they’re delicious and a great way to stop that sweet tooth anxiety.

*Caramelized Onion Chicken Burgers. They’re delicious and placed on top of a bed of salad, and next to a bowl of quinoa, make for a perfect dinner meal prepared within minutes. Best of all, they're fully cooked and microwaveable!

It probably won’t be another few weeks before our next trip to Costco but for now, these little treats are surely making me smile (yum!).