Yesterday was the longest day of the year. I mean that literally because it was the summer solstice. And we celebrated by going to the grocery store and, also, Walgreens.
I know.
It’s almost too much.
And since there is clearly so much going on here with the trip to both Walgreens and HEB, I thought I’d just share a few things of interest and/or things I love right now.
1. SHIPT
Um. Grocery delivery? YES PLEASE.
I first heard about Shipt from Sophie and I was beyond envious of the concept of having groceries delivered to your door. And then, the heavens smiled and Shipt is now available in San Antonio.
You can click over to Shipt for more information and to see if it’s available in your area, but here are a few quick things you may want to know.
1. It’s membership based- $99 for a year-long membership
2. With a membership, there is no delivery fee on any order over $35
3. You can take your Shipt membership on vacation if you vacation in one of their service areas.
4. On average you will pay $5 more from Shipt on a $35 in-store order.
I’ve used it about three or four times already since the end of May and I’m a huge fan. I downloaded the Shipt app on my phone and I keep a running list of things I need until I’m ready to actually place my order. You can set your delivery window and specify what you want your shopper to do with the groceries when they arrive at your house. I personally prefer that they just text me when they arrive and leave the groceries on the front porch, but they will actually come in and put everything on your kitchen counter if that’s your preference.
Best of all, the shoppers do a great job of texting me while they shop if they have a question about an item or if the store is out of something I requested. Plus, they do a great job of choosing the freshest, ripest produce. I’m super picky about my avocados and I felt like that would be a real test because I don’t play around with guacamole. And I was so happy that the avocados were absolutely perfect.
I’ve still gone to the store on my own a couple of times since joining Shipt just because I think there are times that I need to look at everything on the shelves, especially with Caroline being out of school for summer and constantly looking for something to eat. I’ve had to up my snack food game.
But I have loved just getting groceries delivered on a Saturday afternoon instead of fighting all the weekend shopping amateurs and I think it will be a lifesaver when school starts again and life gets busier. And while you pay for the membership, I think I actually end up spending less when I use Shipt because I don’t accidentally throw in six bags of Sour Patch Kids or fourteen different kinds of crackers.
And if you’re a mom of young kids, I can’t even tell you what a game changer this could be. I saw a poor mom at the store today navigating that giant race car cart down the aisles as her kids asked for everything in sight and then declared in the cereal aisle, “I HAVE TO GO POTTY!!!” and I wanted to hand her a Shipt brochure and say, “Ma’am? I’m about to change your life.”
2. The best chocolate cake ever
I saw this recipe on Pinterest last Thursday and made it approximately an hour later because I believe in the science. And also needed to know if this was truly the best chocolate cake ever.
The answer is YES. (I didn’t use espresso powder because I didn’t have it on hand and I needed immediate gratification. I did, however, make a strong cup of coffee and put a couple of teaspoons in the cake batter and also the frosting.)
I saw this recipe in the June Southern Living and saved it because our neighbors have a garden and bring us a ton of tomatoes during the summer. I made these marinated tomatoes yesterday and they are so delicious on their own, but I used them in their recipe for spaghetti with marinated tomatoes and mozzarella for dinner last night and it was so good.
I used rotini pasta instead of spaghetti because it’s what I had. And I sautéed some shrimp in garlic and added that too because it needs to have meat for P to consider it dinner.
4. Modern Mrs. Darcy book lists
Do y’all know about this? Because I feel like everyone knows about this but me. I kept seeing all these great book lists pinned on Pinterest and they all led back to Modern Mrs. Darcy. If you’re looking for a great book to read, I’d suggest starting here. She has a bunch of different lists with various genres represented so there should be something for everyone.
This has become my favorite dress of the summer and, lo, perhaps even the year. I hesitated to buy it because it’s a little pricey, but I have already worn it at least sixteen times. It can be dressed up or down, the fabric is dreamy and doesn’t really wrinkle, and it’s the perfect weight. I bought it in black because I felt like I’d be likely to wear it more, but the red is really pretty, too.
Hope everyone has a great Tuesday.