A Better Bag of Groceries

It’s the Most Stressful Time of the Year!

Monday, November 30, 2009 at 06:45 AM

Every time I hear Andy Williams’ famous tune, I just have to chuckle.  Even the opening bars of the song seem to peak in this high-pitched frenzy of activity. 

“There’ll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow

With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you ‘Be of good cheer’”

Ugh! Here it comes – 4 weeks of craziness.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love Christmas.  I do.  And I hate Christmas.  I think there was one weekend last year during which I ran (literally) between about 7 different events.  And I’ve heard those people who say that you should look at your holiday shopping and/or activity list and cut it in half.  And I ignore them.  And instead, every year I rush, rush, rush and breathe a deep sigh of relief on December 26th.  And most moms (and women who are not moms) that I talk to seem to feel the same way. 

I admit – I’m a bit of an overachiever when it comes to the Holidays.  And my activities which classify me as an overachiever have evolved since having kids.  Pre-kids, I baked a lot of cookies.  I mean, a lot.  I think I made like 12 different kinds.  Now, I go to a couple of cookie swaps bringing the quickest kind of cookies I could make and spend another afternoon with the kids making traditional sugar cookie cutouts.  Pre-kids, my husband and I went to more holiday parties.  Now, there are only about 2 or 3 grown-up events that we attend (one is the aforementioned cookie swap – which is really a party), and instead we do a lot of family activities.  But in order to be able to go to the ballet, the church activities, the Boston Pops, or the Festival of Lights, you have to have all the other stuff done.  And that’s why I get stressed out. 

Back when I worked for Big Supermarket Company, I spent a day with Mr. Meat Expert.  Mr. Meat Expert had been in the business for a million years and he knew everything there was to know about the meat departments in Big Supermarket Company.  So, as we chatted while riding from store to store, he asked me an interesting question.  “Melissa, do you know what the biggest week is for hot dog sales?”  I replied, “I don’t know – Fourth of July? Memorial Day?”  Mr. Meat Expert replied, “No, it’s Christmas.  We’re not quite sure why.”  I was incredulous.  It made so much sense to me!  I was not yet a mother, but I was well in tune to what the holidays do to all of our stress levels.  Hot dogs are a quick meal that kids will eat.  Of course sales are through the roof at the holidays.

Personally, I do not like hot dogs.  But my kids love them.  And we always have a package in the house.  We buy Hebrew National 97% Fat Free Beef Franks.  Unfortulately, they do not yet have a NuVal score.  The regular Hebrew National Beef Franks so have a score and it is a 9.  One thing I’ve learned at NuVal is not to assume that a reduced fat version or fat-free version of the same product will have a better score.  It doesn’t always happen.  When they take the fat out, they usually have to put other stuff in to make it taste good.

I did a little research on hot dogs and here is what I found:

Kayen Beef & Pork Frank: 7 (remember 100 is highest)

Oscar Mayer Beef Frank: 9

Ball Park Beef Frank: 8

A much better option would be to switch to Turkey Hot Dogs.  I mentioned this today and my son thought that sounded very interesting!  I guess he still has turkey on the brain.

Applegate Farms Turkey Hot Dog: 25

Oscar Mayer Turkey & Beef Wiener: 24

Ball Park Turkey Frank: 24

And if you really want to improve your score, there’s always tofu!

Lightlife Tofu Pups: 53

When my son was small, I bought those.  I wish I hadn’t stopped!

I don’t know that I’m qualified to give any tips on how to reduce your holiday stress.  But here goes anyway!

• Stick to your exercise routine – no matter what!  OK, if you are out late at a party, you can sleep in – once.  Other than that, shopping is not an excuse.  Shop online.
• Set some intermediate goals.  I try to get almost all of my shopping done (gift cards excluded) before the end of Thanksgiving weekend.  I get my kids Christmas Card picture taken mid-November. 
• If you have a husband/wife/significant other, sit that person down and show him/her the calendar.  I did this with my husband this weekend.  We were just about to head into the grocery store with the kids and I asked him to turn off the car, look at me and hear me tell him what we had on our plate for the next seven days.  Then, I had to pick his jaw up off the floor.   Truly, he used to give me a hard time when I demanded that we go get our tree on December 5th because we absolutely had no other day that we were going to be able to do it.  After 12 years of marriage, he knows now what December brings and he gets it.  While I captain the ship when it comes to Christmas, he’s right in there helping me with cards, shopping, wrapping, decorating and gift-card buying.
• Make dinners healthy but as easy as possible.  I am all stocked up on Dream Dinners and I also make some easy favorites that go a long way.  Some good recipes are a ‘comin on this blog!
• Listen to good music.  Find the holiday music that speaks to you and crank it in the car while you commute or on your Ipod while you run.  For comic relief, I turn to Straight No Chaser.  For a good spiritual moment, I love Sarah McLachlan’s Wintersong and James Taylor’s At Christmas.
• Make memories and savor them.  I don’t know how many of us are really “caroling out in the snow” as Andy Williams suggests.  But find what means the most to you and make the time to do it.

Question of the Day?

There are 2 really.

1. What is your holiday dinner time strategy?  What do you do that’s quick and easy?
2. What do you do to reduce your holiday stress?

I can’t wait to see what you’ve got to say.  Here’s to a healthy and sane holiday season for all of us.

Posted by: Melissa 6 comments

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