Beanmobile In Aisle 10
Clara got her first ride behind the wheel of one of those grocery store “race-carts” the other day. You know, those big shopping carts with a special kids-mobile on the front of it? This one in particular even happened to be named after our bean:
We’d avoided them so far – both because Clara didn’t seem interested and because I try to hang onto whatever shred of dignity comes with not pushing around a giant blue plastic grocery cart. But that day Clara saw another kid getting into one and I realized it’s no more embarrassing to push that around than to have a fussy toddler in the front of your cart.
I’m glad I swallowed my pride, since it kept Clara very happy for the entire trip. Though I did look down at one point to notice this:
I must’ve wheeled too close to a produce display at some point and Clara seized the opportunity to grab some cucumbers from the nearby shelf. I guess that’s the downside to the Beanmobile. Covert vegetable hoarding.
At least they’re a pretty harmless (and inexpensive) treat to add to the shopping list.
PS: I used one of Pioneer Woman’s Photoshop filters (one called “Seventies“) to help disguise the ugly iPhone-ness of these pictures.
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really, she is so darn cute and so darn pretty.
I love Ree’s photoshop actions! I use them on all our fancy photos! Also…I laughed so hard about the cucumbers!
So cute!
Do you do most of the shopping, John, since you are head chef in the house? I know Sherry is big on the coupons, so perhaps you tag team it?
We usually all go together or John runs out with Clara on his own if I’m in the blog trenches with something (like answering a ton of comment questions on an unexpectedly question inducing post, haha) but I send him with coupons in hand!
xo,
s
It’s so cute how y’all apologize for the iPhone photos, it’s fine! Honestly, I’m so low brow I can’t really tell too much of a difference.. d’oh.
Ooh! I finally broke down and used one at Loews. Kept both my 3 and 1 year olds occupied but it was so hard to turn lol
I had a cousin that was notorious for stealing shoes off displays in the mall and hiding them in her stroller. My Aunt sometimes had to do a second lap around to mall to return them all and apologize.
She grew up to be quite the fashionista living in NYC.
Maybe Clara will grow up to be a famous chef with her interest in groceries and that adorable little kitchen you built her!
That’s hilarious! I would love having a chef for a daughter! Yum.
xo,
s
hahaha that is too cute! we just started doing the same thing with our 16 month old!
That just completely cracked me up- thanks for sharing :)
Turning corners in those things is a killer, isn’t it? Our 2.5 year old is constantly chucking random goodies in the cart that we don’t discover until check out. Hey, but if it keeps them happy in a store, I’m all for it! Cute pics.
OOh man, we got sucked into using those a long time ago. They have since been banned because my kids can never seem to keep their butt in them. We now will let them push those mini carts, which is even more stress inducing as they have quite the tendency to crash into people and glass filled shelves.
The pics are adorable btw! I take all my photos through the Camera Awesome app, it is stellar at turning bad photos into pretty good photos. LOL…that seemed like a back handed compliment, but really, I love the app.
you should use instagram- its an amzing app for the iphone. i think the iphone camera is not half bad anyway but instagram is addictive once u get it!
I think have it on my phone and always forget to use it!
xo,
s
Bahaha. I took a sip of my tea just as your post came up in my reader. The title alone had me laughing so hard I almost spewed tea all of my monitor. The Bean has me so excited to have kids some day.
I love cucumbers, too Clara.
Have you guys tried Instagram or Vintage Cam?They also have a Photoshop app for iPhones too!
I have instagram on my phone I just never remember to use it! Next time!
xo,
s
Haha, cute. Things like this make me wish I was 2 years old again!
Oh John, you shouldn’t be embarrassed to drive the cart around. Honestly, most people will be too spell-bound by the cutie in the blue car to notice you! And how great is that, that she reached for the veggies? I think most kids would grab candy or chocolate. Haha.
that last photo is priceless! delicious, tasty cucumbers!
I LOVE the photo of Clara with the cucumbers. That is hilarious!
HAHA! so funny!!
She’s getting more and more hair! She is just so adorable.
That first picture of her with the cucumbers is hilarious!!
Ha! I JUST posted about this too! I was totally embarrassed, but realized a happy baby is much better than a screaming toddler.
Oh the joys of parenthood!
http://www.thegreenmother.com/2012/03/10-bits-and-pieces.html
HA sneaky clara! Glad it kept her happy so you could get your shopping done.
I once wheeled too close to the baby food and my 20 month old took a sweeping arm to all the food. :( Mommy was not happy. Also, I LOVE PW actions and that Seventies one is a go-to for me along with Boost. :)
Oh man, I can just picture that sweeping arm. So sorry!
xo,
s
Clara always brightens my day! Not having a great one, and your little doll put such a smile on my face. Thanks for keeping it real!
Our kids call them “fun carts”. We always go to the grocery store that offers the kids a free cookie from the bakery. That AND getting to ride/drive the fun cart makes for children’s smiles as wide as a watermelon. I love it. :)
Haha. Love that she’s licking her lips in that last shot. Looks like she’s about to chow down.
She is getting quite the little head of hair on her! I dread the day I have to push one of those around too! At least the kids love it.
Ya, there’s lots of things I said I’d never do in the grocery store before I had kids :)
I remember saying I would NEVER open boxes and feed my kids snacks while shopping..hahahha
I was very self righteous before kids. Hopefully I have improved!
(I also said we would never buy a van—but they are awesome when you have 3 kids!)
When I was little I used to go to the hardware store with my dad a lot and I would pick out nails, doorknobs, hammers, basically anything I could get my little hands on. My dad would constantly find stuff I had pilfered in my pockets when we got home. I was a little 3 year old kleptomaniac.
No way! I tried to steal a teddy bear when I was a toddler and my mom marched me back into the store to give it back. I was so bummed I couldn’t keep him!
xo,
s
Does the Trader Joe’s in Richmond have kiddie carts? I’m a crew member at the Wilmington, DE, store, and we’ve had them for about two years. I’ve seen you mention TJs from time to time and wondered if Clara has been able to take a mini-cart for a spin! ;o)
I’m not sure. I don’t remember seeing them there but I’ll have to look closer next time we’re there!
xo,
s
Do all Trader Joe’s have ‘find the purple monkey’ in them? In Glen Ellyn IL the team members move it around every day and all the kids who find it get a lollipop. I find myself looking for it all the time!
That’s so cute! Never heard of it!
xo,
s
I’m in Broomall, PA and our Trader Joe’s has the ‘find the purple monkey’. My kids LOVE it! But it’s no fun when other kids hide it in a really hard location :(
I’m sure you wiped it down with a sanitizer wipe first right?
Actually forgot to, but it’s not a bad idea. Haha.
xo,
s
Seriously snorted at that second picture! What a goof ball!!
Hahahaha, the cucumbers actually made me laugh out loud. That is pretty funny stuff.
haha Cute! There is probably no going back now though! We have car carts at the Publix’s down here in FL and I have had to leave the store twice before due to the cart situation… basically because there is one type down here that I am completely unable to maneuver around the store without knocking things over!
I have used those too with my daughter! It keeps her quiet. What is not so fun is trying to turn corners and move around a crowded store. My daughter loves it though and like I said it keeps her entertained! :)
Love this. We are usually stuck with the giant race car cart at Lowe’s. It never fails…US + GIANT CART = EVERYONE ELSE IN THE STORE SHOPPING FOR THE SAME THING!!!
We gave in to the car carts too. Our 2 1/2 year old LOVES it. Give him a snack and he’ll “drive” us through the whole store! Happy kids in difficult to maneuver car carts are much better than wiggly kids in the front of the regular cart!
PS…That last picture….the cutest shopper of all time. (And PW’s 70s filter rocks!! It has *saved* many photos for me!)
That’s too cute! At least this way she doesn’t have her own mini-grocery cart and is slowing down the shopping since it is too hard to push around the entire store!
Have you tried any iPhone apps for photos? Instagram is a simple one with filters and is FREE!
Oh yes we hear it’s awesome but always forget to use it!
xo,
s
I refuse to use them because they’re too bulky and awkward to push around. And there’s no reason my daughter can’t behave without one (though I don’t judge those who do use them). I won’t do it even once, because I do NOT want to even start it!
she’s sneaky . . good thing she’s adorable enough to get away with it! :)
So cute! I love that she snitched vegetables. :)
My son always wants to use these carts at Kroger as well, but the problem is that he knows how to click and unclick the seatbelt & doesn’t seem to have a problem w/ diving out of a movie vehicle, so often times I’ll be pushing my cart along an aisle only to look back a few minutes later & realized my child has ditched the car half an aisle back. Sigh. Also yes, we do end up w/ lots of low-lying shelf items in our cart. God forbid we go near an aisle w/ candy on display at his reach, then it’s all over with
Oh man, I shouldn’t laugh but the idea of him diving out is hilarious.
xo,
s
Oh, also I should add that my son does not tolerate me stopping the cart/car at any time to you know, actually GROCERY SHOP. He’ll just honk the little horn (though thankfully it doesn’t make any noise) & tell me “Mama GO!!!!! Mooooovve!” Kids, ya gotta love ‘em
Hahaha, so funny.
xo,
s
I wonder if Clara thought the cukes were giant pickles… if so, I’m sure Sherry would be proud!
Hahah, total possibility!
xo,
s
That is one adorable Cucumber Bandit!
She is just too cute- and what a healthy item to grab :)
My daughter loves those things but when I look at them all I see is a petrey (sp?) dish. I carry some waipes now so I can scrub it down before she goes in. I saw a kid licking the steering wheel of the car cart once. I almost hurled in the canned goods aisle.
BTW – I think cucumber hoarding is a show on TLC.
Ahahaha – cracking up a the TLC comment!
-John
OMG! Love the video of Clara singing Happy Birthday! Adorable! There’s nothing better than the sound of a happy kid!
These ‘car carts’ (as Isabel shouts as we drive past any grocery store) save my sanity on a regular basis. Although ours have the car part up where the normal kid seat would be so it’s easier to keep an eye on her swiping bags of chips while I turn my back to grab salad dressing.