Stocking Up On Ten Important Items

Times are crazy. We all know this. We’re all scrambling. Scrambling to get our finances, our homes, our children’s activities, our routines, and our pantries in order. If there was any time to organize our minds and homes, it’s now. Since, I have a little extra free time hanging around the house, I’m hoping to offer you a lot more content that focuses on my strong suits. Routines for stay-at-home-momming (I’m a professional after all, lol), activities to entertain your kiddos, and of course, what the heck to do in the kitchen. While I work on some simple recipes for you to put together with items already in your cabinets, here is a list of the top ten items I stocked up on for my home.

1-Butter

Butter was a big one for me. Salted and unsalted. It is a foundation block for baking and cooking, offering a way to make morale-boosting (occasional) cakes, macaroni & cheese, sauces, soups, breads, waffles, special veggie dishes–I could really go on and on about the uses for butter. Be mindful that it is a saturated fat, so you could consider more healthy alternatives. Remember, coconut oil and butter is also high in saturated fat, so look to certain oils, instead, if you’re not on a specific culinary journey.

2-Diapers/Wipes

My toddler is potty trained and the baby is on breastmilk, so the only baby products I really needed to stock up on were diapers and wipes. Her comfort is key, so her usual, well-fitting Honest diapers and Hello Bello wipes were important for me to have on hand.

3-Laundry Detergent

We didn’t go crazy on paper goods, but I definitely stocked up on soap. Most specifically, laundry detergent. We’re using this time to reduce our paper usage as a household. Where I used to grab a paper towel, I opt for a hand towel instead. It’s a way to conserve now, and a long-term attitude to adopt that will benefit the environment overall. And, worst case, if we run out of toilet paper, we have laundry detergent to wash cloths!!!

4-Meat

Meat is another big one for us to make sure our diets are varied, and to give me the tools to make a variety of dishes. I have a few packages of ground beef, ground turkey, chicken breasts, and salmon in the refrigerator and the freezer. It’s great to serve up plain for the baby, or to use to make quesadillas, soups, burgers–so many options that I will bring to you in the coming days.

5-Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

I always opt for frozen over canned fruits and veggies, due to nutritional concerns and botulism fears, but do have some canned goods in my back-of-the-closet emergency supply. The supply we’re drawing from now, during social distancing, is all frozen. Frozen fruits are amazing to add to yogurt and oatmeal, perfect for adults, babies, and toddlers. You can make jams, add to cakes, frostings–again, stay tuned. When you have a ten-month-old baby and a toddler, frozen organic veggies will be perfect to stir into grains, puree, serve plain, or act as a finger food. Keeping a varied diet is so, so important!

6-Yogurt

We consume A LOT of yogurt in our house. It’s great for my growing girls, and I’ve been known to love a nut butter yogurt bowl or two! It’s also a healthier alternative to sour cream for quesadillas that are often served in our household.

7-Milk

Milk is important for my growing toddler, and also another one of those foundation ingredients for most baked goods and a ton of meals. Be careful with delivery services, as their goods often expire sooner than what you might find yourself at the grocery store, so do not buy too much from a service at one time!

8-Nut Butters

We consume nut butters in my household every single day. Peanut, almond, and cashew butters are our favorites, and they are stirred into oatmeal and yogurt for high-protein meals for the girls, spread on toast, and used in an assortment of sweet and savory recipes. Bonus: They have a long shelf life.

9-Bananas

Bananas are a great fruit to stock up on because they transfer really nicely from fresh to frozen. Once they’re on their last legs, I peel and freeze, for a huge supply for (of course) banana bread, or as a nutritional boost to, again, yogurts, oatmeals, or other baked goods.

10-Cheese

Another staple in our household. Mexican nights will continue. Pastas will still be mouth-watering. The girls will still have one of their beloved snacks. Salads will be enhanced. Wine will be complimented. Give me all the cheese.

So, there you have it. My top ten. A couple other tips. While not a necessity, coffee keeps us going. If your grocery store is out, while you still can, head to a local coffee shop. We scooped up some packages of beans at our local beloved cafe, Birch Coffee. Also, look closely at delivery time slots. Peapod looked as if they were two weeks out, but I carefully combed through each day of slots and found a lone available one for this Monday. It doesn’t hurt to check back. People might cancel their slots, or delivery services may have more supplies or staff and release more. Be on top of it, and good luck!!

Also, check out my past post “In Case of an Emergency…”

Looking for additional information and perspectives? Visit these articles from some other NYC mamas:

“Staying Positive During Uncertain Times” – Wander & Luxe

“5 Things to Do to Put You On the Brighter Side of Covid-19 & Being Quarantined” – Twindollicious

“How to Stay Sane During the Corona Virus Lockdown” – Stylishly Stella

“Stay At Home Survival Guide” – The New York Stylist

“What to Stock for a Corona Virus Lockdown or Supply Chain Interruption, Including for Kids” – The Very Best Baby Stuff