This week, the middle school our youngest goes to has different days to dress up. One day was "Character Day". Tuesday was "Camo Day". I think most of the kids love this week of school, but this week stresses me out. 
Forget the fact that you have to buy a few things or that you have to dig up that old camo jacket (hoping it will fit), dress up days create drama in our house and at school too. 

Monday the batman knee boots, emblem necklace and arm cuffs our daughter donned weren't "batman enough" in the eyes of a couple. 

Today was "Twin Day". (A gray hair just sprouted as a I typed those words). Someone asked Rylie to be her twin. Unfortunately, things happen sometimes. The girl changed her mind and said she didn't want to be twins anymore (but then ended up being twins with someone else). 

I get it. I really do. I'm sure there was no ill-will, with all girls, there's just a desire to be twins with the girl you're closest to or your favorite friend.  It's no travesty. 

 Never fear, Rylie asked another girl to be her twin and brought the twin items to school today for the other girl. The other girl wasn't able to make it to school. Rylie was a blue-haired "Thing 1" without a "Thing 2". As expected, she was a little discouraged. 

So I gave her golden words of wisdom that will forever positively influence the way she sees herself and others. 

(Well...I wish I'd done that). 

I told her some psychological mumbo jumbo that 

1. Didn't make her feel any better
2. She probably didn't even listen to
3. That (if taken to heart ) would make her think of herself as better than others. 

Here's what I told her. 

It was fitting that you didn't have a twin today. You're unique. You're extraordinary. No one could ever be like you

Those were flowery words and I partly meant them. The problem is my words weren't well thought out. 

If I'd really thought about it first I would have told her something entirely different. 

What we should really tell our daughters

• Life can be hard. People will intentionally and unintentionally do things that crush us sometimes. No one is exempt from difficulty. 
• You, yourself  (at the least unintentionally) will make someone's day difficult somewhere down the line. Be forgiving now, just as you'll want to be forgiven.
• I hate that you're hurt, but I understand that your hurt.  
• Know that people will make you feel a certain way, but don't let them influence the way you behave and certainly don't let them impact the way you feel about yourself. 
• You are uniquely special, just like everybody else. 
• This too shall pass.

My life just got sweeter. 
I'm not talking about those Granny Smith's I just brought in from the car. Nope. I finally tried the Walmart Grocery app. I'm telling you, it's a life changer. 

I despise grocery shopping. I've mentioned this before. We can be in dire need of food and I'll still put off going. 
Let me say that I LOVE Market Basket. Some of the nicest people to walk the planet work there. Market Basket will always have my business. Sometimes two or more times a week. 

I do, though, try to go to a bigger market once or twice a month. I've shopped at HEB and Walmart. Both frustrate me. I come home too tired to put my groceries up, much less cook.  

Not today. This grocery app not only made grocery shopping a cinch, it's ease left me with enough energy to unload AND put up the groceries. I even had enough enthusiasm leftover to rearrange my pantry shelves. Scouts honor. See? Look. 

Here's what the new grocery app will save me from:

• Impulse buys -I have a terrible problem with seeing things like a jar of maraschino cherries or a can of chipotle sauce thinking that I need them. I don't know when I need them or what I need them for, but I still buy them. There they are on my shelf. While shopping online, you're able to type in the items you're searching for without scrumptious distractions. 

• Ridiculous circling -It doesn't matter if I have a list, I'll still always forget something like hamburger buns when I'm back at the front of the store. I have no method, just madness.  Even when I've tried to compartmentalize my grocery list by sections of the store, I end up zizzing around like a fly with no sense of smell. Can't do it. I've tried. I'd probably get a good workout except that my motion is constantly being halted by the people I talk about in the next bullet. 

• Shoppers who don't follow supermarket traffic rules- I love people. I do not love it when people park their cart in the middle of the aisle while they're studying the mayonnaises. Further, I lose my patience when shoppers park their carts parallel to one another so that no one can get through while they're looking at their list or while they catch up with that friend they haven't seen in six months. Two carts parallel-y parked should be illegal. 

Besides hating grocery shopping, I rather dislike trying new things. I tried to grocery shop online a month ago but my plan was thwarted when Walmart showed that I already had an account with them (probably through the photo place there), but I couldn't remember my password. It took me until yesterday to find the gumption again to try. I created a different account and now my cupboard, my fridge and my heart are all full. 
Here's how you do it:

Download the Walmart Grocery app on your smart phone or mobile device. (Shown above)

Make your grocery list. (Most of you don't need this step listed. I included it for those of you who would get so excited that you would order half the ingredients for twenty meals. It happens with some of us.) 

Click on your app to create an account. You'll give them an email address and create a password. You'll then be asked to type in information like your name, address, and a phone number. You'll choose the Walmart location you choose to use. It will show the closest location according to your address. 

You can start shopping. There will be search bar where you can type in the item you want. You click on the brand name and size that you want. For example: 

After purchasing all of your items online. You will be asked to complete the transaction by giving your credit card information and choosing a time for pickup. When ordering a certain amount of hours ahead of time, your grocery pick up is free. 

You will receive a call from the store when your groceries are ready for pick up. 

Drive to your store. The pickup spots are located on the left side of Walmart when you are facing the store's front. They also have nice orange arrows saying "grocery pickup" that guide you. 

Pull into your spot. Call back the Walmart number that you received your call from. Tell them what grocery pick up spit you're parked in. They'll be out in within minutes with your groceries. They will load them for you. 

I didn't order easy stuff. I was satisfied with my order. I did order four avocados. One was green, but I'll be using that one later this week anyway. So thinking of those kinds of things would be helpful. I also ordered fresh meat and cheese from the deli. They were out of sharp cheddar, but substituted smoked cheddar. I was fine with that. 

You can tell them I sent you by using the promo code here. 

http://r.wmt.co/ex6Zm

You'll save me ten bucks and save your sanity.