Photo by Abjbrewer

Costco has announced that it will begin accepting food stamps at its warehouse clubs nationwide. This is a surprising move for the wholesale corporation given that, until very recently, the company doubted that consumers would actually opt to use them in the stores.

I bought reusable totes to carry my groceries  home (instead of one-time-use plastic bags). But I end up using them for so many other things as well: bringing food and wine to a friend's party; transporting the dog's toys and treats on a long car trip; even carrying my gym clothes. The reusuable totes are not only eco-friendly—they're multi-purpose, too.

Right now on CafeMom, you can enter to win a cute Sage Green Reusuable Tote Bag.

To enter to win, tell us...

If you won this tote, what would you put in it?

I'm putting my weekly grocery list together as I speak (write?) so I'll be the first to answer this question that was posted recently in the Kids, Fun & Photos group:

What has to be in your grocery cart every week?

Fage Greek Yogurt, 25% milk, with honey. My mandatory breakfast-to-lunchtime bridge snack.

One mom who agrees with me calls the stuff "freaking addicting."

I found it interesting to take a peek at what other moms put in their shopping bags each trip:

Photo by Cafe Kim

I came across this lovely white eggplant at the farmers market this week and just had to buy it—have you ever seen such a thing?

A CafeMom relayed a scenario she observed in Walmart the other day -- a mom of several kids ages toddler to teen was letting her 15-month old hang from the axil of the front of the cart while she pushed it and the other kids. The child appeared to be dragged, though he may have just been playing.

Either way, it seemed like an unsafe thing to do. The Newcomer's Club post turned into a discussion of whether this constituted child abuse and should be reported. But it made me think of all the infractions and unsafe practices of my own.

Things I've let slide during my trips to the grocery store:

• A kid hanging off the back of the cart.

Photo by peajewel

In the plus column for buying groceries online, you can put:

convenience

time-saver

efficiency

In the negative column, you can put:

delivery fee

higher costs on some items

letting someone else select your fruits, veggies, meats

Here's one CafeMoms take on online grocery shopping:

"I used Peapod by Stop & Shop for a while," says DandEMom tells the Thirtysomething Moms group. "I loved the convenience, and once the initial order was set up on line, it was really quick to 'shop.' They literally bring the bags into your home and put them on the counter. Everything was frozen, fresh, as it would be if you shopped the store.

When my kids were babies and there was so much to carry to and from the store, I always looked for the parking spot closest to the entrance. But I hated it when an incoming shopper would stalk me, park, and put their blinker on to claim my space.

They'd often stare holes into me while I unloaded the bags of groceries and strapped in the baby as if to say I'm taking way too long.

Most of these people were older or obviously childless, because they had no idea how many extra minutes loading up kids as well as groceries takes.

It became so annoying that now I do what AMsMommy212 does -- I try for the spot nearest to the cart return. Or, when I'm with my older son, I'll park way in the back and enjoy the little walk.

"I will scan the lot for a good spot, but near the cart return in my favorite so I don't have to carry my son very far," says AMsMommy212, mom of a 16 month old boy. "I'm not one to drive up and down the rows for five minutes. I just park and walk."

Wald Bike and Bag Combo; $50

Congratulations to both our winners -- Cassarah and godsgirl26 are riding away with a great basket.

This is my dream: I'm riding my gleaming red Schwinn Beach Cruiser Bike on a dirt road in Nantucket, passed hedges of blue hydrangeas and pink roses.

After waking up at 10 a.m. and reading the paper over a mushroom omelet in bed, I decided to pedal on over to the fish market to pick up some clams, oysters, hot dogs, corn, and Lobster for the New England clambake we're having tonight. Hey, when you own a beach house, you gotta go all out.

I'm going to pack it all in my Wald Bike Basket and Bag ($50), which is nicely insulated so the fish will stay cool while I stop for a cappucino on my way home.

I took a mouthwatering tour this morning on forbestraveler.com of America's Best Ice Creams, and left craving a beglian chocolate scoop from Toscanini's in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The New York Times calls it the "best ice cream in the world."

Oh, my. But I don't live anywhere near there, and I'm sure I couldn't afford it. Going out for ice cream isn't what it used to be. On the rare occassion we visit our local parlor, I usually end up paying more than $10 for the four of us.

Breyers Chocolate and Vanilla, here we come!

Photo by LelandsMommy

I shop at Key Food for my meat and fish, Stop N Shop for my produce, cereal and milk (they have the best sales), Whole Foods for certain specialty organic meats, and Trader Joe's for frozen prepared meals.

That's driving, shopping and bagging at FOUR different grocery stores. Not very efficient, I know, but I'm funny about my food purchases and preferences. Some grocery stores are good for certain things, but not others.

I read somewhere that the average person visits the grocery store more than twice a week, and I wonder if a lot of that is for the reason above ...