Making a list and checking it twice--- what the heck is in this???

Well, ladies and germs, it is I, returned from an extended trip to the great outdoors, aka the boonies...ever greatful for the fact that the great indoors has electricity and an abscense of dirt and bugs. And don't get me wrong, I love to fish, but fishing looses its appeal when watching preschoolers, baking in the sun and dealing with those oh-so fun touristy types and then traffic.

Anyway, I am dreading my Monday grocery trip. Every Monday, I pull out coupons and make my shopping list, trying to get everything that we will need for the week. In the last few weeks I am coming across the dilemma of getting what is healthy and affordable. It seems like all the things that are worst for you are the cheapest! White bread is about a dollar, while wheat breads start at 1.39. Enriched pasta starts at about a dollar, whole grain is $2.40. Regular milk is $2.38, while organic is $4.99. Lunch meat that is full of gelatin and fillers starts at $2.40-- deli meat is 6.99 a pound and up. Fruits and vegetables fresh are astronomical, even when buying "in season" items, I still spend at least $20-$30 every week. But it is necessary--- you put garbage in, you get garbage out. Reading some of these labels is giving me nightmares--- turn over a container of anything you eat that is "processed." You can't pronounce most of that stuff, much less know what it is! Or you have something that is advertised as having chicken in it, but chicken is like the tenth ingredient on the list.

There has got to be a better way! Or at least a happy medium between quality and expense.

I am thinking about looking up some co-op's in the area and seeing what they have to offer.

I also about killed myself on the stairs yesterday. I'm marching up and down a couple sets every day to build my endurance up slowly, and OMG! I got a toddler underfoot unexpectedly and we both wiped out! Getting healthy is dangerous. and to think I am actually toying with the idea of asking Santa for some rollerblades this year (Jennifer, that's the nice thing about Texas---sometimes we get 80 degree weather in the dead of winter, lol) to help with the cardio, but if I can't make it up and down my own stairs without incident, I am terrified to think what would happen when we throw WHEELS into the picture, and ask me to obtain a little balance and coordination to boot. YOWZA! Maybe a bicycle......