A few reasons why Ukrops is my new favorite place to shop

For those of you not living in Virginia this store is pronounced (You-crops). When we first moved here we kept driving by all these Ukrops stores saying "what in the world is that store? Is it "Uh-krups" I wonder what it is- what do they sell?" Well we quickly found out it was a grocery store and I must say it's not your average grocery shopping experience, and here are some reasons why:

1. They offer close parking not only to handicapped individuals but also for "Parents with infants". Can you believe that? I now enjoy the same rights as handicapped people (Kendal isn't really an "infant" per say, but close enough.

2. Their baggers not only smile at you and bag your groceries in a timely fashion, but they are also required to take your groceries out and help you load your car, and don't even try to tip them because they are not allowed to accept it. How nice is that? (You won't get that at Kroger or Food Lion)

3. Their default bagging is paper and you have to specifically ask for plastic? Why is this cool? Paper is so much stronger, and they have room for a lot more groceries than plastic, causing you to use less bags, which in turn takes up less space in your car, which in turn means less trips from the car to your house, and it also saves the planet : ) (One bag at a time)

4. Ukrops is closed on Sundays and most major holidays (they care about their employees and respect the Sabbath - a great reason to support them)

5. They don't sell any alcohol (Is this Ukrop guy a mormon?)

6. They have a useful "fuel perks" program- for every x amount of money you spend you get x amount off gas at participating gas stations - pretty cool, you just swipe your "valued customer" card at the pump - it applies the discount and then you pump and pay normally.

7. And last but not least (and my most favorite reason for shopping at Ukrops) they have "TOT SPOTS" in all their larger stores. What is a "Tot Spot" you ask? Only one of the best things I've ever seen in a grocery store in my entire life.

It is exactly what it sounds like - a spot where you take your tots to play, while you shop. Open 10-6 everyday. FREE. 18 months and up.

This is HUGE - my kids are awful at the grocery store and this makes my experience a gazillion times better. I took them last week for the first time and plan on doing it from now on (Kendal is only 16 months - but they took her anyway). My kids were the only two in there, a nice lady hung out with them, Talen played with trucks and blocks, and watched Curious George, and when we left they both gave the nice lady a hug, and she said, "Hope to see you back here soon." UNBELIEVABLE!

This little gem of an idea benefits all party's involved - it benefits muaw because I'm enjoying my shopping experience, maybe a little too much to the point where I'm shopping longer because I enjoy the break from the kids (which benefits Ukrops), and my kids benefit because they get to play with toys they have never seen before and they get to look forward to going to "play" at the grocery store - EVERYBODY WINS. I'll tell you what I'm excited about this - really excited!

Maybe I am a valued customer - after all.

Here are two stories why you should never shop at Kroger (at least at the one by my house) One shopping trip at Kroger a manager argued with me on a price of an item and told me, "How much you wanna make a bet?" and then when we went over to check the item in big black letters it said the price that I had quoted - well she gave me some excuse about how that was last week's price and that she'll give it to me for the price even though it's not correct and that it's not her fault that the other employees didn't take down the sign - blah blah blah - What happened to customer service? Well thanks for giving it to me for the price that was advertised, so sorry to cause you a headache. Geez.

And one more quick story just to make my point even more clear. The week that Talen and Kendal had RSV I was on my way to Kroger to fulfill a prescription - Talen threw up in the car all over his clothing and car seat on the way there. The doctor told me to get them on their antibiotics immediately so I made the decision to take him into the store in his underwear and just grab the drugs quick. I didn't want to go all the way home, put on new clothes, sponge out the vomit from the car, get loaded back in the car - go back out to the store etc. (plus it was already noon - the were starving, sick and ready for naps - so I was trying to hurry the day along)

Well, while I was waiting for the prescriptions to be filled one of the Kroger employees asked me where Talen's clothes were, I told her that he was sick and had thrown up in the car on the way to the store and that I was fulfilling some prescriptions. She then began to mumble how it was breaking her heart to see a child without clothing, how it was so disgusting, inappropriate, and un-sanitary to have a child in a grocery store in nothing but his underwear, told me to hire help because I obviously can't handle motherhood on my own, told me I was a bad mother for bringing a child into a store with no clothes on and insulted me by telling me that I was being a bad mother by embarrassing my poor child in public. I fought the urge to strangle this woman's neck and just walked away from her and made a complaint with the manager. What a way to be treated at a grocery store - where I'm giving you business.

Well not anymore. I'm never shopping at Kroger again, and I'm hoping by word of mouth everyone who reads this won't shop there either.

I know this was like watching a Ukrops commercial - no advertisement intended - I'm just really excited about actually looking forward to grocery shopping in the future - it's something I've never experienced : )

And it's just another reason why I really don't want to leave Virginia yet : (