Two words for all the busy moms reading this blog:

Grocery delivery.

The end.

Wait, you want me to write more about that? How many words do I have? Because I cannot say enough good things about Hy-Vee’s new Aisles Online shopping experience. Seriously, it’s that amazing. I’ve been using Hy-Vee’s grocery delivery service almost exclusively for almost three months now, and I can’t think of any reasons not to give it a try.

Right now I’m sitting in my quiet house, sipping coffee at my kitchen table, while my kiddos are happily running around in the back yard, stomping in yesterday’s rain puddles and creating a sidewalk chalk masterpiece, while simultaneously buying my groceries for next week. It’s GLORIOUS.

I’ve actually gotten to the point where I can shop for an entire week in under 10 minutes. Not even exaggerating! Let me break it down for you.

Grocery Lists… Revolutionized

My favorite feature on the Hy-Vee website is the ability to create lists. The first few times you do your online shopping, it will take a bit longer, because you do have to search for the foods you want, pick your brand, set your quantity, and add it to your cart.

*Pro Mom Tip* right here: take an extra second to click “Add to list” after you “Add to cart.”

You can name your list whatever you want to, and add as many lists to your account as you want! The first time I shopped, I created a list called “Staples.” This allowed me to save all my regular weekly purchases, such as our favorite brand of milk and Greek yogurt; now I never have to search for them again! The following week, I was crunched for time; I realized at 11 p.m. that we were low on groceries and I didn’t have anything to feed the munchkins for lunch. A few clicks through my list of staples, and groceries were ordered and set to be delivered between 9 and 10 the following morning. Whoop!

The following week I got a bit more savvy, and realized I could create custom lists for different menu plans. I have a three-week lineup of meals right now and am on my way to creating a specific grocery list for each one. Now I can literally shop for all my groceries for a week’s worth of pre-planned meals with just a few clicks. Think that sounds complicated? I promise, it’s SO simple:

1. Go to Hy-Vee Aisles Online and get yourself logged in.

2. Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner and go to My Lists.

3. Select the list you’ve created for that week.

4. Double-check your quantities (they should be saved based on when you added them to your list, but if you accidentally typed in 1 instead of 12, they will bring you just 1 apple. Not that I know from experience on that one….) 😉

5. If all your quantities look good, check the box at the top of the list, and all your items will automatically be selected.

6. Hit “Add to Cart,” and you’re almost done!

7. Enter payment information and choose your delivery time. (Do confirm with your local Hy-Vee when their delivery cutoff times are. My local Ames Hy-Vee requires the order to be placed before 8 a.m. for same day delivery, which is why I usually do my shopping the day before. If you’re wanting to do curbside pick-up, orders must be placed before 10 a.m. that day.) Sidenote: I used curbside pick-up once by placing my order in the morning and then having the hubs stop by to pick up groceries on his way home from work that evening. He MUCH prefers this to me texting him a list of things to find in the store!

8. Await your delivery. Mine have ALWAYS been on time. Deliveries are made by courteous and friendly Hy-Vee employees. They can bring them to your door, or all the way into your kitchen, if you prefer!

What Are You Waiting For?

The biggest hesitation about this service that I have heard from my friends is, “But I don’t really want someone else picking my produce.” And to be perfectly honest with you, I don’t either! I’m very picky about the condition of my fresh basil and blueberries. And to be brutally honest, it hasn’t always been perfect. But any time I have had ANY issue with anything in my order (once I received bone-in chicken thighs instead of boneless, and another week some Brussels sprouts that were turning bad), one quick phone call and a driver was on his way out to my house with a replacement within a few hours, along with a handwritten note of apology and a gift card for our trouble, to be used towards our next purchase. Hello, excellent customer service!

And twice I have received phone calls directly from my personal shopper while he was choosing my items. “Mrs. McCollough? Unfortunately, organic Gala apples are out of stock today. I wondered if you’d like to substitute organic Red Delicious or regular Gala apples?” I very much appreciated the call and the attention to details like this!

Hy-Vee’s mission statement is “Making lives easier, healthier, happier.” And I am here to tell you,

• using this service has made my (food) life a bajillion times easier.
• using this service has enabled me to create (and stick to!) pre-planned meals for my family. (No more impulse buys when I’m at the store and shopping on a empty stomach!) We are eating healthier.
• using this service has saved me so much time and energy. No more meal planning or dragging four kids along to the store. Therefore, we are all happier (with the exception of my three-year-old son — it’s been so long since he’s been to the grocery store he’s been BEGGING me to take him so he can drive the car cart! I’m sensing a “date” in our future….). 😉

Hy-Vee. That famous “helpful smile” is stepping out of the aisles and coming directly to your doorstep. And that’s what I call service. What are you waiting for?

Connect with Hy-Vee

Web www.hy-veeaislesonline.com

Facebook www.facebook.com/hyvee

Twitter www.twitter.com/hyvee

Instagram www.instagram.com/hyvee

This post was sponsored by Hy-Vee. All opinions expressed are my own.