Sunset Foods Northbrook – Free Coffee is just the beginning!

Sunset Foods is the place to be when it comes to grocery shopping!!  I am a brand ambassador for Square One Organics.  I am also a local Chicago mom of two little ones under the age of four.  Last Saturday I spent three hours doing my Square One Organics sampling at the Sunset Foods in Northbrook.  When I was done with my demo, I couldn’t wait to go grocery shopping!  A shopping trip here is well worth it!

Free Coffee – As I said, I am a mom with two little ones, so when free coffee is waiting for me when I walk in the door at Sunset Foods things are off to a great start!  This is a number one selling point for me, as I usually am running around half exhausted.  To have a cup of coffee while shopping is reason enough to shop here, but it gets better!

What’s For Dinner? - The question that usually haunts me on a daily basis is answered for me on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Sunset Foods.  On these days, the Chefs at the prepared food counter at Sunset have an entire meal that you can sample and then take home.  This is a hit with my kids and me!!  To grocery shop, drink coffee (that I didn’t have to make) and sample dinner items makes shopping fun!  Stop in between 4-6 p.m. this is a must in your weekly routine.

75^th Anniversary & Giveaways- Sunset is having daily giveaways in honor of this being their 75^th anniversary throughout a 75 day span.  It is currently going on, so after you get your coffee walk over to the customer service desk and enter to win!   There are some great prizes- Diamond Earrings, a Trip, and More!!

 Customer Service- From the moment, one walks in to Sunset, it is clear that the store is focused on serving its customers.  Sunset has been family owned since 1937.  Their focus on customer service is a thing of beauty!  Ron Bernardi (Store Manager) and Allen Perin (VP of Operations) were both on site when I was there on Saturday, greeting and talking to customers.  All of the staff will go out of their way to help customers look for what they need.  Additionally, there are always people by the checkout register to unload your groceries from the cart.  After you check out and get your little ones back into the car, just pull around and their team will load those groceries right into the car. What an amazing service that I certainly don’t see at other grocery stores!!

Adventures of a Pregnant Mom with a Two Year Boy in Tow!

Square One Organics has a brand ambassador program.  These gals help us raise brand awareness at family friendly events.  Recently, I was talking to one of my brand ambassadors, Marie, who is pregnant and has a two year old son.  I thought some of the stories and issues she was facing and going to face would make for some interesting blogs.  Marie graciously agreed to share her experiences and reflections with us as the next phase of mommyhood unfolds.  Check out Marie’s first excerpt.

Pregnancy, while joyous, can also be a marathon when one has a 2 year old!!  I am currently    35 ½ weeks along (with a girl) and a Mom to a beautiful, yet EXTREMELY active and strong willed little boy.  While one hopes to slow down a little, especially during the last few months of pregnancy, I can say that I feel like the pace has just been picking up as two of our most recent adventures clearly show.

While just arriving back in the neighborhood after a girl’s dinner out, I get a frantic call from my husband exclaiming that our son had just run into the wall.  My initial thoughts: “Are you kidding me? I go away for 2 hours and chaos erupts!”  Then, I start saying massive prayers hoping that my son doesn’t have a serious concussion.  My son has a love for running (as do so many kids), and we constantly tell him not to run in the house.  Well, of course, he had to learn the hard way.    A trip to the ER, leads to a super long wait time and finally a call to our pediatrician- Thank God for wonderful pediatricians who accept calls at all hours of the night.  We went through all of my son’s symptoms and it was determined that he was fine and that we could go home.  A big bruise and some swelling later, he was back to the same old smiling little guy, leaving Mom and Dad slightly traumatized.

Not to be detoured by a bruised forehead, a few weeks later we went to the indoor “Treehouse”  at our local mall. The Treehouse is like the Taj Mahal of play places for little kids with slides, an area to run (this area is key for my son), a kitchen and other kids to socialize with and meet.  I was excited for my son to just get out and get exercise, and hopefully this would mean a good nights sleep!  Like most moms, these kinds of outings are never fully relaxing, but fun just because we are getting out of the house.  What started off as a fun time for my son, ended with me breaking into a giant sweat!  My son decided that he wanted to go into the Lego store adjacent to the Treehouse.  He literally sprinted himself into the Lego store and sat himself at a computer, apparently he needed to catch up on some emails!  As I never take my eyes off him, I ran after him pregnant belly and all, and carried all 38 pounds horizontally under my arm back in the treehouse area.  He was put into time out and was now dealing with the wrath of a pregnant worried Mom who was sweating above the lip. Not sure how these outings can take place with baby # 2!!  Stay tuned.

Reflection:  I know that life is really never going to slow down, and only is going to get busier.  I am one that truly does like to have lots going on, and I know that someday I am going to miss these days with my Son being this age.  While trying and exhausting as the days can be, I can say that overall, he is no different than any other curious 2 year old.  I can thank him for keeping my gym membership costs down as my workouts now take place wherever we are!