Indoor Picnic Inspired by Shopping at Duane Reade

As a Duane Reade VIP, I hope to be able to share the scoop with you on some fantastic deals and going ons at one of my favorite New York shops. The Duane Reader Spring Edition is now online, there’s a scoop worth checking out. I absolutely love that there is an online edition because I just about always like to browse online first before I head out to the shops. With Miss 6 months and Mr 4.5 years nearly always in tow, it is so helpful to be able to find what I want, make a list and then bring it into the store and get in and out fairly quickly avoiding kiddie meltodwns.

Not to mention, my brain is a sieve since having kids, so I ALWAYS need a shopping list – thankfully the Duane Reader online makes it easy to create one.

Above is the front page of the Duane Reader online, you can click on over to browse through it, after you’ve read this post of course 😉

It couldn’t have been any easier to create my shopping list on line. I clicked through from the scrolling ad on the front of the Duane Reade website and was then asked to enter my zip code. I was able to choose between my local weekly flyer and the Duane Reader. I chose the Duane Reader.

Clicking through from page to page, I was amazed at just how much food Duane Reade sells – gluten free goodies, meals for two, probiotic snacks and frozen nibbles, yum!

I thought the Chicken Wings, Pizza Snack Rolls and Stuffed  Jalapenos could come in handy on those evenings when getting dinner on the table seems like a mammoth task. I bookmarked a few pages and returned later to add them to my shopping list. I was working through this list on the weekend and got sidetracked into a tickle fight with Mr 4.5 so I was bummed when I returned later thinking I would have to recreate my shopping list. Good news though, even though the tab had been closed my browser hadn’t, when I loaded back up the Duane Reader in a new tab my items were still on the shopping list as were my bookmarks!

Later in the week I printed out my list of items I found through the Duane Reader, and added a few hand written items that I knew I needed like coffee, carry wipes, and yoghurt covered pretzels (yes, the blueberry ones are my longtime obsession). It was a beautiful sunny morning so I decided that I would drop Mr. 4.5 at preschool and take Miss 6 months into Williamsburg for a walk around the vintage shops before stopping in at the Duane Reade on Bedford Avenue and N 3 Street.

When we arrived, I scanned the QR code on the front glass just to see if their were any specials I wasn’t aware of and then picked up a cart and headed through to the escalator down to the LOOK Boutique, Pharmacy, fresh food – the larger part of the store. The Chiller always catches my eye cause it’s so posh looking right there in Duane Reade, but I’m not drinking these days so I just keep on going.

Heading down the escalator, the LOOK Boutique is very inviting. I go over there first to check out the Red Carpet nail polish I saw on page 4. It is a LED Gel Polish, so I imagine it needs a LED light and a base and top coat to work, but only the actual nail polish was advertised in the Duane Reader. I’m just curious to see if they have the full kit, which they do. I don’t actually find the Red Carpet nail polish in single bottles, no biggie, I was just being nosy.

Little Miss 6 months is passed out by now strapped into her baby carrier, so I am actually looking forward to just casually browsing through the aisles. In the process I find a mesh feeder for her that I have not been able to find anywhere else. I love these little things – you put food in them and baby can hold it and feed herself without the worry of choking. I also find my 2 fave Good & Delish luxuries and both are on sale – bonus!

        

I make it to the frozen food section where they do not have the Nice! Chicken Wings I was hoping for, but they do have the Nice! Stuffed Jalapenos as well as tasting looking Nice! Potato Skins, so I get those instead along with the 2 for $3 gelato. An idea starts to form and I’m thinking it’s going to be finger foods and a light picnic dinner tonight. Mr 4.5 will love sitting on the floor and I won’t have to do too much cooking.

 I grab a few more things, excited by my haul as there will be Flex Rewards taken off at the cash that I didn’t know I would get until I walked in here ($4.79 to be exact!)

Heading into line I’m pretty tired from our jaunt around Williambsburg and resist the temptation for their fresh baked goods, remembering I’ve got yoghurt covered pretzels for the subway ride home. But I can’t resist a cold earl grey iced tea – Duane Reade has some of the best cold teas. I’ve already got the half iced tea/half lemonade mix at home that will fit right in to our picnic party.

The picnic party was a success. It was a fun break from the monotony of weekday dinners and super easy for me to throw together with a salad and some corn. My hubby loves his spicy food and declared the Jalapenos as his new Duane Reade indulgence, so it looks like we’ll be back for more of the Nice! frozen foods.

To see more of my photos from browsing the Duane Reader online, shopping in Brooklyn and our picnic party, check out my Google + story.

If you are looking to find all you need at a local Duane Reade, check out the Duane Reade store locator.  Become a fan of Duane Reade on Facebook or send them a tweet to say hi.

Browse your Duane Reader Spring Edition online and find weekly local savings too!

Do you like to browse online first before you go shopping?

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for CollectiveBias #CBias #DReade #DReadeVIP As always all opinions are 100% my own.