Obviously, no one should txt while driving or riding a bike. Should it also apply while pushing your cart past the bananas? Yes, txting is perfect for most messages to friends, family and chiming into chatter about what’s up. Want to find out what your BFF is wearing to school before you meet up? …text her! Waiting for the bus, wondering where everyone is …? Text them. Need to keep Dad from having a cardiac because you’re late coming home from homecoming…text him too!

But one thing we found that texting is NOT so good for are those last minute, spontaneous, shopping lists or long, long, Thanksgiving Dinner shopping lists. Ever have your parents ask you to stop by the store for a few things on the way home, and get a text with the list….Ever had to head back to the store with dad for the third or fourth time – that takes a lot of money and time. Besides, I have way better things to save my limited txt’s for!!

Scrolling up and down as you roll your cart up and down the aisles is a little bit like texting while driving, and can lead to hearing the manager announce “Clean Up on Aisle 5!” if you crash into the condiments. Every one knows that the whole point is getting in and out of the grocery store fast, and having to find your message, re-read the items, and hustle that cart around as you thumb up and down the screen of your phone is a total waste of time. Of course, seeing the next texts coming in from your friend who is at home watching your favorite show or talking on her phone is a major barrier to moderately efficient grocery shopping with a list of items hiding in your handheld. But perhaps the worst thing is not being able to talk on the phone while shopping, since you have to constantly go back to the texts to make sure that you’re getting each of the items you were sent to the store for.

So, do yourself a favor, take some time to check the pantry, recipe and guest list and write the shopping list by hand…so that you can use your phone for what it is meant for….stuff like updating your Facebook status, tweeting about the mind boggling absence of locally grown fruits and vegetables, texting your friend about what to say when you’re about to run into “You Know Who” in the produce section, or posting a pic of who is on the cover of Sports Illustrated or Rachel Ray or tweeting about who is cheating as reported by the “gospel” according to US Weekly…

Many things that are faster with paper. Some things just don’t work any other way – think love notes and thank you notes? Send us your ideas. Paper Because, for some stuff it’s just way better.