Our life today is of strange kind – toilet paper is a hot commodity and gets placed under bushes for Easter egg hunt instead of eggs, hand sanitizer is often hoarded by thousands, and parties, soccer practices, and gym sessions happen only on Zoom cameras as we continue to enjoy or suffer social distance.

The way we shop is also unusual – we are used to empty shelves, overflowing carts, and sold out essentials. Even online.

When you see this type of craziness and think about staying away from other people at your local grocery stores, you might consider your usual online sellers. Amazon and Walmart ring the bell?

Unfortunately those two don’t have many essentials left and even if they do, 2-day delivery is only a pleasant memory. Be ready for 18 day delivery wait or look elsewhere. Amazon and Walmart are not gods after all; they are simply overloaded retail giants that thought they could it all.

Online delivery overall is safer than going to shop yourselves, but if you want to feel completely good, wipe the delivery box and all the packages inside – I know, it’s crazy, but our new norm is crazy and you are not alone doing this! Never touch the delivery person, in case you ever did that before, and wash your hands, if you have never done that before.

With Amazon and Walmart overloaded, give them a break and also help smaller businesses by ordering from them. Jeff Bezos has too much money already, so divert some of that elsewhere.

You would be surprised how many never before explored businesses will deliver you fresh produce, personal care items, and even games.

Groceries and fresh produce:

Target is also big, but is handling business much better than its competitors Walmart and Amazon. You can get produce, meats, and seafood from here. Also try FreshDirect, PeaPod, and Thrive Market.

D’Artagnan can get you meats to go with your wine for those Zoom Friday parties. Try calling your grocery store – some people had luck and had groceries delivered the same day.

If you live in NYC, you are envied by many of us, because you can get deliveries from OurHarvest, Farm to People, Food Kick, Local Roots, and Postmates.

Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods will bring you slightly different looking produce anywhere.

If you have a few extra dollars to spare, consider meal kits from HelloFresh, Home Chef, Sun Basket, and many others.

Before going to your usual big box retailers, check out iHerb. This company is a healthy source of supplements and foods during normal times, and is working overtime to cater to everyone who needs them during this coronavirus outbreak. You can get a ton of vitamins and supplements, but also food and groceries for you and for you pets. Unlike with Amazon, you won’t have to wait for 18 days to get your snacks, Manuka honey, organic peanut butter in powder or creamy shape, muesli, freeze dried organic berries, rice, dog food, and even natural dog vitamins – all those goodies can be yours in 1-2 days!

Some states have Farm Fresh To You – a heaven and mecca not only for fresh local fruit and veggies, but for all kinds of other farm food staples. You can always add organic dairy products, cheeses, raw and cured meats. This service is largely unaffected by COVID-19 turmoil and will work to bring you healthy foods.

Instacart’s personal shoppers are always a good option. They will shop for you from your favorite neighborhood stores and will call you to ask about alternatives and substitutes, so even if you won’t touch the produce yourself, you know it’s the next best thing.

See Instacart Promotions:

• Free Shipping on $35+
• Up to $10 Discount on Coupons Page

Finally, most city farmers markets are closed now, but a few will remain open and offer drive through or curb side pickup of sorts, so check your favorite ones and pay them a visit if they are still working for you and your neighbors.

Finally, if you live in a town not too far from local farms and growers, try to get to know them. Maybe you’ve never talked to them before, but do so now, even if from 6 foot distance. Many of them will deliver produce and snacks to you, but you won’t know unless you ask.

Personal care and beauty

Target is again a good option. They will ship items to you or you will be able to do curbside pickup with minimal contact.

If you are in the need of toilet paper, check out your local grocery store early in the morning or call local small mom and pop shops. If all else fails, get yourself a bidet from Tushy and you can feel all French even after corona is gone.

Check out Home Depot for paper towels or use Swedish dishcloth reusable wash cloths – you will do environment a favor too.

Staples has tissue paper, Quip and Goby can send you dental cleaning supplies, The Body Shop, Bath & Body Works, Kiehl’s, Aesop, and Simplehuman have soaps and other personal care products for shipping.

When it comes to natural feminine supplies, check out LOLA and Cora. Sephora, Ulta, Dermstore, and Nordstrom have your beauty needs covered, because who said you should never put any makeup during all those weeks at home?

Home and cleaning

Vitacost is a life saver here – not only do they have vitamins, supplements, food, pet products, but they also carry cleaning supplies and a ton of natural beauty items. They are not over-shopped, but affordable, natural, and can deliver within a few days.

Grove Collaborative and Blueland have all kinds of natural cleaning supplies. Target has literally everything and it delivers. Petco and Chewy have supplies for pet messes. Bed Bath & Beyond carries traditional laundry supplies and still have them in stock.

Update your room’s design with stuff from Wayfair, Uncommon Goods, Etsy, Pottery Barn, Overstock, Urban Outfitters, Society6, West Elm, and World Market.

If you need some mood lifter, buy a candle or five from Otherland, Voluspa, Homesick Candles, Anthropologie, or Nordstrom.

We all known about those constantly hungry kids and the time you spend in the kitchen, so brighten up your day with some new gadgets from Sur la Table, Williams-Sonoma, Le Creuset, Overstock, or Bed Bath & Beyond.

If you live in a small space high above the ground, consider getting a plant to feel more like you are outside. The Sill, The Bouqs, Bloomscape, or Etsy will have you covered!

Pet needs

When it comes to pets, Chewy rules for all pets and all needs. Then you have Petco and PetSmart, which are mainstream and have it all.

Healthy dog food comes from Pet Plate and The Farmer’s Dog. Walking with your dog is free and should be used daily.

Cat owners have Chewy for everything, Cat Person for food, and Smalls for super healthy feline food.

Sierra, Overstock, L.L. Bean, and Urban Outfitters are some other unusual places for dog supplies.

Entertainment

Target has plenty of table games and puzzles, so don’t just rely on Netflix. The Met Store offers amazing puzzles, and so do the Smithsonian Store and MoMa Design Store. Barnes & Noble and Uncommon Goods have your back with puzzles as well.

For all young artists and their moms there are a few online stores worth a visit – Staples, Blick, Arteza, Michael’s.

Books can be found at all kinds of online book stores, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s Books, AbeBooks, and Politics & Prose. Scribd offers audio books for your listening pleasure. Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and Bed Bath & Beyond carry plenty of cook books for your quarantine cook experiments.

And last, check out Target, Apple, GameStop, Best Buy, Urban Outfitters, Staples, and Microsoft for games, gadgets, and gigabytes.