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Today was my first grocery shopping trip while carrying. Went to H-E-B with the kids (three of them under 6) and got our groceries for the next week. All the usual lifting kids in and out of the cart, getting items off high and low shelves, picking up dropped toys, etc. I think the biggest challenge was putting the groceries on the conveyer belt... maybe I'll delegate that to the oldest. Yesterday was a trip to get haircuts for the older two, while also keeping the toddler out of trouble (chasing her down, picking her up, holding her while she squirmed to get away, all in a busy children's haircut place surrounded by moms and kids). I also carried at church Sunday, where I was helping coordinate a children's ministry field day. Tomorrow's challenge will be preschool story time at the library.

Overall, I'm feeling pretty comfortable. Only problem so far is that my original plan was appendix carry and that doesn't seem to work for me (I just can't find a comfortable spot for the holster, and I think it looks funny). Because the holster only has one clip it doesn't work well for wearing in a more comfortable 4 o'clock position, since it rotates on the clip and winds up in weird positions and I don't feel it's secure. I'm waiting on a Crossbreed minituck (ordered when I took my class), but for now I'm borrowing my husband's supertuck while he's at work (his company has a no-guns policy).

It's funny. I bought a holster I though I would like & it didnt work out either. To make a long story short, I have 4 holsters now. The 4th one I bought works well for me with everyday activity including take it off at work & leaving locked in the car.
My instructor told the class we would have boxes of holsters trying to find the best one!!!

I have a cheap pocket holster to hold me until I can figure out what I'd really like to have. It's "sticky" - not to the touch, but the type of material it's made from has a nice friction point that holds it in place...enough so that I can carry it inside my waistband if I want to. Look for "sticky holster" on Amazon. The one for my gun was $25.

My better suggestion, though, has nothing to do with holsters. I too grocery shop with kiddos - 2 under 3! The best thing I've ever figured out - take your own bags...load them as you shop. Then when you get to the conveyor belt, you have 4-5 bags to put on the belt, not 50+ individual items! Plus you can kinda sort while you shop too - I have one bag for milk/beverages, one for meat, one for produce and a big bag for anything I might pick up off the center aisles. Generally the HEB people are good about putting everything back in the bag it came out of. Some of them are a little ticked because it slows their "items per minute" but they are there to help the customers and most of them are pretty good about it.

I also make them send someone with me to help load the groceries - that way I can load kids while they load groceries and it cuts down on the amount of time I'm a target in the parking lot. Plus having someone else there helps me not feel quite so vulnerable...not that the HEB carry out person is any sort of protection, but there is safety in numbers!

Two under 3 is a handful! Twins, or close together? Mine are all two years apart, so we've been there. I may have to try the bag system, although I reuse the plastic bags for so many things I'm not sure what I'd do without them. So far I decline help in the parking lot because we stop for buddy bucks and I have a pretty good system for getting everyone and everything in the car the way I want it. I'm also really trying to teach the older two to be independent where they can, like climbing into the car and buckling themselves in while I unload the groceries. We shop mid-morning when there are people coming and going but not huge crowds, and the area where I park has people passing by regularly.

These days, unless we're having a bad day, grocery shopping is pretty smooth. The 5yo gets a lot of things off the shelves for me and puts them in the cart, and the 3yo often plays games with the 1yo to keep her happy. To be completely honest, the very few times I've been grocery shopping alone in the last 5 years, it's felt kind of lonely! Then there are the days I drag the kicking, screaming 3yo through the store... but we don't talk about those days.

Pecos, I'm hoping two holsters will do it for me, at least for most occasions! In all fairness, I was going to have to buy a second holster anyway because I changed my plan for a carry gun after I ordered the first. I thought I'd be carrying an M&P 9c, then I managed to get my hands on a Shield. It's actually kind of nice to start carrying with the slightly larger gun (my husband's holster is for the 9c) because I figure if I get comfortable with this I should feel even better when I switch to the smaller.

Eventually, I will be looking for something that will work with a dress/skirt/pants without belt loops for church. I don't think a purse would be a good option since I work in children's ministry and don't normally keep my purse on my person the whole time.

This is $30 at the NRAStore.com. I bought it and was a little less than completely satisfied.

Pros:

• It is generic/ambidextrous. it can be worn on the left leg or the right...inside or outside the leg.
  It conceals well even on the outside of the leg in cargo shorts.
  It is light-weight.

Cons:

• The retention strap is velcro...very loud velcro.
  The holster itself is an elastic material to be generic for multiple pistols.

The above list of cons were partially corrected. I had my mother in law alter the retention strap to a magnet snap set-up. Now it is much quieter access to the gun.

The elastic holster portion carries my J-frame 4" very nicely...my XDS not so much. I had to practice drawing the XDS as the front fiber-optic site wants to get hung up. Once I figured out the right twist, it works passably.

Over all, I would say the holster is well worth the $30 as an alternative carry option but I would still not consider it for a primary mode of carry.

Just my two cents adjusted for inflation...

Pocket holster works well for me. Most of my pants are khakis/chinos. The pistol doesn't print.

The Thigh holser RogueUSMC sent a picture of looks like it would be confortable for dresses or loose shorts. Probable find some reviews on what ever to try to see what others say about the product. If the Kids hang on you legs a lot this probably wouldnt work!
Today they make a lot of products for concealment. It's mainly what work for you.