Hi Friends!!  Did you have a fabulous holiday weekend?  I for one did, however I’d like to chat about this whole traditional thanksgiving feast, who planned this menu?  Where’s the chocolate?  Move over mashed potatoes and stuffing, I could certainly find some more favorable side dishes.  None the less, my weekend included these feasting favorites and then was followed by pie and shopping.  Lots of shopping.

Photo: Ashley Slater Photography | Pie: Ed Dunneback & Girls Farm

It’s tradition for my mother and me to burn the midnight oil and head out in the wee hours of the night to do a little holiday shopping.  We’re they type of people who are constantly on the prowl for a good deal.  However, I must say that I was sorely disappointed that stores chose to open at such early hours on Thanksgiving.  As someone who spent many years forced to work during the holiday, I always found myself so jealous of those who were with the ones they love.  Because of this, I felt extreme sympathy for these workers and could not bring myself to shop on Thanksgiving night, so I had patience and headed out around 4:00am Friday morning.  Twelve hours later we started our trek back home with a full car and much emptier wallets.

I’ve been asked about the fun in Black Friday shopping and the best places to shop.  While I know everyone’s approach is a little different, I think the unexpected deals give the most thrills.  Sure, I scour the ads on Thanksgiving Day, look at the leaked ads via the internet in the weeks prior to heading out and even map out an action plan.  But my go-to’s are always Macy’s and Target, two of my favorite shopping locations regardless of the occasion.  After that is when we begin to travel through the mall, making our way from store to store and loving the window signs proudly displaying 40-50% savings off the entire store, including clearance.  Straight to those clearance racks I go!

This year, no surprise, Macy’s brought me the best bargains and today I’m still on the lookout for Cyber Monday steals.  Did you find any great deals?