Happy Black Friday everyone! In honor of this ever so special holiday (yes, Ben and I TOTALLY dub this a holiday in our household!) I decided to theme today’s Friday Five around what I loved (and loathed) about our Black Friday shopping trip this year. Every year we go out at midnight and shop till we drop, which is usually about 8 am. This year we got tons of awesome gifts, some amazing deals and, as always, even though we are both insanely tired we had the very best time! For those of you that braved the midnight madness, we hope you had a great time as well (we think the chaotic craziness is part of the fun!) And because you probably did enough waiting in lines today, we’ll get right to it!
The Black Friday Fab Five:
- The Black Friday Uniform: Yoga Pants? Check. Messy ponytail? Most definitely. There is something I love so much about going shopping in complete and total comfort, knowing there will always be someone out shopping in their bathrobe and slippers to make me look good.
- Starbucks: There are times when my love of Starbucks can seem over the top. But there is one day of the year when getting two venti lattes in the same 4 hour period is totally acceptable. And to that day, I say THANK YOU Black Friday.
- Naps: Some people say they totally don’t get how we can stay up all night long with no sleep. What they don’t know is that the after Black Friday Nap (otherwise known as the up for 26 hours straight nap) is the cuddliest and snuggliest most rewarding nap we take all year.
- List-Making: If you know me, you know I love lists. And office supplies. And figuring out nerdy things like budgets. So when it comes time to make our big Black Friday shopping list, I go to my happy place. My perfectly nerdy, post-it filled, happy place.
- Christmas Music: If it were up to me, the Christmas tuneage in our house would probably start somewhere around November first, but Ben has some pretty strict post-Thanksgiving rules. Black Friday is always the first day of the year when he allows Dean to croon White Christmas in the car, and it makes my heart all warm and fuzzy every time.
The Black Friday Un-Fab Five:
- Waiting: This is a given. I love shopping. I love deals. But I could do without the one-hour wait to buy my discount hand soaps. Luckily I have a partner in crime to keep me laughing at 3 a.m. when I otherwise might not be so cheery.
- Breakfast: It doesn’t matter how much turkey I eat, or how full I feel before we go out. Every time, at about 2 a.m. I am ready for breakfast. And every year, we go to the only place open, only to find that Mickey D’s refuses to serve breakfast until later in the morning. And to them, I shake my fist, and ask “who is looking to eat a mushroom angus burger for breakfast?!” Answer? No one.
- Grumps: Every year we go out there are always a few grumpy shopper encounters. They’re the people who stand in line behind us, harrumphing loudly at how slowly the line is moving, and exclaiming angrily to their friends how ridiculous it is that the store is crowded. Really?! You’re surprised that the store is jam-packed on the busiest and most promoted shopping day of the year? I find that pretty surprising.
- Charlotte: Although I tried to explain it to her in my very best calm mommy voice, Charlotte for some reason didn’t seem to understand that when she thought it was time to get up for the day, we were just going to bed. And so she howled and berated us from the living room as we took our much needed 8 a.m. nap. Luckily, when you’ve been up for 26 hours, even an angry shouting dog can’t keep you from sleep.
- Mis-matched Times: This year, the stores totally threw off our A-game. For years Ben and I have had a set schedule. There are certain stores we go to at midnight, then a short breakfast break, then we start the 4 a.m. rounds. This year, stores like Target opened as early as 9 p.m., while I was just starting on my second piece of pumpkin pie. I found this completely unacceptable. How am I supposed to finish inhaling desert AND shop at the same time?! How Target?! HOW?
We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by the ones you love, and for those of you that ventured out into the shopping madness, we hope you are sitting home relaxing with some coffee or cocoa. You earned it : )
