mgmckny

As soon as I know what's in the ads. Some years there is nothing I want/need/find interesting enough to go camp out for (last year). In fact last year I ordered most of what I needed online and went to Walgreens and Harbor Freight (for my youngest brother-- he did Staples for me).

That is why we went to the buy for the kids (and our mothers) policy. We live less than a hour from DH's brother but we only see them maybe 2 times a year (and if DH is hurting we don't make the drive then). Plus we all can buy pretty much anything that another family member can afford to give us. Every now and then I will see something that would be perfect or is so funny that I can't pass it up.

What time is dinner, I'll be there! I like the Publix deli very much. People without a Publix don't know what they are missing....:)

Except for Bakugan, I'm in this boat!

NO, and I picked up some at Target yesterday. I didn't find any on clearance that I liked (and hadn't used --I'm picky when I do send cards). The girl at the register looked at me like I was an alien and I just smiled. The lady behind me understood, especially when she saw all the hand creams at .48 in my cart. (stocking stuffers).

So far, coffee mugs for the 2 moms, the tech deck half pipe for my 11yr old, some hand lotions that I found on clearance. Snowmen ornaments for the people I work with. That's it this year. Not a great start.

I don't go there on BF either, too much craziness and not enough in their ads to make it worth my while.

My brothers who are in Orlando for the holiday and I will talk on the phone and trade items that we need and my other brother will check his stores also if we need him. Sometimes things that are hard to get in Jacksonville will be plentiful in Orlando and vice versa. Most of my other relatives/friends wouldn't be up to call me on BF....

I've had 2 refurb nanos, a 4g and an8g, both are going strong--passed the 4g down. I'd love to get a classic now, will have to see what the budget holds....But both looked brand-new. If I had kids wanting ipods I would be all over this.

I also think all the retailers should just send Brad an advance copy of their ads. His site generates a lot of buzz and I think their sales benefit from us having the ads without legal threats or other crap! It's just not Black Friday either, we come here year round, I have growing teen sons, I need good deals on everything from aspirin to Zantac and all the letters in between!

When I lived in France I had a grocery bag and a tote for carrying purchases. Only the bigger stores offered bags then and usually grudgingly...

I too would like to see layaway back even if it is in a more limited form (like the 3 months before Christmas and over the summer for back to school clothes). Set better limits so that people don't abuse it and use it as a backup plan (I've seen people cancel layaways after several weeks because they decided to get it somewhere else but wanted to be sure that they could get one, so they put it in layaway).

I agree! THen we Gottadealers could set the start time for the lines..... I think he has a point!

When the boys were younger I did Discovery Toys! Great products. I think I was my best customer and the boys loved to play with them.

Course the cost of gas to come across town might be more than the shipping! TOo funny though if you did.

I'm in, sent my email to you.

I don't hit the big department stores much now, but I remember when they would bring out a special bag at Christmas (heavy duty with good handles). They used to have stands of them near the entrances and escalators and they would charge a quarter. I would get a couple of the prettiest and use them until they fell apart (usually around Nov. the next year) to carry all kinds of stuff back and forth to work, get togethers, etc.

We buy for our 2 sons, most years, less than 300.00 each usually, most years, less than 100.00 probably this year since money is tight. My 16 yr old neice and if I have some left over, my bachelor brothers and our moms.

For the nephew my 14 yr old son say get him a drum set and a ninja costume. That's what he wanted at that age....I say savings bonds for the younger ones.... And a small toy or something.

Well no, not for Black Friday, but we did have snow just prior to CHristmas Eve in 1989. SHut Jacksonville down for a day (Sun came out Christmas Eve and most of it melted off). They even recorded snow flurries in the Bahamas that year....

We will be spending less this year. Both DH and I have had health issues and even with insurance the extra on medications, gas prices and food prices for 2 hungry teens is taking a toll!

Ben 10 Alien FOrce is the current series-- my 11yr old has the original omnitrix (wear it like a watch and it makes noises). As cartoons go, it's one of the newer ones that I can stand! What kind of science is he into. Astronomy or Chemistry come to mind. A telescope for star gazing if astronomy's his game or maybe a microscope if he's more lab oriented...

And I bet if you do sound this idea out with a couple of family members that you know best you will find that they like the idea!!! Especially with the economy the way it is, it would probably be a relief to some of them.

My husband's father asked dh to hide a present when he was in his late teens. It was a computer for his brother. So dh put it in his closet until Christmas. Christmas morning he's ready for his dad to tell his brother where to go look for his present and to his surprise it was his present!!! So he hid his own Christmas present for more than a month!