AuntieJul

A TV to replace the one currently in my living room. A GoPro camera, preferably with an accessory kit (selfie stick and/or tripod stand at least). Maybe sheets from LL Bean. Makeup and self-care for DD, Nintendo games for DS.

Entering for fun! I like the Adams Sports Cooker for $17 - sounds like a great tailgating or camping deal! And the other one I like is the $9.98 Kotton Kandy maker. I'd like to have a cotton candy machine.

Congrats to everyone! I enjoyed seeing the different gift items

A baseball/softball hitting and pitching set. Should survive the hardest tanks your teen can hit. Vevor Baseball/Softball Hitting Net

The Uzzle, a family puzzle game where you race to be first to match the cards. Great for young and old families alike, or just a group of friends looking for an alternative to knowledge-based trivia games. No reading skills or electronics needed to have a great time. https://www.amazon.com/stores/TheUzzle/TheUzzleOriginal/page/C913AFE2-EA3C-48D2-98F0-33D3B67F41BB?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&ref_=cm_sw_r_ud_ast_store_CP11XZY4TYNX9RMB0VK2&qid=1729263621&lp_asins=B0BFP4VZCP&pd_rd_w=pDkrM&content-id=amzn1.sym.8591358d-1345-4efd-9d50-5bd4e69cd942%3Aamzn1.sym.8591358d-1345-4efd-9d50-5bd4e69cd942&pf_rd_p=8591358d-1345-4efd-9d50-5bd4e69cd942&pf_rd_r=P5B43N1PKEZ977CZD8V9&pd_rd_wg=Q5HuS&pd_rd_r=088a0bdf-73ee-4be6-bc7c-028ccbdd414b

congrats to winners!

This recipe can be used for an appetizer for any fancy meal, since it looks so fancy. Since it's a star, it's very fitting for Christmas meals. Trust me, you don't need to have a lot of technical skills to make this impressive bread. I didn't think mine would come out anywhere near the photos, but it did. Garlic and Herb Star Bread From the Food Network Click here for their post Ingredients: 1/2 cup warm water (about 110˚ F) 2 teaspoons sugar 1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon fine salt 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for the pan 1/2 cup milk 1 5.2-ounce package soft garlic-and- herb cheese (such as Boursin) 1 tablespoon finely chopped jarred Calabrian chile peppers 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 1 large egg, beaten Flaky sea salt, for topping Directions: 1. Stir the warm water and sugar together until dissolved, then stir in the yeast; set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder and fine salt in a large bowl. 2. Add the butter to the flour mixture and work it in with your fingertips until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the yeast mixture and milk. Stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely moistened and the dough looks like a shaggy ball, switching to your hands and gently kneading to bring the dough together, if necessary. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 3. When the dough is almost ready, make the filling: Combine the cheese, chiles, parsley, thyme and lemon zest in a small bowl. Mash and stir together with a small rubber spatula until smooth and spreadable. Set aside. 4. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and briefly knead until smooth, three or four times. Pat until about 1 inch thick, then fold into thirds like a letter and pat until 1 inch thick again. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat folding and patting two more times. Divide into 2 equal pieces. 5. Lightly butter an upside-down rimmed baking sheet (or a rimless baking sheet). Roll out 1 piece of dough into an 11-inch round on a floured surface and transfer to the pan. Spread with the filling, stopping about 3/4 inch from the edge. Roll out the second piece of dough into an 11-inch round and place on top of the first. Pinch and press the edges of the dough together to seal. 6. Center the rim of a drinking glass (about 3 inches in diameter) in the middle of the dough; gently press to mark the center. At the 12 o’clock mark, cut through the dough with a very sharp knife from the glass to the edge, leaving the center circle uncut. Repeat at the 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock points on the circle to make 4 quarters. Halve each quarter to make 8 equal wedges; halve those to make 16 wedges. 7. Lift the edges of 2 wedges that are next to each other and twist them away from each other twice. Pinch the ends together to make a pointed tip. Repeat with the remaining pairs of wedges. Remove the glass and cover the dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until the filling is firm and the dough has puffed and risen slightly, 45 minutes to 1 hour. 8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Uncover the dough and re-pinch any ends that came apart. Brush all over with the beaten egg and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until golden brown all over, especially around the center circle, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully slide onto a rack to cool completely. Serve at room temperature. Notes/Tips: Yes, you can essentially use pre-made doughs if you're short on time. You'd probably want to use either a crescent roll dough (several tubes as this makes a huge star) or puff pastry, depending on how flaky you want it. You probably could use pizza dough too. I've seen versions of this that is more dessert-style - making a filling of cinnamon sugar instead of savory cheese. You can substitute any flavors you want in the filling - make it ranch, make it spicier, make it milder - it doesn't really matter! Enjoy!

Congrats everybody!

The Christmas tree we put up every year is the same one I bought on a BF-Saturday Kmart deal. A Martha Stewart 6 foot artificial tree, unlit, because that wasn't a thing yet. This year will be its 18th season and I still haven't found anything to replace it despite the fact it keeps shedding needles, the color coding is wearing out, and the spokes are starting to rust. It will forever remain my best BF deal ever.

1. The anticipation among employees at Target for Black Friday sales is rivaled only by the annual Karaoke Competition. 2. We can see in this vintage photo of Black Friday that Best Buy was on the cutting edge of retail technology by utilizing Windows 95 at the registers to interface with a state-of-the-art LCD signature pads. 3. As hard as she tried, Leigh just couldn't catch 'em all - neither the Black Friday deals NOR the limited-time-only Pokemon hiding in the mall.

More Pre-BF sales, but not because of the election. And I imagine there will continue to be a lot of deep discounts throughout retail to make room on the shelves - I've seen lots of clearance inventory to move out of stores!

There are some reduced prices on things I want right now but I have no idea if it's the best price yet or if the sale is temporary... Retailers, if you're reading this, the confusion by not releasing your ads is making us buy less!!!

A long long time ago, Kmart had Black Friday and Saturday deals. The Saturday sale had Christmas trees on sale, in the last days before every tree was pre-lit. I bought a 6 ft Martha Stewart tree for $50 and it's still the same one I use today... Let's just say it's approaching 20 years of use. But what makes it memorable was that while waiting in line, a lot of people were confused by the Friday/Saturday sale - because items were one day only (Friday only OR Saturday only). I lived close to Kmart so I didn't mind going back two days, but people definitely left their full carts when they didn't get the sale price on a different day. Ever since then I've been hyper sensitive to fine print on BF sales.

Congrats!

Nintendo Switch games - MLB Show and Just Dance specifically - and airpods

Definitely batteries!

#1 - With apologies to Fergie, shopping for a DVD player is SO 2000-and-late.... #2 - This year Macy's introduces shopping bags designed to double as comforters, in an effort to both reduce single use plastics and provide a quick pillow that doesn't rustle when you sleep on it, as evidenced by little Davey's impromptu nap here. #3 - #wokeuplikethis. J/K! Spent all night planning our outfits.

I love that I've been conditioned to start visiting the BF forum more regularly once September rolls around....

Entering for fun! Photo 1: "In the next episode of 'Attack of the 200 Foot Woman,' our favorite fearless Uber driver navigates around the monster's date night heels..." Photo 2: Presenting the latest boutique workout craze: Cartless Black Friday! It's a total body workout that is light on your wallet! Sculpt as you shop by simply carrying everything you buy - no carts or bags allowed. Photo 3: "The last thing on the scavenger hunt list was a BluRay copy of a My Little Pony movie..."

Oooh yay! Thanks and congrats to all!

Gaming Keyboard and Mouse Combo,61 Keys Compact RGB Backlit Mechanical Feel Keyboard,RGB Backlit 2400 DPI Lightweight Gaming Mouse with Honeycomb Shell for Windows PC Gamers (4 in1/black Set) https://a.co/4zGvgG7 I love the vibrant colors of this set. Everything you need in one place, for the gamer in your life.

And an air fryer and lots of toys for the kiddies to play!

Airtight Food Storage Containers with Lids, Vtopmart 24 pcs Plastic Kitchen and Pantry Organization Canisters for Cereal, Dry Food, Flour and Sugar, BPA Free, Includes 24 Labels https://a.co/fDHUvvK Anyone who doesn't have a large pantry could benefit from these bins to store food in easy to reach places. Great for organizing craft items and toys too! I'd give it to my mom or even ask Santa for it for myself [emoji1]

A snuffle mat for dogs.... Mine would SO love this one, especially with his favorite treats hidden in there! Panny Snuffle Mat for Dogs, Interactive Dog Puzzle Toys, Stress Relief Sniff Mat for Small, Medium and Large Dogs, Feeding Mat for Smell Training and Slow Eating, Encourages Natural Foraging Skills. https://a.co/8s95TSz

Angler Fly Tying Fishing Kit Tool Organizer - Wooden Fly Fishing Desk for 12 Fly Fishing Tools - Store Fly Tying Materials, Scissors, Bobbin, Thread https://a.co/9MvJwyb A neat, lightweight organizer for fly fishers to keep their lures and tools, well, organized and neat! My dad would love this, as would all his fishing buddies, who keep all their things in old fishing boxes they've had for decades and can never find what they need. Time to upgrade! Plus it doubles as a work area for fixing ties, super handy on the go.