honey_bee_1979

Thank you!!! It looks like we might be in FL for Thanksgiving & BF...

AWESOME!! Thanks for this info, Raleigh is about an hour for us :) If we stay in NC I think we might go there :)

Thank you for the info, will definately take it into consideration. Yes we are here for work & work is good. We also have a church here but we don't know if this area is where we will buy a house or not yet. Thanks again :)

Well a few months ago we moved from upstate NY, we are now in Wilson NC. We don't know if we will be spending Thanksgiving here or in Deland FL with my mom. So for both options were is the best place to shop??? On BF of course. Specifically a mall or stip mall exc... Spanks

See I totally agree, in our small town there wasn't another walmart for 30 miles so everyone (really alot of the poor in town) was at the local walmart & it makes it very dangerous!

I took my kids with me every year except for the last 2 when I accually had a sitter. When you have 6 kids its hard to find a sitter. Firstly finding a trustworthy sitter off of craigslist is not going to happen, I would never get one from there. Secondly if you do take your kids i would NEVER got to Walmart. Just as an adult going to walmart on BF gives me the creeps. I went one year & it was so crowded, not worth the few items I got, I had to stand in like for HOURS. We have always gone to our local mall which had big stores in it like, toys r us, Kmart Sears exc... they are just so much safer then walmart, target, best buy exc... Also just keep your kiddos comfortable. Mine were always in awe to be up so early in the morning, lol. They were excited too. Its really not that bad or bad for your kids as long as you are safe. Walmart for sure will never be safe. If you just had your little one, or a few that you could stick in your cart that wouldn't be too bad, but keeping an eye on everyone would be very hard. My hubby always has gone with me & it helped having 2 people to watch the kids. The last 2 years it was like a date for us, lol. No kids, but I was 38 weeks pregnant last year on BF :) Good luck

half price books oct 13th

Well they are predicting snow for BF here but I don't stand outside anymore. We start at the mall so we are inside. The first couple years we started BF shopping they had a designated door where they handed out GCs to that store. They no longer hand out gift cards soooo we go inside the mall and stay nice & warm :)

no cart, no pocketbook or purse. I wear jeans with deep pockets and carry my coupons/giftcards or credit card that way. I have a fear of putting my pocketbook down or just lossing it. Carts are too much. You can neverr get through where you need to. I find it much easier to manuver through crowds with nothing attached. We also drop off our purchases in our truck before we move on.

I'm not paniced but I get butterflies in my stomach, I know childish right :) We are not going out on Thanksgiving, I'm accually very unhappy that they did so many sales on that day. But my BF shopping is mostly to spend the day with DH and not have the kids around. Its my one day of vaca from everyone for the year So I'm sticking to my every year routine. I got an idea from all the ads here but I don't do any planning until Thanksgiving morning when DH gets the papers. I'm overall excited about this whole upcoming week though, its a big whole week for us :)

I will not be shopping Best buy or Toys R Us. We went to TRU last year and it was terrible. I don't think I'll ever shop there on BF again... I will not go to walmart until later maybe about 10am. I'm not hurting for there door busters and I'll go see what is left. Our Walmart around here usually has lots left even of the door busters... I went there last year and it took 2 hours to check out. I HATE that. besides I can't stand for that long this year, I'll be 38 weeks pregnant!

congrats winners!

I'm not overly impressed... See alot of DS lites in bundles but they were hot last year, I feel like I'm seeing alot of repeats... I will be out though and I do have a list ready to go. I get alot of clothes on BF I do have 5 kids and one on the way. I was hoping to see amazing deals on the pillow pets seeing as they all want one. I guess I don't have a huge items to get. I'm pretty sure most teh stuff I want won't be sold out so happy day for me I don't like the Thanksgiving sales at all, I think of the poor people out working registers on Thanksgiving night, I don't think they will be too happy.

Whoop Whoop Bengals Rock :) Well atleast my hubby likes them. We are in Schenectady NY most of the day but go to Albany/Colonie and other areas around there that day !

Most of what I am posting I will be buying on BF :)\ From Sears: 2-pk. Blanket Sleeper for Infants and Toddlers x 3 @ 7.99$ each = 23.97 Canyon River Blues Denim for Girls' 4-16 x x6 @ 4.99$ each = 29.94 Select Styles of Jeans for the Family x 3 @ 9.99 each = 29.97 Assorted DVD Movie Titles (Thumbelina, Barney, More) x4 @ 5$ each = 20 Assorted DVD Movie Titles (Mermaidia, Elmo, More) x3 @ 7.50$ each = 22.50 Craftsman Multi-Tool for my dad 79.99 From Ace: DeWalt Dual-Speed 18 Volt Cordless Drill 89.99 for my hubby From Macy's: Diamond Earrings in White Gold for daughter 59.99 From Lowes: Kobalt 12-Piece Junior Tool Kit or 20-Piece Kids Carpenter Kit x3 @ 14.98 each = 44.94 From Walgreen: Assorted Nintendo DS Video Games x5 @ 9.99 each = 49.95 Assorted Nintendo Wii Video Games X4 @ 9.99$ each = 39.96 Centrium Silver (30-Count) x 2 gag gift for dad & brother @ 4.24 each = 8.48$ GRAND TOTAL = 499.68$$$ WOW!

Crap I missed it! That is what I get for working around the house and trying to stay offline to get some work done... I would have been able to do them all except the video as my camcoder can't upload to my computer :/

We have friends in high places Our local convenience store opens nice & early. We have made great friends with the store owner & workers within the passed couple of years and DH was born and raised here so he has long time friends. They set aside one of each of our local papers. They collect about 3-4 papers for us & stash them behind the counter. basically when DH gets there to buy them is when we get them. He does go early though..... about 6:30a.m.

I'm depressed too, I want Black Friday ads!!! 3 weeks to the day we will all have then in our hands! Come on someone leak already!

Hehe I don't have to dress up as one... I will be one @ 38 weeks, I will be a very pregnant BF shopper, LOL!!!

If I had to dress up on BF I would dress up as mall security or a police officer & play the part I'd want to cut in line, lol. If I took my dad he would dress up as a sheriff. He has all the gear & dresses up for old fashioned Sunday every year, he even carries his pistol (He is licensed). Its cool to see him carry it around into out local shops, people stare!

First let me say that as a motherof soon to be 6 children, I love my children dearly and would never put them in harms way, I would sacrifice my own life for theirs. Second, When we started BF shopping was 8 years ago, We had 2 kids & NO ONE to watch our kids, we don't have alot of friends and certianly none that would take our kids and watch them, some older some worked, even my dad wouldn't take them. My husbands parents are both gone. We lived on a very limited budget to say the least. We bought our home when my husband was only making 9$ an hour and I don't work (Stay at home mom & homeschool our kids). BF was a way for us to get our kids alot of just nessesities (clothes & such) at a great price. It was cold, we live in NY. I bundled them tightly put them in the stoller (then 4 & 2 years old & we stood in line outdoors for about an hour. They were not cold, hungry or tired, as a matter of fact they were very excited, it was like an adventure. That was the only year we had to stand outside & sears even gave them each a 10$ gift card because they waited there too. It went toward there gifts for Christmas. We as parents were in no way being selfish. The next year we had a baby our 3rd child & some friends said they would take the older kids overnight. So we let me go, 1am my friend is banging on the door becuase my son was throwing up. He was homesick & had eaten way too much the day before (Thanksgiving day). We went and got them both & yes we went BF shopping still. My son wasn't even sick, no fever, just really homesick poor guy. We stood in line in the mall that year with all 3 of our children, nice & warm, lots of snacks and no crankyness. We did BF shopping with all our kids until 3 or 4 years ago, we found some really awesome friends, they offered to take the kids Thanksgiving night have a sleep over and care for them all the next day! Besides that my kids LOVE them, no homesickness or fear of leaving home, even our 2 yearold wants to spend the night and has fallen asleep there when we are gone past bedtime. In 2008 M was only 2 months old, I put her in my Moby Wrap, covered with a blanket & we stood in the mall for 1/2 hour, all warm, no issues. Where we shop its not a battle ground, We don't go to Walmart, sorry but too many people think Walmart is the dream BF place or that is the only place they can go to get good deals and most people are not considerate there at all, to me that is dangerous & I wouldn't bring my kids there. Here in our town, the closest store is Walmart, I live in a mostly generational welfare town, yes I do trust me, everyone in this town can't afford to get to the city to shop so they bombard our local walmart, they are unconsiderate 100% of the time, they are so poor that they will do anything to get what they need to get on BF and that is sad, so I travel over an hour to go shop somewhere calm. Third, If you put your child in danger or make them unhappy/cranky & they are screaming & crying disturbing others, I don't think you should bring them. My kids were niver cross about going and in fact loved it very much, but they love staying with our friends now too. I know not everyone has someone to watch there kids, trust me been there. These are the only people who I know are great with my kids and truly love them and for that I'm very happy. I'm glad they came along on top of being great friends to us theylove having our kids, that makes life so much easier on us. Now that I'm rambling.... Thats my story :)

I live in NY so you will be near where we shop :) We go to Albany/Schenectady and surrounding areas... Do you find the exchange rate is good for you?

That was awesome, very informative! Thanks :)

We started in 2002 I think... It might have been 2001, but 2002 for sure :) Wow 8th year for us, I didn't know it had been that long, wow...

congrats winners!!!