jakesmommy403

I stay far, faaaaaaar away from Best Buy on BF. No freaking way am I going there, no matter what they have on sale. I've been tending to stay away from Walmart more and more...to the point where they didn't even make my list this year. I am one of the nuts that goes to TRU though, and then over to Target.

Since I won't be making any stops at Walmart, I might actually stop in Big Lots this year!! I like the looks of those pillow pet knock-offs. My kids both want one, but I don't feel like paying $20 for a Pillow Pet. $10 I will do. :)

I don't know about all Targets, but here's how mine works. Everyone lines up outside, going down along the sidewalk through the plaza. I don't have to get there until about 2 hours before they open, and I'll be about 50th in line. (I got for toys, not electronics. If I wanted PSP I would get there earlier.) The employees come up and down the line passing out maps of where the big ticket items are located, as well as the DVD kiosks and such. When the doors open they let the line move forward but there are security guards to prevent a stampede. They bring out all the extra shopping carts they have and have them lined up inside, and you grab and run. Lol!! I will warn you though, at mine the electronics dept gets insane, so you'll want to make sure you don't lag back; grab that cart and GO! Or forget the cart! You can always go get one later. They have all check-outs open, and employees directing you to short lines. Very organized. Good luck! :)

So far, I have my checklist updated and printed out; it has things on it like "load up the coffee carafe, travel mugs, cold bag with creamer, snacks...", etc. If I don't have my check-list then I get lost when I'm getting ready to leave the house. I also have a store-by-store list going, updating constantly, in the order that they open. Waiting for Walmart to fill in the blanks, but unless they hit me with a deal I can't pass up it looks like we'll just be stopping in there after all the doorbusters at other stores and seeing what's left. That's pretty much it for now. I'm as organized as I can be for the moment. 13 more days!!

That's how ours is, too. I really like that set-up. We just stand with our little carts by the stuff that we want and wait to rip the paper off. I'm never out on BF for electronics, so I probably do have an overall easier experience than some, but I have to say, once they say GO it takes us about 10 min to gather what we want, another 20 in the checkout and we're on our way to the next store!

Good looking out on that fine print! I don't know what the heck is happening at the desk on BF at our TRU then! lol! Like I said, I stay faaaaar away from it. Sounds like the hide-and-hope system is the only thing I can do, then.

I've been wondering about Kmart too. It's the same here, if you don't want to be in a crowd on BF you go to our Kmart. Lol. I usually stop in on the way home when the rest of my shopping is done and see what they have. :)

This is wonderful!!! I found my prized kitchen set that Santa brought me in the 1986 catalog on pg 406! I was 4-years-old, and I got that kitchen and every little piece of plastic food and tiny cookware you could think of to go with it! I used to pretend I was a mommy and play with it all day; making meal after meal for my imaginary babies and husband. I almost cried when I saw that picture. I haven't seen that kitchen in years!! :) http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/jakesmommy403/k.jpg

I'm not sure what they do, because I've never tried it. But whatever is happening over at that counter is something that I stay far away from on BF!! LOL

Awesome job, Brad! As always! :)

I may or may not have seen an HP Desktop Bundle with Blu Ray $499 in the not released possible Sams Club ad that may or may not be on my computer. :) Hope that helps you!

Well, I'm not one to do this with our TRU because of the size of that line on BF. I have so many little stops to make that it just doesn't fit into my day. And you are not over-simplifying at all, it's a great idea!! The size of the single line going to the service counter at our store is ridiculous!

It would be so much fun!! I could buy one at retail price so he'll get it, but I don't like spending $100 on one toy, you know? So I will attempt both things: The hiding for possible retrieval later, and the PMing at other stores. Thanks for all of the advice, everyone! I really appreciate it!

Hmm...now you've got me thinking about getting it again. Maybe we'll go for it. At 10 we'll put it with the animals like you said, then when everything else is done we'll head back and get it. I'll be done with everything else by 10 a.m., so that will give us plenty of time to go back and hopefully retrieve it. And if it's not there, it gives us plenty of time to figure out something else. THANKS! I have heard that Target is PMing on stuff, and then I heard they're not. Then I've heard that they are, but only on certain items. So I honestly just don't know. I'm not sure if I want to chance it on BF.

I was wondering the same thing! I would have to find the exact same toy, and then maybe see if they would match it. But sometimes they won't match a "special sale", so I don't know. I'm actually starting to wonder if I should just forget the GI Joe Headquarters thingy and just add a few more jets and vehicles to my list. See, I have to be at Lowes at 6 for the wine chiller. It's something that my parents really want, so I don't want to miss out on it. TRU is clogging up my morning with this 5 a.m. sale crap, lol. Ok, here's what I'm thinking. I'll still go to the 10 pm sale at TRU and get the things on my list for that, then head home to drop it all off and go ahead with Target. If I either can't find or if they won't match the big GI Joe thing, then we'll forget it. Then it's off to Lowes for 6 (same plaza as Target), and then we'll head over to Walmart after that to see what's left in toys. DH just said "that GI Joe thing will not make or break his Christmas"...and he's right. I get too worked up over stuff like that. lol Thanks for the advice!! I'll let you guys know how it goes if I try to price match it at Target on BF. :)

I know, that's what I'm worried about too. We're lucky to have a TRU that doesn't get as busy as it sounds like other ones do, but they still do that line system where you're wrapped around the store, waiting to be let in to a cashier's line. I hate that. The good thing about ours is you can stroll up to the door 10 minutes before they open and there's only about 40 people milling around outside. Ours doesn't get INSANE until closer to 3-4 a.m. That's what has me so concerned about this GI Joe thing. Maybe I should just forget it? I don't know. It's such a good price!! Has anyone had luck with the TRU website on BF? Maybe DH can order it at 5 while I'm out shopping?? Hmmm....

This year we'll be starting at TRU at 10 p.m. to get a bunch of things (hopefully, lol) on our list. But I also need to get the G.I. Joe Mobile Headquarters that does not start until 5 a.m. My initial plan was to get the TRU stuff at 10, then drop that stuff off at home and head to Target to wait for 4 a.m. to come around. My question is, do you think I even have a chance of getting back to TRU at 5 and actually getting the GI Joe Headquarters?? I don't want to miss the Target sale, so I don't plan on hanging out in TRU all night waiting for 5. What should I do? Do you think this will be a big seller? Should I attempt to hide one when I'm there at 10? Will they even be on the floor at that time? I need some advice here! This is the very first time that I've needed something from the same store that has started at a separate time. Thanks! :)

I devoured this ad last night when I saw that it was up!!! This is the first year that I won't need to stop at Kohls for anything, so I was banking on Target giving me a good reason to get up early. LOL! And they did! I have a little list here: Lego Space Police Galactic Enforcer $64.99! My son has wanted this for a long time but it retails for $100 and I just won't spend that on a Lego set. Toy Story 3 $13. Transformers Power Core Combiners $10 (I hope they have a few different ones). Bakugan Brawler Game Pack $10. Wii games for $17, if I can get near them. There's always a frenzy around the games and DVD's at my Target. Now all I have to do is wait for the Walmart and Kmart ads to come out to get my game plan put together and I'll be ready to go!

Washington, PA here! :)

This was our year to host Thanksgiving at our home, and I was so worn out by the celebration that I SLEPT IN on Black Friday!!! I've NEVER done that before! So I shot out of my bed at 6:44 and flew up to Walmart with my brother, convinced that I missed out on everything I wanted. I don't buy electronics on BF so at least I didn't have to worry about that. I only shop for toys for my kids. I ended up getting in and out of Walmart in 15 minutes, no lines, because everyone had already been there and gone. And I got EVERYTHING that I went there for! Went to Toys R Us next, got everything there, Target next and got everything, and Kmart where I also got all the stuff I went out for. We finished it up at Kohls, where the line was HUGE but the deals were fantastic! So all in all, I filled my lists, got both of my kids done, and didn't have to stand in lines to wait for stores to open, or wake up at 2 a.m.! Who knew??? :) Here's what I got: WALMART: Hot Wheels Collosal Stunt Set (2) Transformers 2-pks Pictureka! Fisher Price 321 Lights N Sounds Ball Train with Poppin' Balls TARGET: Nerf Vulcan Disney Scene It Monopoly Junior TOYS R US: Lego Moblie Command Center Hot Wheels Color Change thing KMART: Legos B2G1 Free Bionicle sets B2G1 Free KOHLS: Playskool Ride-on toy Playskool Baby Basketball set Cheeeeap wrapping paper and bows

I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, but I'm confused. I don't plan on getting there til around 3 a.m. but I'm only going for the hot wheels and transformers sets. Will I need a ticket, or are the tickets just for things like tv's? Do I just do what I've done every year and head back to toys and wait?

Kmart has Lego and Bionicle sets Buy 2 Get 1 Free on BF.

BATTERIES!!!!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!!! 80% of my son's toys need these and I didn't buy any!! So we are off to the store on CHRISTMAS EVE to get them!!! *quiet sobbing* I hope I don't get trampled, lol! I'm trying to tell myself it will be ok...... pray for me....... MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!!

Ok, honest opinions please. My son is in Preschool and this is our first time buying teacher gifts. He has 2 wonderful teachers, both women, and school supplies were out of the question because our school is stocked. So I picked up a couple of Starbucks gift cards today for them...what do you think? Is it too impersonal??

Christmas Vacation A Christmas Story The Polar Express Jingle All the Way