Kibit13

I don't like them. I feel for the retail workers that were hired on before the stores decided to open that early. It's difficult to enjoy your Thanksgiving when you know you have to work at 11:00 pm to get the store open by 12 am.

Just like TotallyBF said the Apple Store will have a small BF sale and will discount some of their products. Another way to save money is to buy a refurbished ipod through Apple. However, the gift card incentives are nice. There are a lot of free apps for the ipod touch, but itunes cards are always nice to have on hand for music downloads and app purchases.

Article on Consumerist mentions that Target will open at 4 am and at least one store in Indiana will only be letting in 30 people at a time. http://consumerist.com/2011/10/target-store-has-great-black-friday-idea-only-30-people-at-a-time.html

I don't camp out, but if I did, I'd be more willing to do so at a store that gives out tickets for door busters. That way you know you're getting the item and the time you've spent is (hopefully) worth it. Have fun!

I have taken awesome photos with a variety of cameras. From my Samsung camera phone to DSLRs. As photographer Chase Jarvis says, the best camera is the one that's with you. :) If you're happy with the camera you had and the one you just purchased then stick with that. Especially if you're concerned about one of your kids breaking it again. It happens, heck I almost broke my camera the other day because I fell while taking a photo. http://twit.tv/show/twit-photo/18 http://www.chasejarvis.com/

Christmas shows! This year pack some snacks. Nuts are always good because they have protein in them. Any snack with a good balance of protein and carbs should help keep your energy up. Lots of water too. Sometimes when we feel tired it's because we need hydration.

This is a cool idea. My area doesn't get crazy for BF, so it'll be nice to hear about the fun from people instead of media. The media always shows the same scary video and makes BF shoppers out to be crazy people. Regarding inside the stores, security and store employees can ask you to stop taking video and photos. It most likely won't happen on a crazy day like BF, but just be aware that there is a possibility.

Your daughter sounds very wise.

Awesome! If you want to get them coats, Gymboree typically has a good sale on them the day after Thanksgiving. Have fun!

I really think the ipod and ds work great as big gifts for you DS5. At his age he's still developing his motor skills and while the ds will help with hand/eye coordination and the ipod will be great for music. I think toys are still perfect for him. Big trucks, cool dinosaurs, Lincoln Logs or a cool radio controlled car, etc... He has plenty of time for the Xbox and PS3. Besides, if you get all the big gifts now, there's less to buy next year and the year after that. Xbox and Playstation won't be replacing their systems anytime soon. There will be a new wii (Wii U) and a hand held sony game system (Vita) soon, but from the looks of it the sony games are far from kid friendly.

I've noticed that xbox does have more kid friendly games. Did he ask for both of them? Maybe you could bring him to Best Buy or Target and have him play the xbox and playstation, and see which one he prefers. Since the controllers are different, he may prefer one over the other. Or one of them may be easier to use.

There are tons of ideas on your list pogi. I would totally be your secret santa, but now I guess it wouldn't be so secret.

Keebelf- Has your daughter played the 3DS? Some stores have demo units that you can play. When we played it, it felt awkward and gave us a headache. It was also difficult to maintain the 3D effect when you had to tilt the game. If she hasn't already I would definitely have her try it first. Just to make sure she doesn't have any issues with it. If she has played it then I'm sure she'll be excited to get it for Christmas!

The Wacom tablets are nice. They make a wide variety of tablets in many price points. This might be a good starter tablet for your son. Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet $159.99 http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-CTH661-Bamboo-Fun-Tablet/dp/B002OOWC4C/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1315780004&sr=1-3 The Intuos4 by Wacom is nice and more expensive, but it's more professional grade. It comes in a few different sizes. The medium sized wired tablet on Amazon is $339.99 The wireless is $346.99 http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos4-Medium-Pen-Tablet/dp/B001TUYTZW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1315780233&sr=1-1 The Inkling by Wacom is very cool, but I'm not sure if it'll work well for his needs. It looks like it's just for sketching. It's $199 and will be available in mid September. http://www.animationforum.net/wacom-introduces-inkling/ On Wacom's site. http://www.wacom.com/en/Products/BambooTablets/BambooFun.aspx http://www.wacom.com/en/Products/Intuos/Intuos4Medium.aspx http://www.wacom.com/en/Products/Inkling

The gift exchanges always look like so much fun. I'm thinking of joining the fun this year. :)

Yes! This is so frustrating! A bit off topic, but I feel the same way about electronics. If our tv stopped working, but could be fixed it would cost so much more to fix it then if we bought a new one. I'll stop ranting now.

Check Marshals, TJ Maxx, Ross, etc... for stuff for her room. I've seen so many cute comforters, pillows, lamps and furniture that would be so much fun in a girls room. Great prices too! You could even have a favorite photo of hers enlarged for her new room. Have fun!

I go to a Perfect Teeth dentist and they have their own insurance plans. I haven't used it, but it does look good. I believe they start the day you purchase it. Try looking around for franchise type dental offices and see if they offer any plans. Even if it just gets you through until your dental insurance kicks in from work.

I'll be checking the baby stuff for some good deals. Thanks for the heads up!

I just read this article and wanted to share. Target Updates Coupon Policy To Limit BOGO Stacking http://consumerist.com/2011/06/target-updates-coupon-policy-to-limit-bogo-stacking.html "BOGO coupons cannot be combined (i.e. you cannot use two BOGO coupons on two items and get both for free). Unless stated otherwise on the coupon, the use of one Buy One Get One Free coupon requires that two of the valid items are presented at checkout of which one item will be charged to the guest and the 2nd item will be discounted by its full retail price. A second cents-off coupon of the same type cannot be redeemed towards the purchase price of the first item. * If a Target BOGO coupon is used, one additional manufacturer coupon maybe used on the first item. * If a Manufacturer BOGO coupon is used, one additional Target coupon may be used on the first item."

You might be able to just replace the screen. I searched on amazon for "replacement laptop screen Toshiba" and I found this Brand New 15.4" WXGA Glossy Laptop LCD Screen For Toshiba Satellite Series L300, L300D, L305, L355D $87.00+ $7.00 shipping http://www.amazon.com/Glossy-Laptop-Screen-Toshiba-Satellite/dp/B002HTTRI8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1308082781&sr=8-2 I'm sorry this happened. It's so frustrating.

I saw a MLB Colorado Rockies mascot (Dinger) Pillow Pet at Target. They weren't on sale/clearance, but they are so cute! I'm not even a baseball fan and I wanted one. If you are a MLB fan then you should check your store for your local teams mascot in Pillow Pet form. So cute!

Congrats mabennett! I'm going to talk to my homeopathic practitioner about it and see if she thinks it's a good idea for me. Have a great day!

Have you checked any of the grocery stores in your area? You may want to try amazon too. Good luck!

I've gotten the mailers in the past. The last one I received during the holidays. No red card here. :)