faceofboe

Getting to shop all by myself with no children to distract me for once. Also, getting the green light to buy all kinds of fun things for my kids.

My parents are horrible to buy for as well. A few years ago I started giving my Dad/Mom/Stepdad/Stepmom giftcards to their favorite restaurants and a shipment of goodies from Harry & David. They love it!

Hmm, interesting. So I always get there super early, list and ads in hand but I'm always alone because no one else will go with me. Does that make me a die hard or a newbie?

The weekend following Thanksgiving. I usually put my tree up by Sunday but it may take a little longer to get everything else up. I try to pace myself.

I just discovered Pandora earlier this year and it hadn't occurred to me that it will be a great Christmas music resource! I usually listen to North pole radio but it rarely plays my favorites. I may have to try it out on the sly since my husband refuses to have anything Christmas related in the house prior to Thanksgiving. Although I guess the exception to that rule is the movie Elf. My daughter watches that year round.

Waiting in the snow One-eighty-seventh in line I can't feel my toes

I think this is a great idea for when the kids are older and asking for big ticket items like ipads, laptops, etc. Right now, my children are still little and I want to spoil them with toys while they're still asking for that sort of thing. This will be the first year that both of my kids are old enough to get excited about Christmas and I can not wait to go overboard.

I try to have it early but it never fails that I'm waiting on something to cook. We usually sit down around 2 or 3.

I was hoping for a midnight opening as well.

I got mine in the mail today but I didn't get a $10 off coupon like I did last year. What gives?

I loved the early start! It's perfect for my family. We eat Thanksgiving dinner around 2 or 3, clean up and relax for a bit. Last year I got in line at TRU 2 hours before they opened which was about the time that my husband was getting the kids ready for bed. Once I got out of TRU, I got to the mall just as they were opening. I hope they do the same this year.

I'll end up spending more. I've gotten away with spending less on my youngest daughter the past 2 years because she hasn't been old enough to know the difference. This year she's old enough to notice if her big sister gets more. Plus, my oldest daughter has started asking for things instead of just waiting to see what Santa brings.

Artificial. My husband read a story as a child about this poor little tree that got discarded after Christmas and I think it traumatized him. He doesn't have the heart to cut down a real tree.

My oldest daughter asked for a tarantula. I'm terrified of spiders so the mere thought sends me into a panic. I saw a remote control one the other day but even that is a big maybe.

I shop in spurts. I'd be sad if I got it all done in one day. I like to drag it out as long as possible

I do! I usually send out around 50 and I'm lucky if I get 15 in return.

Hanna Andersson has good quality holiday pjs in all sizes. www.hannaandersson.com

Pretty much everyone I know! LOL. I have relatives that get into it but they live on the other side of the country and obviously don't shop with me. I end up texting them while standing in line at midnight to pass the time since they're the only ones up. Everyone near me is very "anti-commercialism" so for some reason, abstaining from shopping on that one day is going to make a statement? I don't get it. Those same people are still going to do their Christmas shopping at a later point.

I've already gotten my oldest daughter's big gift since I found a good deal on a dollhouse at TRU and a few other small items. Her birthday is also in December so I still have to figure out another big gift. I need to start making lists and get cracking on it!

I bought a similar one at Toys R Us this week. It's an Imaginarium one on sale for $89. I decided against the Costco KidKraft one because it has plastic furniture and plastic stairs.

Black Friday is the one day a year that I get to go shopping by myself while my husband and father-in-law stay home with the kids. Why would I want to bring them along? Besides, I do most of my Santa shopping at that time so I definitely don't want the kids around.

I'm so ready! I had a nightmare last night that I slept late and didn't wake up until almost 10am on Black Friday. I guess you could say that it's already invaded my sub-concious.

I'm fairly new to Black Friday. This will be my 5th year. My kids are just now getting to the age where they ask for specific toys so the game has gotten even more exciting.

Tri-cities, Washington state

I'm hoping to get a good deal on the FurReal friends Butterscotch pony. Target and TRU has them on sale for $99 at the moment. I'm trying to decide whether to go ahead and get it now while I can still find them on the shelves, or if I should wait and see if I can get a better deal on BF. It's been on some hot toys lists but not all of them so I'm not sure what the demand is going to be.