carone0318

I had a successful BF shopping experience. First off I got Kohl's to sell me the following on Wednesday for the BF prices: 1 king size featherbed for 49.99 3 down alternative throws for 9.99 ea 1 throw rug for 7.88 - gift to myself My BF day started in line at Kohl's at 4:30am - got 1/8ct diamond earrings for dd who is 9 for 23.99 (won't really care if she loses one.) Then off to Strawbridge's tried to get the featherbed there with doorbuster price of 29.99 but they only had 2 twins and 1 queen. I was the first person in the store - I couldn't believe it. So since I struck out on the feather bed, I did get an ipod case for my dd's mini for 8.79. Then off to Target (this is where I scored big) I got 2 lava lamps $10 ea; iDOg for 19.97; Madagascar movie for 14.88; Kicking and Screaming movie for 8.88; accessories for ds's Disney mix stick all marked down. Got other stuff but not really on sale. In addition to going to Kohl's, Strawbridge's and Target, I also went to Office Max, Dick's, Michael's, the Home Depot and Wawa (for breakfast) and was able to be at dd's soccer game at 9:15 in the morning. I thought that was pretty impressive. I did get the $30 vacuum at Home Depot and I also bought a portable heater (another early Christmas gift to myself) for in the bathroom in the morning while I get ready for work. I had another get day and as always look forward to doing it again next year!

Takes one to know one I love being surrounded by my own kind!!! All in good fun, my friend

My choice wasn't there, I'll be going to Kohl's first and then Target. I guess with no one else going there, I can just show up at 5am and walk in without a care in the world. Sounds good to me....

Southern NJ Mostly Sunny high 40 / low 22 I will be going shopping, but my poor dd (9) will be on a soccer field at 9:45am for her first of 2 games and then she has another game on Sat. Her team is in a Thanksgiving tournament. I am missing the first game to go shopping - I think that I am getting the better end of the deal, but I will be out for the 2nd game. It's going to be cold, I'm bringing the down blanket!

My kids dd(9) and ds(4) love the Mario games. For DD this yr we got her the Mario DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) which is new. I also got them the Mario Baseball which they both love to play while we are at Target. We have Mario Golf, which is fun and Mario Kart which is the car racing - this is my ds and dh's favorite to play. I believe it is on 12/5 that Mario Strikers will be coming out, which is soccer. I will be getting this for ds, just not sure if it will be for Christmas or his birthday on 2/14. We love the Mario series.

Ok, so my dh is not the nicest person. He wants to get a Christmas card for the mailman and tape it to the mailbox post so he has to get out of his car to get it and on the inside he wants to write: "I thought you were allowed to get out of your car." The mail people say they are not allowed to get out of their vehicles, so if there is something in the way, you just don't get your mail that day! For example, the trash can from trash pick up. It didn't start out in front of my mailbox, but that is where the trash man left it!!! Wrong, wrong, wrong in my book. When you look at some of those folks, the exercise might do them some good! Also, I couldn't tip because we do not get our mail until at least 5pm, that is the earliest. We've gotten mail at 7:30 at night. This is crazy to me.

We do a couple of cookies and a juice bag. Dd also has to put out reindeer food too.

I am another vote for homemade goodies. I make Christmas bark and fudge that I give out around the holidays to my co-workers including my boss. If I felt that I had to give an actual gift I would vote for a Christmas ornament (as long as they celbrate.)

We'll watch them, dd (9), ds(4), dh and myself. Thank God for Tivo, we may not watch them when they are airing on TV, but will have them tivo'd and watch them at some point. We will also watch Christmas Vacation - my favorite!

I hope that is the case because most of what I want is at Target. I don't need the big ticket electronic item which the door busters usually seem to be. Keeping my fingers crossed.

It could keep some away, but on the other hand, with prices higher and budgets tighter it might draw more people out hoping that they could stretch their money further and buy more gifts with the same amount of money. As for my particular situation, I live in NJ and our gas right now I can find for $1.95 a gallon. High from a historical perspective, but cheap considering what it was back on Labor Day. I fear heating cost more than my car gas, so I have about a $200 cushion in my heating budget hoping I cover my overall usage. I am going out on BF because I want to get the most for my money and because I am frugal! Everyone loves a good deal .

Ok, I have to admit although I know that I am a bit loney , I can tell if people have taken a shower or not and BF is the worst, to me people have a day ole odor to them. I don't know if it's their hair that has the "day ole" scent or what, but I get skeeved by it. It's the same with people I work with, I can just tell the ones who didn't shower. It's my hidden talent I guess. I understand why those don't on BF because most get up at some ungodly hour, but I really just want to hold my nose. I can handle the crowds, but its the body odor that gets me!!!

Dicks, Dicks, Dicks - PLEASE! I am looking for an air hockey table and already have quite a few that I've been looking at - plus it is right next door to Target and Kohl's.

Our ornament theme is Disney. We have all Disney and some that the kids have made.

My kids make a list and when we go to the Thanksgiving Day parade in Philadelphia at the end when Santa comes the postal workers walk with his float and take the kids letters to give to him. It's perfect because I get to see what they want before BF

On my Christmas list for dh to get ideas I put socks for work (the kind you wear with casual shoes and trousers, but they have to have prints on them, like animals or something, not plain brown, black or blue socks.) I also put on my list one of those scarf things. I was describing it to my dh the other night and he said, oh the scarf thing that would make you look like a muslim (which is not a bad thing, but funny considering that I am Irish with freckles) but it would be perfect for when I am out on the soccer field watching my kids play.

I wish that I had one favorite, but I really don't. Here is a list of a few that I would put at the top of my list: Santa Baby by Bruce Springsteen; Silent Night by Wilson Phillips; Please Come Home for Christmas by Bon Jovi and I'm not sure of the name of the song but it goes Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me... I think that the title might be Let there be Peace on Earth. You'll here it around the holidays, but it is not necessarily a holiday song. We sing it at Church throughout the year too, but it reminds me of the holidays.

My suggestion would be a subscription to Consumer Reports. I get this for my dh and my FIL every year and they both love it - considering they really don't need anything.

Well I did it. I was out there on Sat in my t-shirt and sweatpants putting the lights on the shrubs. I also will put candy canes along the walkway to our door that light up, but I will do that Thanksgiving weekend, they don't take long and I can keep my gloves on when I do that if necessary. I did see people looking at me, but instead of thinking that they thought I was a freak, I bought into the thought that they were looking at me like, hey what a great idea

In our house you can't come down the stairs until Daddy does the video taping of everyone on the top step and get a picture of me, the kids and the dog sitting on the top step. This is something that he and his brothers had to do on Christmas morning - it's a tradition through generations now! Should be interesting this year though because he have moved and now the kids rooms are upstairs and the master bedroom is downstairs. I guess we will work it out!

My dd's school does. She goes to a catholic school and they do a huge production. For the Christmas play it is K-4 and for the Spring play it is 5-8th grade. We love it. This is her last yr for the Christmas play, but next yr her brother will be joining her in school and then I will have 5 more yrs of the Christmas play - yeah!

Christmas Bark: 1# semi-sweet chocolate chips shelled pistachios cran-raisins Toast the pistachios in oven to slightly brown. Melt chocolate chips in microwave, blend in desired amount of pistachios and cran-raisins. Use cookie sheet, line it with wax paper. Pour mixture on cookie sheet, place in fridge to chill. Once chilled, break up the bark - done! Suggestion - spread bark thin in cookie sheet, the thicker the bark spread, the harder it is to break. Should hold up in air tight container for a couple of weeks. I have it last up to a month in my house (garage) in air tight container in the cold. You can also drizzle white chocolate on the top for prettiness before chilling. For fudge, I use the recipe off of the Eagle brand evaporated milk. I make Rocky Road fudge and everyone loves it! I use my bark and fudge as gifts for when we go to people's homes over the holidays and for gifts to my co-workers.... Might try those Buckeyes this year too, they look good and easy - the kids could help me!

For golf, I would get a GC for a country club or wherever he likes to play to cover his green fees to play or maybe to a special course that he has always talked about but would never go to because of the expense. I personally love the NFL Ticket but you have to have directv and you would be getting it for next year's season. I do believe though that they have something to cover the bowl season which would be right after Christmas. Good luck - my dh is a European Football fanatic, soccer in American terms! I have to buy everything off of e-bay.

Well, I put white lights on the shrubs in the front of my house and I have the little candy canes (about 12" high) that I trim the walkway with. I am going to have a little fiberoptic tree in my living room that you will be about to see from the front of the house. I have some other stuff, but don't know if I will be using - new house, never had Christmas here before! Just have to go with the flow.

I, too have a 9 yr old dd and this is what I am getting her: pogo stick Scavenger Hunt board game (I've only seen it at KMart) Life Battleship Yatzee (it's the yr of the board game in my house if you couldn't tell - thanks TRU) beach towel lap board Mario DDR for gamecube golf clubs Disney calendar (we're a disney family) sheets Mad libs (saw this huge book at B&N for sale for like $4.99) outfit she is a gymnast so she is getting a couple of leos and some posters for her room movies - Racing Stripes & Kicking & Screaming for her stocking: undies socks poncho for Disney beanie bear for gymnastics Disney $ GC for Outback Steakhouse (she can take the family out to dinner one night) As you can see I am basically done with her and her brother, so if anyone wants ideas for a 4 almost 5 yr old boy, let me know Sorry for the long post!!!