dgleason

When we still had our cat we couldn't put any ornaments on the bottom 2 rows of branches on the Christmas tree as she liked to bat them around. Everyone use to tell us we forgot to finish decorating the tree. She also liked to climb up the trunk and lie on the branches in the middle of the tree.

Digital photo frame uses the memory cards you use in digital cameras then displays your photos as a slide show in the frame.

Definitely need digital photo frames for parent/inlaw gifts. Want some Compact Flash/Memory sticks for myself. Guitar Hero for younger son. Stock up on several cheap DVD's. Haven't decided the rest.

I ordered a My Twinn doll for my niece and thought she was well worth it. However, trying to get a lock of hair off my niece with out my hairdress sister-in-law noticing was a challenge.

As many doorbuster specials as I can get to before going to work at 8:30. Year before last I had to work also but made it to 5 stores (made purchases at 4) and was only 1/2 late to work.

Menards has my pick - all the employees on the floor have clipboards with the ads and on each item on the ad is marked with where it is in the store - they will many times walk you to the item.

Downtown Apple Valley is the best - only 1.5 miles from home. It would be walking distance if I could carry all my purchases. Starting at the far side of downtown we have Home Depot. Across the street is Menards connected to Sam's Club. Next block is Kohl's/Bed Bath & Beyond/Michaels. Next block is Target/Best Buy/Office Max/Walgreens. Across the street is Radio Shack and Burlington Coat took over the old KMart. Next block down is Walmart. 3 miles down the road in Burnsville is the Mall with Sears/Macy's/Old Navy/JC Pennys. Across the street one direction is KMart and across the street the other direction is Target/Linens N Things/Kohl's/Michaels/Toys R Us/Circuit City.

Still undecided

Ditto

Kohl's - Great prices and wider selection

20 years but last year was the first one camping out all night

I agree with the CUSA midnight madness last year. It was a total crush of bodies pushing into the store. Then the hard drives were immediately in the front so the crush stopped just inside the door. It took 10 minutes to push through the crowd and break free. When the hard drives on the shelves were gone a couple of shoppers climbed the shelves and were throwing down the boxes from the overstock area above the shelves. It took almost a half an hour to find an employee - I think they were all hiding until it was safe to come out. Then it was 3 hours in line to check out.

Minnesota was a balmy 65 degrees yesterday and 70 degrees today - oh if only it would last another 2 weeks.

My husband wanted to buy Click when it came out and I wouldn't let him - told him it would be on sale BF. Glad I was proved right once again.

I did CC last year but may do BB Apple Valley this year. What time did you have to get in line?

Keep an eye out for manufacturer coupons also. Last year I found some in magazines (Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, etc) and the Sunday paper coupon insert. I had some Disney DVD, Milton Bradley games, Russel Stover and Whitman's chocolates that were all $1.00 - $3.00 off. Last year at CVS with the Russel Stover B1G1 free and using several $3.00 off coupons they were almost paying me to buy them.

Circuit City - then all the rest

Our Sony camera has 2 slots - compact flash and memory stick. We spent a week in Europe this spring and had a 1G in one slot and 512MB card in the other slot and they didn't last the whole week without downloading - luckily we had brought a laptop with us. I'm hoping they have 2G cards at amazing prices.

We've got the same problem with the Queen mattress set we just bought. Neither our 18" or 20" deep sheets will stay put. I've been trying to find some for 24" that are under $100 or better quality then 300 thread count. It would be hard giving up our 600/800 thread count sheets just for some that don't slip. Anyone know where to find any????

My family got 3 of them last year w/out using the AOL and they were $450.00 each.

Love the binder idea - will have to use that this year. For DVD's I've always found it helpful to create a spreadsheet. The movie titles running down the page and the stores running accross the page then just fill in the boxes with the prices. It makes a quick reference all movies on 1 page (all other items I'm buying are on different sheets separated by store). I try to grab as many titles at the 1st store and price match what I can. When you have 10/15/20 titles at the counter it really speeds things up at the registar to separate the titles and find which ad to hand the cashier for the price match - then cross it off the list. The next stop I check for any titles I missed - or if the first store wouldn't price match pick it up cheaper or price match at store 2, and so on, and so on, and so on.

I heard last year Thanksgiving Eve the BF ads were leaked and thanks to the wonders of Google I found this site. What a thrill it was to get a sneak peak at the deals and begin my shopping lists. I didn't come back to the site after BF as I just assumed it was over until this year. It wasn't until I came back this week and had much more time to puruse the site I discovered the whole GottaDeal side. What have I been missing!!! I always thought I was the Queen of Bargain Shopping but now I'm afraid I've by outshopped by all the regulars here. My husband and I have been married 21 years and live in the Twin Cities area "south of the river" in Minnesota. We have 2 boys aged 19 and 18 (my "baby" just turned 18 last week and I still haven't recovered from the shock). I telecommute for a travel agency and the only client account I work with is Target. So I was extremely busy last spring booking those shopping trips for the Target buyers searching for the products we'll be scrambling for on BF. Unfortunately I don't have any idea what those items will be.

20 years off and on depending on if I have to work. Usually I go out an hour or two early but the laptops last year were too hard to pass up. It was my first time camping out all night. I dragged my mom with me as with 2 teenage boys 17/18 I had to get 2 laptops or none. Took her to CC with me and told her we better get in line at 11pm - she didn't believe me at first as she has never gone shopping on BF. We were numbers 5 and 6. When we were in line and I pulled out my lists and spreadsheets to review and the ads to mark the price matches she laughed at all the prep work I do. After the doors opened and chaos ensued she was no longer laughing.