Are You Ready?

Have you heard about those people that go shopping at like 2am the day after Thanksgiving just to get cheap stuff? Crazy right? I'm totally one of those people! I live for Black Friday! I am so anxious for Friday, I cannot sit still, my adrenalin is already pumping. I've been looking at the ads for weeks now checking for who has the best deals. I've planned my attack route, created a list of who gets what from where... the list goes on. I am a serious Black Friday shopper, I would even dare to say competitive. This is not my fault, in fact it runs in my family. I won't be with them this year, but every year the whole family goes out together to face the crowds and awesome deals. When I was in high school all of the girls on my mom's side of the family (mom, sisters, grandma, cousins, aunts) would meet at the mall before the sun came up, these are some of my favorite memories.

This year I'm braving the cold and crowds with a friend who is a Black Friday virgin. I've told her I get a little crazy on Black Friday but I don't think she believes me (my husband is worried we won't be friends after).

Being the Black Friday expert that I am, I've created a little survival guide for you because I would hate  to hear that any of you got trampled!


There are several places online where you can find Black Friday ads available for you to view. I use www.theblackfriday.com. They seem to always have the ads first. The research is very important to your Black Friday experience. Don't think you can go out at midnight having no idea what the stores even have, you have to go with a purpose, with specific items in mind. Sure you'll find other stuff along the way, but knowing what you are looking for will help you to shop quicker and get out of one store and onto the next much faster. You may also want to call which ever store you are going to to make sure they have a certain item and how many of that item they will have. This could be a game changer, so be prepared.

If you are wanting a TV or other popular items you need to get to the store EARLY. To get there early you need to find out when the stores open. Be careful not to get trampled. I've never tried to get a big ticket item so I like to show up about a 1/2 hour after the doors open because the store still isn't too crowded or picked over and I don't get trampled (nor do I assist in the trampling).

Unless there are two of you you will have to prioritize your shopping list, unfortunately you can't be two places at once. Let's say there is a really good deal on a gift you've been eying for your mom at Target, BUT there is an unbeatable deal at Kohls on a toy that your kid has been asking for for months, AND they open at the same time. Where do you go first. It's a tough call to make. I usually go to Kohls first and get all my shopping done at one time, but this year Old Navy is bringing some good deals so I don't know where to go first! Keep in mind that they might not have a large quantity of hot ticket items like TVs.

If you haven't already make lists. I make a list of people I need to buy for and what I'm buying for them according to store, That way I know exactly what I'm shopping for and I don't forget about anyone in the rush. I also have back up gifts planned so if plan A is gone, I can just go to plan B or C without getting flustered. If I'm not sure what exactly I want to get them I at least make a list of ideas, so if there is a good deal on one of those ideas I can go with that.

One thing I've learned from experience is dress smart. You want to dress in layers that you can remove so you don't get overheated, but also think about trying things on. If you are planning on trying some things on yourself, wear things that can easily be taken off and on, and maybe even thin t-shirts so you can try things on over your clothes and not wait in dressing room lines (always a little embarrassing, but no one there will remember you!). Also if you don't want to deal with the crowds there is always Cyber Monday!

I hope this guide is helpful for you! Don't get hurt out there!

Original image found here

Winners

Congrats to the winners of our Facebook giveaway! Later today on the Facebook page there will be a poll happening so go check it out and participate.

Have an amazing weekend, and I'll meet you back here on Monday my fancy friends!

Holiday Entertaining Part 3

Thanksgiving is one week away, are you ready? If you are looking for a little somethin' to impress your guests, look no further! Last Thanksgiving I made these fun, and super easy, little cornucopias for each guest's plate. They were a HUGE hit! I cannot remember where I saw the idea, and I searched for it but have not been able to find it (sorry, I'll let you know when I find the source). Below are the instructions to create an ice cream cone cornucopia.

You will need:

• sugar cones (ice cream cones with a point)
• a pot of boiling water with lid
• vegetable steamer (I just used a colander)
• tongs are helpful

Directions:

Bring some water to a boil. While the water is boiling, place steamer (or colander) on top of the pot (this shouldn't touch the water). Put 1 ice cream cone in the steamer and put the lid on the pot. When I did it with my colander the lid didn't fit perfectly on top so I just made sure it covered the cone. Leave the cone in to steam for 7-10 seconds (this may take a little experimenting). The ice cream cone will be extremely hot so with the tongs, take the ice cream cone out of the steamer and quickly bend the back (pointy) end of the cone until you get the perfect cornucopia shape. Make sure to hold it till it cools off a little so it will hold it's shape). Follow these same steps for each cone and then fill them with whatever goodies you prefer (candy, fruit, etc.).

Next week is sure to be hectic with last minute preparations so, you could make these this weekend and then just pull them out on the big day (be careful not to crack them). These will definitely impress guests of all ages! ENJOY!

Next week I'll be sharing my favorite pumpkin treats that aren't pie and a black friday guide.

Holiday Entertaining Part 2

As I told you last post, I love to entertain, partly because it gives me an excuse to decorate (who doesn't love an excuse to decorate?). I also enjoy creating an experience for my guests with little treats on their plates, or fun place cards. Today I'm sharing some printables that match the Thanksgiving Feast Invitation to help you to give your guests a little something different this Thanksgiving. It's called the Give Thanks Party Pack. Click the link below to download.

GIVE THANKS PARTY PACK DOWNLOAD

In the party pack are a few fun little details to add to your Thanksgiving Feast, including place cards.

Also included in the pack are gift tags. Wouldn't it be so to find a mini loaf of pumpkin bread on your plate? You could also use the place cards as gift tags.

When you download the party pack you will also muffin/ dessert toppers. You could stick these in any dessert, (everyone's slice of pie maybe? so cute!)

I hope you enjoy the free party pack download, I know your guests will.

Tomorrow I'll be sharing another place setting idea that I used last year for our family Thanksgiving. Tomorrow is the last day to enter the giveaway, so be sure to hop on over to the Facebook page and enter to win some holiday cards.

Holiday Entertaining

Thank you to everyone who has entered the holiday card giveaway (if you haven't, there is still time). It's so fun to see which your comments about holiday cards are you favorite.

I think one thing people probably don't know about me is that I love to entertain. I'm always trying to come up with some reason to have people over or to throw a party, especially if it involves designing an invitation for the event. I think every great party needs a great invitation to start with, so that's why today I've created a little Thanksgiving Feast invitation for you to download. (click below)

Thanksgiving Feast Invitation Download

There are 2 per page on a white background so you can print on whatever color paper you like (I think mine will be on cream, or a white shimmer).

I hope you'll use it for your up coming feast, and I hope you'll come back tomorrow for some place setting ideas and to see what other goodies I've got up my sleeve!

The Thanksgiving Feast invitation is for personal use only and may not be redistributed or sold. For other uses please ask for permission. I would love to be featured on other blogs but, if you mention the invitation in a blog or other forms, please link back to this post.