Happy Black Friday to All. For those of you who ventured the outside world today you may have noticed the million other people who ventured with you. (i.e.- ME)
Despite the warnings and mockings from my own family members I treat the day after Thanksgiving like a kid in a candy store; or a bull in a China shop, depending what time of the day you ask me.
For the first time in five years I managed to get a bad parking space at my local mall. I leave at 5:30 am every year, make a pitstop at Dunkin Doughnuts, then venture to Willow Grove Park. Despite this minor setback I entered the mall with my normal enthusiasm and of course my mother (A.K.A.- Black Friday Buddy).
We were greeted at the front entrance by members of a local radio station. They were handing out free duffel bags which I believe were mistakenly thought to be stuffed with cash by some of the eager shoppers. For I was trampled not once but twice. (P.S.- No cash was found).
As we made our way to Macy's (My mother's stomping ground, and location of future burial plot- She requests the Dooney and Bourke Wing) I noticed the lines that formed in front of many of the mall stores.
I think my favorite reaction came from the woman opening the door at Victoria Secret's. The look on her face was priceless as she dodged the many women pushing their way to grab anything with a red tag. Those of you that have shopped this store before may have noticed that many of their selections are no bigger than a red tag anyway.
After an hour in Macy's I came to the realization that I didn't really need anything in there anyway. (Getting my Mom to accept that same train of thought was a little harder).
I recharged my batteries with some orange juice and a trip to Coach. A few more stores and twenty pounds of merchandise later, we finally walked out of the mall.
To Toys R Us we go. To Toys R Us we bid farewell. I needed just one doll, just one stupid doll. I headed to the front of the store to make payment when I was quickly told that the end of the line was somewhere around the same place where I picked up that stupid doll. Needless to say, Stupid Doll was given a new home on top of Hungry Hippos. After I finish this blog, I will devise a new plan on how to purchase Stupid Doll in time to put a smile on a little girls face.
Next stop: Bed Bath and Beyond. A need for decorative bows brought me to this store. A need for valour lined hangers, lit candy canes that line your sidewalk, and a drink mixer kept me there. Sadly when I get home, Hubby asks me to return the candy canes. (He call's it a waste of money, I call it a unique landscaping experience. O.K. they're going back)....wiping a tear.
Off to Target. An hour later we are practically crawling out. Once at the car we begin to realize that we are running out of room to place all our new purchases. We could go home and unload or press on to the liquor store. (Like I have to tell you what we decide).
Like every other store today, the liquor store kept me shopping by offering unheard of prices. While not as long as a stay as Macy's, I found that by the time I was leaving, my bags, I mean my cardboard box weighed the same. And like the last stop; we magically found a piece of car carpet to place it upon.
Onto A.C. Moores. I thought this would be the perfect place to get a few baskets. Again, everything was 50 percent off. Had it not been for the woman in front of us complaining that her Play doe was not ringing up the right amount, we may have made record time. Sadly, another half hour had passed.
Two more stores to go when we realized we hadn't eaten a bite since 5:30 that morning. If you haven't had the chance to sample a Five Guys hot dog; I highly recommend you make some room in your schedule. There are a few things you need to know before you visit: the only food on the menu is hot dogs and hamburgers, and because of it's popularity, they need more than five guys to cook all of it. Where the name Five Guys actually comes from still remains a mystery.
Stomachs full, we drove over to Kohls. (Oh my God!) Apparently while we were eating lunch the crowd from Toys R Us changed direction and decided to shop at Kohls. While I only needed one thing, our trip still took 45 minutes. Luckily, I was able to use my mother as a line holder while I finished my shopping. I stood in line for only 30 minutes.
When we finally reached the van we used a new technique. We opened both side doors at the same time and pushed to the middle. This gave us each the little room we needed to lay down our bags and quickly shut the door.
Last stop: Party City to pick up the paper goods for the upcoming party. Since it appeared that no one was in party mode today, we were able to navigate the store in about 10 minutes.
Safely at the van again, I had no choice but to give a good "heave ho" to my Party City bag and hope for the best. It landed right in one of my A.C. Moore baskets. Score!
As we pulled up to my house I was greeted by a pleasant surprise. My husband, Step Dad and boys had decorated for Christmas. It looked beautiful.
It just needs one finishing touch. Let's say some lighted candy canes for the sidewalk?!
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