"White Friday"

Although the day following Thanksgiving is traditionally called "Black Friday", to me, this year, I like to think of it as "White Friday". Here I sit at the computer, snugly wrapped in a blanket, chai tea brewing, watching the view of the rising sun out of my window. How pure and white the fresh blanket of snow looks! The children are still asleep, it's so peaceful. I woke early this morning, and by 6:00 AM, I had my Christmas shopping mostly finished. And I never left the house. How is this possible??

Online shopping! I am not one of those people that brave the cold and mobs of deal-crazy shoppers stampeding the aisles to snatch up the door busters. I don't need the experience of actually being in a store. I don't thrive on shopping merely for the sake of shopping.

I do, however, like a good bargain! I have discovered that many of the Friday deals are available on the store's website. What could be better than shopping in your pajamas from the comfort of your own home?? I find that doing this helps me to make more deliberate choices and keep better track of how much I am actually spending. I have a detailed list of who I still need to purchase a gift for, so it has me on track,organized rather than feeling rushed and overwhelmed with a frenzy of people around me. Many stores even offer free shipping, or have promo codes/coupons that take a certain amount off of your grand total. It's so exciting waiting for those boxes to start arriving, too!

Another option is free site-to-store shipping. Your package is mailed directly to the store, they notify you when it arrives, and you simply walk in and pick it up at the customer service counter.

So, this year, I should have all shopping completed by December 1st--what a great feeling! Now I just need to make sure I have enough wrapping paper! :)