The Best of Black Friday

How did Black Friday become so big that it actually starts before the football games are over on Thanksgiving? And when did we decide that one of the few days of the year (most) companies still actually observe as a day of rest and family should be a day that we leave our families after dinner to cram ourselves into stores and fight for gifts that will make our loved ones love us more? I say Black Friday is Boloney!

I dread shopping, I dread the Holiday rush for the best gifts, I dread the chaos that ensues during the Holidays on the road and in the malls BUT I loveeeee the Holidays. I love giving gifts, even more I love making gifts, I love decorating, I love cooking and baking, I love company, I don't even mind spending most of January and February arguing with the scale about the number I would prefer to see. BUT I DREAD Black Friday. 

This year I decided I would make The Best of Black Friday! How, you ask? That is simple:

1. Stay away from the malls, Target, Walmart, the grocery store, restaurants, and basically anywhere people spend money.
2. Spend the day after Thanksgiving practicing being as thankful as you were on Thanksgiving- I called a few family members that I didn't get to speak to on the actually holiday, spent a good bit of time studying my Bible and spent the entire day thinking about all of the gifts God has blessed me with this year.
3. Eat like you did yesterday. I ate just as much food as I did on Thanksgiving (thanksgiving leftovers are the bomb-diggity and just about the only leftovers I eat), if you took a long weekend for the holiday, you deserve to treat the whole weekend like a holiday, right?
4. Sweat. I was really sore from the workouts from Monday-Thursday (yes I worked out on Thanksgiving) so I opted for a yoga class instead of going to Crossfit. It felt good and really terrible at the same time but I was really glad I did it when I was loading my plate for seconds a couple hours later.
5. Let yourself rest- cooking all day, keeping the kids occupied, and entertaining make the Holidays a very happy time of year, but also an exhausting time of year. After a super busy holiday, all I really want to do is to veg-out on the couch. I don't have a couch at the moment but snuggling up on the floor with my Stella-Bear was equally as wonderful. 

Overall, I would give my Black Friday an A+. 

• How do you feel about Black Friday?? 
• Do you love the shopping scene? 
• Or do you stay in like me?