Welcome back!
The Wet Noodle Posse has planned an exciting month of celebrating the holidays. In the days ahead, Noodlers are sharing their holiday stories about family, friends and pets (some of those are hilarious and all of the stories will touch your heart) plus…recipes! The one tomorrow was passed down through five generations of a family and had to be coerced out of a Grouch. He didn’t steal Christmas, but he did touch my heart and became a friend I cherish.- Dr. Deb who shared tons of great advice on our WNP ezine is here to tell you how to enjoy the holidays with less stress.
- For you readers out there – our talented Noodlers will share a short story or two with you this month. After all, this is a blog created by a group of writers who came together in 2003 when they all finaled in the most prestigious unpublished contest known as the Golden Heart. Since then, this group has published over 150 books so you don’t want to miss a free story by a Noodler.
- Recipes!!!
- Great stories about kids and animals during the holidays
Please share your stories, too. We love to hear from visitors and reward posting by giving away prizes. This month kicks off a new program by the Noodlers for 2009 as well so while you’re here in December feel free to tell us what you think of the new format and share ideas you’d like to see blogged about.
This week:
Monday – Did YOU Shop on Black Friday? Tell us about it.
Tuesday - Dianna Love – The Grouch Who Made Christmas Special and a recipe passed down through five generations without being in print…but it is now.
Wednesday – Dr. Deb tells you “How To Deal With Holiday Stress”
Thursday – Terry McLaughlin shares a heartwarming story and a recipe
Friday - New Releases and We want Book Groups to tell us how you celebrate the end of a year of sharing your love of reading with good friends. All reader questions and comments are welcome.
SURVIVING MY FIRST BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
By NYT Best Seller Dianna Love
By NYT Best Seller Dianna Love
Yes, I’ve never shopped the Friday after Thanksgiving. Mainly because I’m not much of a shopper to begin with and we normally fish on that Friday. When my husband and I traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi this year we found out everyone was shopping on Black Friday. Women struck out for the mall and men headed to the home improvement stores.
First I had to find out how it came to be known as Black Friday. One of my nieces, Ashley, explained that it was the day retailers went from being in the “red” (accounting term for being in negative income) to being in the “black” (making a profit). My sister-in-law Teri is amazing when it comes to finding deals and having coupons for even better deals. My other niece Tiffany scouted ahead for the next spot in to hit in the mall and kept the group together since we tended to wander a lot. The check out lines rivaled those at rock concerts. The stores were full of staff happy to help you find anything you needed. We were given free tree ornaments and more coupons. Some had been shopping since midnight, but we started at 3:00 am so by late morning we were hungry and tired. My nieces were probably even more tired than I was since both had been up late the night before. But they were troopers to the end. We ate breakfast and headed home for a short nap then Teri and I went to see "Australia" at the movies. GREAT MOVIE.
All in all, a great day to spend with the women in my family and wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
So did YOU shop on Black Friday? Get any great deal? See a good movie this weekend? Kick off the month of December with us by sharing your stories, because we’re going to share ours.
posted by Dianna Love @ 5:59 AM
14 Comments:
Dianna,
Hubby and I were at the Fayetteville, Georgia Wal-Mart at five AM. Thankfully, there was no stampede and the shoppers were cheerful and excited. The worst part was waiting on line to pay, but we were back home by 6:30. Not bad.
Chicki -
That sounds like the way to do it - get in, get out...clean. I live near Fayetteville so I know exactly where you were.
Thanks for sharing your story and please stop back this week to check out more new blogs all focused on celebrating the holiday. And have a wonderful month celebrating yours!
Hey All,
I did not shop this past Friday. I'd had a historectomy on Thursday the 20th and was still healing.
But now that I take a minute to recall, I have NEVER been shopping on Black Friday. I think that is going to be one thing I will set my sights on for next year and plan to add to my list of 'to do's'....
I hope everyone else got something they really wanted in all that mess.... grin...
Tami
Hi Tami -
Oh my goodness! You seem too young to have a hysterectomy. I hope you're feeling better and everyone waited on you during the holidays.
Yes, you must do the Black Friday thing at least once. It's amazing to see other people up as early as I normally am by myself. "g"
Thanks for stopping by.
Welcome, Tami and Chicki!
Chicki, you sound like a Black Friday pro!
Tami, I hope the surgery makes you feel better! I know it did for my relatives.
No Black Friday for me! My husband and I holed up like two bears in a cave.
Not me! The last time I attempted a Black Friday shop was about 1987. We left the house on a snowy day and reached Paradise Hill, which ought to be Hell Hill in a winter storm, where we spun out along with about 30 other cars, cops and tow trucks included. We nearly had a head-on, and the horror-stricken eyes of the woman in the on-coming car will be burned into my memory forever.
But it's not traffic that keeps me away- it's shopping crowds. I'm just not a crowd person. Later for me, or internet shopping. The gifts are already chosen, though.
Take care of yourself, Tami, and heal well.
Delle
Diane - I'm more the bear in the cave type, too, especially if the weather is icky. I don't know that I'll get sucked into it again, but once I was there it was entertaining to watch so much power shopping going on and the excitement at that time in the morning. Good place to study people for writing.
Delle - Good grief!! That would be enough to keep me home during any holiday. Hope this past one was much safer and enjoyable.
I used to shop on Black Friday every year and loved the deals, but then we moved to Fairfax, and the CROWDS were outrageous, so I stopped. My hubby and daughter started a tradition to head out on Black Friday a few years ago when she was old enough to advise him (hehe). They go out and I get calls from her re: what they are looking at -- pretty funny. I also task her with looking for a decorative item for the house so we can chat about it while they are out. This year we had company so we did laundry all day Friday and stayed in jammies. BUT, my daughter and hubby went out on Saturday and discovered that here in Alabama, that is GREAT day to shop because all the Bama/War Eagle fans are watching the Iron Bowl. We've just moved here a few months ago so we aren't committed to the games. Now they say they'll go out every Saturday instead of Black Friday just to beat the crowds. And the deals are there...
Hey, Christine, I live in Fairfax! Which explains why I stayed inside on Black Friday.
I used to live in Alabama in high school. I lived in what is now a historic Alabama site, Buckner Circle in what used to be Fort McClellan.
Christine -
Ah, loving how you keep tabs by phone and good plan to shop when the games are going on. I used to arrive in Biloxi on the Tues before Thanksgiving so that my SIL and I could shop on Wed for the kids. There weren't a lot of sales but the stores were practically empty with everyone dealing with Turkey day so we could shop leisurely then have a nice lunch - that was fun. Mainly because the kids loved whatever we bought at that age.
Now they want money so shopping is extremely easy.
Since you're in Alabama you should consider attending the Birmingham Reader Luncheon the first week in November every year. It's a lot of fun.
Thanks for stopping by.
Diane -
I did not know you were originally a Southern Girl. I know where Fort McClellan is.
Fairfax sounds a bit daunting for shopping.
I did not know you were originally a Southern Girl. I know where Fort McClellan is.
Fairfax sounds a bit daunting for shopping.
Well, I'm more of an Army brat than a Southern girl, although by now I've lived below the Mason Dixon line most of my life.
Fairfax is actually GREAT for shopping. We live within a half hour of about 4 malls, including the huge Tyson's Corner and Tyson's Galleria. There's just a lot of people who live here who also shop at the same time.
Hi there--Yeah, I loved Tyson's but we were over by Fair Oaks Mall when we were in Fairfax. And yea, very crowded. But good shopping.
I did go to the Reader's Luncheon this year and it was FANTASTIC, Dianna. I was very inspired by the keynote speaker, Christina Dodd. What an amazing story!
I am now a member of SM and HOD RWA Chapters. I can't get down to Birmingham as often as I'd like (the shopping is so good there too!), but it's becoming a favorite city for me and my SOs.
BTW, I didn't know the origin of Black Friday till today.
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