Survival of the Fit...Only the Strong Survive...

Hello lovelies.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

This year I'm so thankful to have my health, a loving family, great lifelong friends, and....YOU of course. My blog wouldn't be where it is today without your readership. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

I'm more than ready to parlay with family, friends, and some great food. Our family tradition has always been to rotate houses each year so every Thanksgiving we are at a different location. We usually tell each member to bring one or two of their 'signature' food items so that way we end up with a nice plethora of yumminess. My item of choice this year was none other than....dessert-I made my favorite Gooey Butter Cake using Paula Deen's recipe. You can get the recipe here.

And after dinner when everyone's else is stuffed, bloated, and fatigued from 'house hopping', I'm going to be standing in line at WalMart for their Black Friday deals. I'm beyond crazy, I know. But see the thing is, I've been wanting a game system for the past couple of years and they have a sweet deal on an XBox 360 Kinect for $199. As an added bonus, they are giving out a $50 gift card with the purchase. That's like paying 149 bucks for an XBox Kinect-who can beat that!!???

Earrings-Forever 21

Of course with all of the madness that is prone to take place, there has to be a method to it. With that being said, here are a few of my tips for making it through Black Friday without losing any of my sanity.

• View the ads online. In most instances, Black Friday ads are available to view at least a week in advance. Visit sites like BlackFridayAds and/or BlackFriday2011 to see what your favorite stores are offering.
• Make a list. Once you have scoured the ads, make a list of all the items that caught your eye. Be sure to list the price, store name, and the time the sale begins.
• Compare your lists and devise a plan. If you're anything like me you probably ended up with pages full of killer deals. Now it's time to compare the lists and find the BEST deals. I was able to eliminate a lot of items by doing this. In the end I was left with one store who had deals on a majority of the items that I had my eye on.
• Print out a map of the store that you are visiting.  Many stores get in a special shipment just for Black Friday sales, so they have to display the sale items in random places throughout the store.  Once you have narrowed your list down, you may visit the website of your chosen store to view a 'Black Friday Map'.
• Plan your mode of attack. With the help of the infamous 'map' you can then plan your route throughout the store on Black Friday. Begin with the most valued item on your list and work your way down.
• Prepare to stand in some 'godawful' long lines. Patience will the the most ultimate virtue in these situations.
• GOOD LUCK and happy shopping!! 

Will you be shopping on Black Friday? If so, what are some of your tips? Do share!!

Blouse-Plato's/Sweater-gifted