Crazycakes-A-Thon Might Be More Appropriate

Reasons for the term "Black" Friday:
1. It's the day (weekend? Week? Month?) when retailers try to get back "in the black."
2. It's the most dreaded day of the year for folks who work anywhere near a mall or shopping center.
3. It's the color the sky will be when my mother and I line up to get into whatever sale we decide upon.
4. It's also the color of the very strong coffee I will require to survive the day.

God help us all.

Yep, Mom and I decided to brave the fray and head to the early morning sales this year. Alcohol must have been involved in the making of this decision. Well, I say that, but my brother wants (really!) to come along, and he's only thirteen, so he'd better have been sober. Oh, holy hand grenade, what were we thinking?

All joking aside, though, I'm really looking forward to going. It'll be like the Gilmore Girls (and an itty bitty Luke) do Black Friday. And, somewhere along the way, Thomas is planning to catch up with us, so we'll have a real family outing, and that's what holidays are all about, right? So, stock the fridge with frappuccinos, set all the alarms to butt-crack of dawn, and join me in scouting out some fun sales!

Beauty.com: Wanna stay home and still catch some deals? Get a gorgeous Erickson Beamon makeup bag stuffed with tons of deluxe samples--and a couple of full-sized items--with any $100 purchase.

Sephora: Online and in stores (not inside JC Penney, sorry), you can get 10 pretty darn nice items for 10 bucks each. A list is available on the facebook page. I'm making my list and checking it twice.

Ulta: Check out this leaked sale paper for some serious scores! Stores open at 6am.

Bath and Body Works: This is one of my favorites each year. For $20 with any $40 purchase, you can get a really cute black tote bag (zebra lined!) filled with over $100 worth of full-sized products!! Not to be missed! Enter code VIP11 at online checkout, or pick one up in store.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some coffee to set up on an IV drip.