Black Friday - The Experience

So, I attempted Black Friday for the first time. Yes, kind of weird since I love shopping but in recent years with having both Kate and Matt, I have turned to internet shopping. Well, I guess I do internet shopping throughout the year and probably 80% of my shopping is off the internet. But that is besides the point. Back to Black Friday....

My friend, Jenni, asked me to come along on her Black Friday excursion. Unfortunately, that meant leaving my house at 4:30am (which meant getting up at 3:50am to get ready). So Jenni, our other friend, Amy, and I set out for our day of shopping at 4:30ish (come on, we're Mormon and we are never on time). First stop, Starbucks for peppermint hot chocolate - thank you Starbucks for opening at 4:30 every morning. Then on to Toys R Us in Concord since it opened at 5am. The lines were crazy but not the frenzy that I had imagined. In my head, I was picturing moms pushing and grabbing for the toys but not so - thank goodness. I have to say, I am not sure why people wake up their little kids to go to the sales - saw this a lot and the kids looked miserable. After Toys R Us and a hefty portion of shopping done and oh, a stop at the car to get rid of our loot, we headed next door to Target. More good shopping and I have to say that I am now almost done with Kate and Matt for Christmas and Matt for his birthday.

All in all, we went to Toys R Us, Target, Old Navy, REI, Michaels, a scrapbooking store, Right Start and Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek. We were shopping literally from about 5:15am until 4pm, with a stop at CPK for lunch. I had a blast and it was great spending time with my girls - too much fun. And when we got home, we had to have Alan take pictures of our day's loot (now I have to say that by the end, we were starting to wonder where all the stuff was going to go and if it would all be in the car after we got it from valet in Walnut Creek - all was good). So here are the pics....

Here is the back of Jenni's car with all our loot purchased by 3 woman for our collective 7 kids and other odds and ends.

Side view of the car. The back seat had enough room for Amy; the other seat was full of bags.

The three shoppers after a long, hard, productive day. Don't we look tired - especially me.

Well, as a side note, after all that shopping, my body decided to go crazy and I ended up with a migraine-like headache soon after getting home. So bad that my dad and Alan had to give me a blessing so that I could sleep. And sleep I did for the next 12 hours.

But all in all, I had a blast and I can't wait to do it again next year. Maybe I won't be such a whiner next time.

I WAS TAGGED (a long time ago)

I was tagged quite awhile ago so now the slacker that I am, I am finally go to do these...

I was tagged by Jenni (http://hootieshowl.blogspot.com/) ...she is a very talented scrapbooker so check out her great layouts (hey, she is even getting me into the scrapbooking thing). Also I was tagged by Kristin (http://kristin-partylikearockstar.blogspot.com/) ...we have been friends for over 15 years now and she is a rocking rock climber so also check her out.

Anyway, here are 7 random facts about me....

1. I love breakfast food. I could eat breakfast for every meal. But I can't stand eggs and dry heave at the smell of them.

2. I live in a perpetually world of organized chaos. Our downstairs always looks organized but our office is a total mess. Yet I could find anything I need in the office.

3. I cannot throw away a magazine unless I have read it from cover to cover (I have the same issue with newspapers and catalogs too). I have magazines from 2002 probably in a box waiting for me to read. I did throw away a lot of magazines while I was pumping with Matt since I read about 3 or so magazines a day while I was pumping.

4. Now this is something that most people don't know unless you went to college with me...My nickname in college was and still is to this day EZ. I was nicknamed after the rapper Easy E. My old roommate's entire family still calls me EZ.

5. I am obsessed with spelling. I love to find spelling errors in newspapers or magazines. I don't know why but it seems so funny to have a misspell in a newspaper...don't they use spell check plus it's a newspaper for crying out loud.

6. I can't remember any lines from any movie I have ever seen. Alan is great at remembering that stuff but me, I couldn't hardly tell you about the movie long after I have seen it. I guess I just few movies/TV as forms of entertainment and so my brain is turned off when I am watching.

7. Like Kristin (above), I cannot stand to have my fingernails painted. But I love to paint my toe nails and I do feel kind of naked when they are not painted. Unfortunately, since Matt was born, they do not get painted regularly. Something I definitely need to start up again plus Kate loves to have her toes painted.


I also got tagged by Shaina so here goes that one (BTW, this was quite difficult because my memory sucks)...

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:
It was 1997 and I was working in San Francisco (pretty boring life)...
1. Moving to the other side of Walnut Creek for cheaper rent
2. Working 70-90 hour weeks working for Arthur Andersen as a tax consultant
3. Spending more time with my newly relocated brothers and their families, especially the kids
4. Taking a trip with Kristin (above) to NYC and DC (so much fun and such great memories)
5. Eating lunch everyday with my work friend, Kathy, whom I still keep in touch with

5 things on my to-do list today:
1. Go to Target
2. Take Kate to the park
3. Catch up on emails
4. Go through bags of clothes to donate to DI
5. Go to a Homemade Gourmet party at Amy's

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Diet Coke
2. Ice Cream
3. 100 Grand Bars
4. Genisoy Chocolate Mint bars
5. Chips and salsa

5 songs I know the lyrics to:
1. Most primary songs because I sing them every night
....Without the song playing....no other song - one of the things that I am really bad about but I can't remember words to songs to save my life. But if the song is on...
2. Most Linkin Park songs
3. Most boy band songs
4. Bibidee Bopadee Boo from one of the Cinderella movies (that is just because I hear it so often but Kate loves to have "dance party" to this song
5. Can't think of any more but I am sure there are more

5 of my bad habits:
1. I pick at my cuticles on my fingernails
2. A little OCD but I have to check all the doors every night to be sure that they are locked (even if Alan checked them)
3. I obsess about losing weight but I am too lazy to be on a diet
4. I am a procrastinator and therefore my office is always a disaster
5. I am always late, no matter how hard I try

5 things I'd do if I were a millionaire:
1. Put away enough for our kids' college
2. Build and design my dream house
3. Tithing, of course
4. Help my family members out with expenses
5. Save and invest the rest after a good shopping spree

5 things I will never wear again:
1. Spandex - as Alan says..it is a privilege not a right
2. Pegged pants (never wore reverse fit but did peg pants myself back in the day)
3. Not really wearing but I will never perm my hair again
4. Denim shirt
5. Faded or white washed jeans

5 of my favorite toys:
1. My iPhone
2. TIVO
3. My straightener
4. Internet
5. Jewelry

Now I am not going to tag anyone specifically but challenge all those who haven't done one or the other or both to do them on your blog. Great getting to know all you better. Happy Blogging for the day!!!!