Black Friday 2012

So I actually wrote a post ahead of time about Black Friday, then after it happened I realized I'd have to write up the real story.

First of all we're up in Oklahoma. So if you're saying that "you should be spending time with the family on Thanksgiving," you don't know the Hesses, lol. Spending time with the family on Black Friday means heading out to the stores together, fighting the crowds, yelling at each other across the store, cheering one another on, holding a place in line. It's hilarious, it's family time, and we did it big two years ago last time we were here.

The stores opened early and while everyone was saying "oh they open so early," we were saying, "wow we can get in and out of the stores and then get back to sleep at a decent hour." It was kind of incredible.

So to give you the best representation of how things went, I thought I'd share my texts to my brother last night. He's known me since I was born, so poor thing he usually has to suffer through any situation I have to suffer through via text message. Mostly because I can hear him laughing even though I can't really here him.

The sales started at 8pm at Walmart and there were lines starting for some of the items going on sale for 10pm.

8:32pm Brit to Jared: So I'm sitting in a line at Walmart lol I'll be here until they give me a special tag when the sale starts ... at ten pm. I told Kyle to go find me a book in the store to read.

8:36pm Brit to Jared: The line is in the auto section ... So I'm starting at cans of fix a flat. Wouldn't be a better time to have an iphone.

8:37pm Brit to Jared: And the teenagers next to me are talking about making deals making deliveries splitting cash and hiding whatever it is they're selling...

8:39pm Brit to Jared: Yep. Something that comes in bags. They are totally drug dealers. And fifteen. Or maybe sixteen because I guess they drove here.

(Note: I can't confirm they were breaking the law... just for anyone who says "you should report them." Maybe they were delivering pizzas... in bags.)

8:41pm Brit to Jared: I think they're taking bets on if I'm under or over 40. But I hope I misunderstood. :(

(Note: To clear that one up, I'm under 30...)

8:42pm Jared to Brit: Hahaha sounds like you're having quite a time! You shoulda brought your camera. Don't get drug into their mess. You'd hate to get arrested!

8:42pm Jared to Brit: They think you look forty?! They must be on drugs.

(Note: That's my brother... making me feel good :)

8:44pm Brit to Jared: I know. I have my skinny jeans on, my LSU sweatshirt and even my cool yellow flats. Maybe it's my phone ... :)

(Note: this is my phone:

8:45pm Jared to Brit: Haha maybe that's it!

8:45pm Jared to Brit: We're playing spoons and someone just drew blood! My finger is bleeding!

(Not: My brother was at home in Louisiana. Not sitting in the auto department of Walmart.)

8:50pm Brit to Jared: Oh man. I'm in a store full of crazy shoppers and you're the one who is bleeding lol.

8:55pm Jared to Brit: Haha let's hope you don't bleed tonight.

8:57pm Brit to Jared: True. Ive seen both of these guys' moms come by. They were both in fancy workout clothes and in great shape. Makes since that they'd think I'm forty, lol.

(Note: Then my phone started to die. Had to stop updating Jared every few seconds. He was probably grateful. I knew if my phone died I may never find Kyle in all the crowds to get home...)

9:30pm Brit to Jared: Kyle brought me a Pioneer Woman cookbook to read. I think I'm going to survive.

9:39pm Brit to Jared: Hahaa I know you'll enjoy that!

(Note: I finished the cookbook pretty quick. And then I was hungry for anything with chipotle peppers. And then I went back to looking at this:

9:50pm Brit to Jared: A guy has been talking about himself for about 30 minutes ... He just compared himself and his life story to Babe Ruth... only ten more minutes.

9:58pm Jared to Brit: Hahaa.    Please.   Babe Ruth.

9:58pm Jared to Brit: Get Ready!!!

Then the line started to move. Then I got my life back. And then I returned to the crowds.

In bed before midnight and I'll say Black Friday Thursday was kind of relaxing. And for me at least, quite entertaining...

Much love to you all on Black Friday. I hope you're full of yummy turkey and dressing and read to see some good football today. As always, may the odds be ever in your favor (that is just so fitting in so many situations). Well, unless you're the Razorbacks, then may the odds be in our favor.

Happy Black Friday Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Marshmallows and Black Friday

Happy Thanksgiving! 

I know I'm a day late, well two days late.  But we've been busy up here in Oklahoma.  We've been fooding for Thanksgiving, shopping for Black Friday, footballing for all the big games, and of course leftovers, rubber band wars, and marshmallow gun fights! 

You really wouldn't believe the things you can fit into two days, especially when you stay up all night shopping. So for anyone who doesn't participate in the day after Thanksgiving shopping, here's how it goes down with the Hess family:

1. Grab the ads. Get the kiddos to choose what they want for Christmas from what's on sale! Perfect!

2. Make your own Christmas list, some sale items, some not. And make copies for everyone in the room.

3. Make your gameplan! What time do all the stores open, what's the best deals, who do you have to buy for, what do they want that's on sale. Cross compare the ads, to the lists, to the plan. Figure out who's going to what store and who can grab something for you (even if it's what you'll be giving them for Christmas).

Example Plan from Kyle and Brittany:

11:30pm  - Be at Walmart, find the deals you want to grab and make sure to be at the front of the line.

MIDNIGHT - Time to grab and go mad, and run to the number 2, 3, 4 priority item on the list.

12:30 - Dash to the front register as everyone else grabs the last items and meets you in line!

1:00 - Head to Old Navy for jeans for $15 a pair!

1:15 - Leave Old Navy realizing that the line literally goes up and down every aisle and is 3-4 hours long!

1:45 - Head to Walgreens for wrapping paper at 1.99 a roll plus 1 free rolls! Then realize that has been the sale for like 5 days, oh well.

2:15 - Go by Norman's second Walmart looking for a particular toy for a particular nephew that sold out in like 10 seconds at the other Walmart. Go up and down every aisle looking for that toy someone may have set down and decided not to buy...

...keep looking...

...keep looking and find Toy Story 3 for $10!

...keep looking and find the toy in pink and purple :(

...keep looking...

3:00  - YES! Found the toy in boy colors on the floor on the greeting card aisle! Wooo!

3:15 - Head back to home base to check out the online Old Navy sale for jeans and realize I am not a size 0 or size 16 so no jeans for me.

3:30 - Pack up and head to Target! Lady in the parking lot tells us the line starts in the back of the store... the line goes from the South entrance, past the North entrance, past the Motherhood Maternity store, past the Verizon store, past the AT&T store, around the dumpsters and back around to the AT&T store. WOW!

Picture taken by Emily Hess real early in the Morning!

4:15 - Run into Target, get everything we were looking for and race to the checkout to get a great spot in line and out in like 15-20 minutes!

5:00 - Head back to Old Navy just in case... and they have even more jeans available, the line is short, and we score jeans half off! Woo!

5:30 - See a line outside in the mall and wonder what people are waiting for. Hop in the line. Get a free gift bag with a "sport ball" in it. But the lady in front of us got a $50 mall certificate! Good for her, she was very cute!

4. Rest

6:15 - Make it back to home base, SNOOZE!

Can you say, wonderful, adrenaline, and whoa tiring! But we're officially done with all the gifts for Kyle's family. We'll wrap them today and leave them here!  So I encourage everyone to get out and do that next year, really because at least at 2am there's some fun involved as opposed to 2 weeks later when the stores are just as packed, you don't get any sales, and you don't seem to think it's quite as exciting.  And now we can focus on decorating! right? (and buying for the Kingsley fam of course).

More to come soon on our fabulous fall! My trip home to Lake Charles with the fam, our trip to College Station... and SOON to come decorating the house for Christmas!! (once we do that :)

What did you do this Thanksgiving? and what are you thankful for?