Thanksgiving Shopping

We started off Thanksgiving week a little early with a shopping trip up to Ikea.  The closest is up near Detroit so we made an afternoon of it on Tuesday.  It's been so nice to have Kent home!!

I love Ikea and I'm super glad that it's far away so I'm not tempted to spend buckets of money all the time.  Plus, when we go it's kind of like a mini vacation.  The kiddos love the children's furniture section.

And for a little while we actually got to drop Zeb off at Småland and run around with just Ike.  I think that both rugrats were quite happy about the way it worked out.

We also got to have lunch in the cafeteria. Ike wanted nothing to do with the meatballs.  I don't love them, either.  Kent ate all 15.

 This kid is obsessed with stuffed animals. He's already got a gazillion so this dog wasn't about to come home with us- but he loved it nonetheless.

We left Ikea with a small bounty of chachki.  Bowls, cups, candles, etc.

For our Black Friday shopping adventures-we were going to camp out at Target- but at ten PM as I was checking the deals one last time- I realized that our items were all available on their website for the black friday price with FREE shipping! I bought everything online right then. Then, instead of catching a few hours of sleep early on, Kent and I hit Walmart at midnight when their deals started.

You know you've reached adulthood or momhood or something when you hit the midnight sales for these.

These bins were 2 bucks each.  Nobody else was even near them. No lines, no stampedes, nothing.  We picked up six, paid for them, and made it home in just a few minutes.

Laney and I decided to get up early and brave some of the crazier crowds in the morning. We hit the gap (50% off everything!!), forever 21, old navy, target, best buy, big lots, and meijer.  The deals weren't all that fabulous- but we got a few good items.

We especially loved this Santa Claus.  Can you tell what nationality he is?  because he had the most ridiculously thick and hysterical accent.  He couldn't see out of the costume head and just kept giggling: "I can't see!  I can't see!" in the funniest Japanese accent ever.  They were outside of a Japanese Store and were so so funny.  Maybe I was just really tired.

 Later that night we finished off our Black Friday at the outdoor mall again.  We waited in the FREEZING unbearable cold for twenty dollar giftcards!
 
I may look like a fool- but I'm the only one that dressed appropriately.  Unfortunately that meant I was the one who waited the entire hour in line while the others took shifts to come and visit me.  They passed out hot chocolate and cookies while we waited, though.  

Laney had to use Milly's blanket on her head.  It was in the single digits with the wind chill.

Ike kept asking for a "jacket, please!".  He didn't realize he already had his coat on.

 Then when we got in the car both rugrats kept complaining that their hands were hot!

 It was crazy cold- but we met some fun people- saw some friends- and got eighty bucks for our time. Totally worth it and a black friday tradition.