Turn Black Friday into Fun Friday

It seems as if each year those Black Friday, aprés-Thanksgiving Day, sales begin just a bit earlier; one has to wonder when the stores will be open on Thanksgiving. If you want to opt out of this shopping ritual but would like a special activity, consider these provided below, which don’t require any waiting in line and might even be more fun than shopping. 

Hit secondhand stores: If you like to shop but want a greener bent to it, try secondhand shops. Many towns and cities offer surprisingly upscale gently used clothing stores and consignment shops.

Make homemade holiday gifts: Instead of buying holiday gifts, try your hand at making some. Food specialties are easy and fun to make. Consider cookies, granola, flavored salts, infused spirits’the options are endless.

Invite neighbors over for a leftovers party: Skip driving and have the neighbors over for a leftovers party. Everybody brings what they’ve got from the day before. A half-eaten pumpkin pie may not look so pretty, but it sure does taste good.

Host a clothing swap: Instead of buying new, ask friends to bring over clothing items and accessories that they are ready to swap out. Put on some tunes and have fun trying on different looks and trading. This is fun for teens who may have been itching to hit the mall.

Play a family game: This may get a big “meh” from some, but family games are one of those things that always surprise everyone with how fun they are. Skip the boxed games and opt for charades, hide-and-seek, ping-pong and 20 questions.