Five Alternative Black Friday Ideas

Ah, Black Friday. These days, Black Friday has turned into go shopping after you eat on Thanksgiving Thursday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday...not to mention all the specials that have already started. And don't get me wrong, I love shopping and have already spent some quality time browsing a couple of sales, but I have never been big on getting out there at 6 am to start shopping on Friday.Here's my challenge to you: If you need to shop, do so from the comfort of your own home, and spend Black Friday doing something else - maybe something you don't spend much time doing the rest of the year. Here are a few alternatives to shopping tomorrow.

1. Sleep. Too often we underestimate the power of rest for our bodies. So if you have the day off, use it to completely veg out! Sure, you can take a nice long walk, but see how much rest your body is craving - and then give in.
2. Clear out your kitchen. Chances are, when you cooked that big Thanksgiving meal you realized how many spices you’ve had since 2006, or finally found that glass bowl you were looking for in the back of your cupboard. Now that half of the contents of your kitchen are likely in the dishwasher or the drying rack, it’s a great time to do some cleaning and organizing. Trash anything past its “best by” date. Get rid of that stained tupperware you push to the side. And take a stab at that junk drawer that you can hardly get open.
3. Meal prep for next week. Ok, so to be completely honest, this is NOT how I’ll be spending Black Friday...but maybe you’ve got tons of leftovers and you know you’ll be dreading packing your lunch on Monday.  Why not take 30 minutes or an hour to sketch out your plans for the week? That way you can strategize how you’ll use up your leftovers, and think about what little fixin’s you’ll need at the grocery store to pull it all together.
4. Get outdoors. Take a walk around the neighborhood, head off to that hiking trail you’ve been meaning to check out, or even go for a run if you’re feeling extra motivated. This is probably one of your last chances to enjoy the fall foliage that seems to have turned quite late this year.
5. Work out. There’s no time like the present to start working on what will likely be your New Year's Resolution! Lots of studios offer special classes (like Hot Yoga Plus’s Burn Off The Turkey and Inner Light Yoga’s Rooftop Flow) and most studios also have at least one class on their schedule (Neighborhood Barre has a class at each of our studios tomorrow). Plus, this is a great way to spend some quality time with your family or friends who may be in town.

How will you spend your Friday?Happy Thanksgiving!