10 Seasonal things to do instead of shopping on Black Friday

As Halloween passes and the anticipation of our first snow builds, I am reminded that the holiday season is upon us.

Each of us has our own emotional responses towards the holidays — for me, the holidays are both exhilarating and exhausting. The dancing of the Christmas lights and the beauty of a well-decorated tree exhilarate me, yet the actual decorating is exhausting. It is just one more thing to add to the busyness of the season. Then you add in the family gatherings, company parties, children’s holiday concerts and plays, gift giving and the shorter daylight hours. One can get a little frazzled.

Without copious amounts of sunshine to recharge our batteries, we need to be extra diligent in our self-care. I don’t know about you, but when I don’t make the time to care for myself, I end up sick, depleted and no use to anyone.

What better day than the day after Thanksgiving to get in some well-deserved recuperation time.

Yes, I know, for many, this is a day of frantic Black Friday shopping. I am challenging you to do something different this year.

If you are totally jazzed about fighting crowds, searching for a parking space for 20 minutes and waiting in line for hours, then do it. But, if you are not 100 percent jazzed about Black Friday shopping, check out some of the suggestions below. You can create a ritual of your own that does not require death-defying acrobatics to get to the last Tickle Me Elmo — or whatever the newest gadget is.

Below are the activities from which special memories are spawned.

Make some fabulous memories this Black Friday and those to come:

1. Get together with some friends and make gifts instead of buying them. They will have more meaning. You can make body scrub, lip gloss or vanilla extract.
2. Take a class you have always wanted to take. For me, it would be silversmithing and singing bowl meditation — I found both on Meetup.
3. Sleep in and hit brunch and a matinee movie with some friends or a loved one.
4. Indulge in some self-care today: a delightful bath, some quiet time, a walk in nature or coffee with a close friend.
5. Jump into that juicy novel you have been dying to read.
6. Snap some family photos and create a holiday letter to let everyone know what you have been up to. Your friends and family will be delighted to receive mail that isn’t a bill.
7. Invite some friends over and do a mini-facial, then get dolled up and go dancing.
8. Use this time to declutter your home or closet. Ask yourself, “Does this item give me joy?” Put it in a box to give away if it doesn’t.
9. Make this a “Kids’ Day” and go do something fun and festive with the kids, like ice skating.
10. 10. Hit the slopes. Most resorts are open, so why not go skiing or snowboarding while everyone else is shopping. These have been some of my best days skiing.

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