In 52 days, well you know… The Fat Boy commeth!  But first, we have to get some shopping out of the way!

Yes, that’s right.  It’s time to kick start the process for our two-day cross border Black Friday shopping extravaganza with the gals. Phew, that’s a mouthful!.

If you are one of the many that now prefers your shopping to be done in a robe, fluffy slippers and a laptop, well, “Please bring me your torch, the tribe has spoken…”    Here’s how thing’s typically will roll out…

The planning begins early, as we source a hotel room. We are not a picky bunch, and will take anything that has running water, a door that locks, and minimal bed bugs! Don’t forget your earplugs, because without a doubt, we will be close to an airport landing strip! Let’s face it, we are not here for the luxuries.

Once we have our reservation, we start mapping our destinations strategically to avoid the crowds –  excel spreadsheets are a must! Hobby Lobby, Target, and of course, THE OUTLETS!

We always get out of dodge early, 3am to be exact. I slip and slide my way into the most comfortable jeggings and walking shoes, ready for the trenches. I have my fanny pack, a passport, and 1 credit card! Less is more, right? I need to be hands free at all times. The border is always chock-a-block full of other BF Bunnies! “Isn’t this fun,” I proclaim to my sleepy heads in the back seat! I always get the odd eye roll or two.

We arrive at our destination with 2 hours to spare. The lines are long and can circle a building twice if the sales are worth it.  That’s ok because we have our Baileys infused “Bucky’s”, a warm blanket, and a couple of 60’s webbed folding chairs. We start sharing stories with complete strangers and before long, we are lifelong friends. We are an eclectic bunch!

With my shield of armor securely fastened, the doors open! I’m good to go.  The ladies all separate, as it’s every man for himself.  I can’t allow anything to slow me down.   I do the quick, I’m not in a hurry, but get out of my way shuffle, towards my desired location.  Back in the day it was all about the toys, but thankfully, those days are long gone.  I’m more into house décor, with a sprinkling of purses, wallets, and boots! 🙂

Periodically, we ladies will do a quick check in and laugh hysterically at some of our purchases.  Then it’s dinner time ~ quick and dirty ~ no time to waste. The Golden Arches are fine with us, drive thru, even better. We quickly load up on the carbs, adjust our pouches, and head out for our next buy.

After two days full of laughter and a lot of walking, we are pooped!  We bid adieu to the good ol’ USA and it’s ever fluctuating dollar!   We now have the border patrol to deal with.  We know we have all overspent on our alloted 48 hour exemption. We never lie for fear of spending the night in the clink, and want this process to be quick and painless.

We try to make small talk with the agent, being all ‘hey, look at us, just ladies having fun’ but typically they ain’t buying our shizzle.  They ask the same questions, and we just hope and pray we hear the “Welcome home ladies, off you go!” (Insert fist pump in the air) …

But, sadly, as with most visits, we are unloading, receipts in hand, ready for the additional payment about to be slapped down!  Hey, that’s ok!  I wouldn’t miss this for the world.  Christmas Shopping and girl time ~ nothing better my friends.

Until next time,