Tips for A Productive Black Friday Weekend

The most awaited time of the year for shoppers across America, Black Friday Weekend is fast approaching. Promising killer sales and thousands of dollars in discounts for the savvy shopper, you’ll want to make the most of the opportunity.

But that doesn’t mean you need to waste hours getting pushed around in a mall or department store. It’s actually far from it! Recent holiday shopping trends show that over 100 million customers are shopping online for Black Friday.

Here are our 6 tips for having an actual productive Black Friday at home!

Popular Black Friday Photo Book Activities

1. Plan Your Shopping Lists

Get the most out of the end-of-season sales by preparing beforehand. When you know exactly what you need, you can get there early and nab the best products before stock runs out.

You don’t want to wait until the last minute to buy Christmas gifts. That’s the easiest way to lose track of your budget.

Check out our Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide and find the best presents for your friends, family, and coworkers.

Mixbook’s Family Photo Books come in all sorts of fun themes and styles, which make them the ideal gifting choice for newlyweds, new parents, and travelers.

2. Gratitude Journal

With the year coming to an end, this is the perfect time to practice gratitude. Slow down and think about all the monumental milestones you’ve crossed over the past 12 months. What made the year special for you? What were your happiest moments?

You can even invest in one of Mixbook’s gratitude photobooks or the Year In Review photo book to record all of your loving memories in one place. These make for the best bonding moments when you have friends and family visiting over the holidays.

3. Make Delicious Meals Using Leftovers

You might have tons of leftovers from Thanksgiving in your kitchen. Use this as a chance to experiment with new recipes and flavors.

You'll be surprised how many delicious new meals can be made from last night's feast. We've linked to some of our favorite next-day reinventions:

Thanksgiving Leftover Nachos - Spicy, melty, cheesy. All our favorite adjectives!

Cheesy Mashed Potato Breakfast Pancakes - Keep the comfort food theme going with these amazing pancakes.

Thanksgiving Leftover Eggs Benedict - Slide in some honey-baked ham to really up the flavor factor.

For more delicious recipe ideas, visit our Pinterest board!

4.  Winter Cleaning

Before you start shopping for the new year, don’t forget to take stock of everything you already own!

A thorough winter cleaning is an amazing way to declutter your home, sort out your life, and really think about what you want to invest in this Black Friday Weekend!

Don’t forget to donate any spare items to shelters in your area. The end of your donation drives is a great way to sort your closet and help someone in need, especially if you have any old thermals, jackets, or coats!

5. Netflix, Cocoa, & Crafts

When you’ve spent the whole year being productive, the holidays are an ideal time to slow down and take a break.

Catch up on some of your Netflix watch lists, join a book club, or sign up for a marathon! If there was ever a time to start a hobby or commit to a lifestyle change, this is it!

So invite your friends over, share cocoa recipes, and bundle up for the best kind of marathon. Take the opportunity to do a holiday craft circle. Explore Pinterest beforehand to plan some great and easy crafts for your friends to join in on.

We've collected tons of holiday crafts that you can browse on our Pinterest holiday craft board.

Mixbook’s DIY Marble Ornaments

6. Mixbook's Countdown to Black Friday, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, AND 15 Days of Deals Sales

Our Countdown to Black Friday sales starts the week before! We’re giving early access to all our Mixbookers with daily deals you’ll love.

In addition to our official Mixbook Black Friday sale, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to score big savings on your photo memories with Cyber Monday and our 15 Days of Deals in December.

Avoiding the mall riot-worthy sales and die-hard department store campers is probably a good idea. Why not stay home and get shopping done quickly? Lucky for you, Mixbook will be hosting amazing sales all season long!

You'll save not only money but time as well. What you can get done from the comfort of your own home is worthy of a couple of extra marshmallows in that hot chocolate.

Whatever you decide to do after Thanksgiving, Mixbook wishes you and your loved ones a great holiday together. Enjoy each other's company and make great memories.