Pro Tips for Black Friday Survival

Shopping is my sport....

I believe it totally counts as cardio. 

I practically grew up at the Mall. My mom was the manager of a JCPenney store so my friends and I would beg my dad to drop us off at the mall on weekends, where we would stay utill my mom closed down the store and brought us home.

So given this brief history, it should come as no surprise that I love Back Friday....the Super-Bowl of Shopping. My proudest Black Friday moment came a few years ago while working as  Business Reporter in Cape Girardeau, when I took to Twitter in the wee hours of the morning to post updates on crowds, lines and bargains all over town. I interviewed people bunded up like Eskimos who completely gave up Thanksgiving dinner to be first in line for a 60 inch TV. To me, the people I met were always the most interesting part.

In the years since, Black Friday starts have been creeping up earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving itself. While I don't stay up all night with the shoppers anymore, I do have a few tips for planning a successful Black Friday Shopping Strategy: 

Stay Connected: Social media is a great way to find out what's going to be on sale at your favorite stores. Most stores have links to their social media pages, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine on their official websites. Marshalls, T.J.Maxx and HomeGoods hosted a Twitter video contest. This year, stores are even more likely to unveil Black Friday deals, contests and even ads. Last year, for example, Best Buy asked its Twitter followers to create videos of their experience in line at the electronics retailer. Shoppers sent in Vine videos using the hashtag #VineInLine, and the best ones earned a retweet. Searching #BlackFriday or #BlackFridayDeals should produce lots of results in the next couple weeks. 

Map Your Route: Visit the stores you plan to go to a few days ahead of time, so you'll know where to find the deeply discounted items you want, saving you time. 

Divide and Conquer: Bring along some buddies and compare your lists, you can split up to make it to more stores and get everything that everyone needs. 

Be Prepared: Pack your own "Black Friday Survival Kit," with anything you need to keep you going. Include snacks and a bottle of water. Personally I like to bring an heavily caffeinated beverage, some sugary candy, and protein bars to keep my energy up while waiting in those long line.

Have Fun: Don't take it too seriously.....if you don't get that deal you wanted.....there's always CyberMonday!

Tales of Commuting from St. Charles County

I was a city girl….quite content in my Washington Avenue loft in downtown St. Louis…..until I met a St. Charles County boy.  More than a year later, I split my time between Winghaven and Wash Ave. Since I love both my job downtown and my boyfriend in the county, I’ve become…reluctantly… a commuter.

Each morning after I top off my travel mug of home-brewed Starbucks, I ponder my own personal version of Russian Roulette, asking “Do I take Highway 40 or I-70?” With the recent opening of Phase 3 of the Route 364/Page Project from Route 94 at Mid Rivers to I-64 at Lake St. Louis, I’ve now got a third option to consider. It’s still too early to tell about this route, as not all roadwork is complete creating several slowdowns.

According to MoDOT, both lanes on 364 should be open within the next week or so and all ramps by the end of the month. While it’s great to have another option, it’s not saving anyone much time as long as these lane restrictions continue. Depending on weather, wrecks and what time I leave, the 35 mile trip can take from 35 minutes to an hour and a half…but there are a few things I do that make your own journey a little more enjoyable.

•  Always check the Google Maps app and plan your route to avoid the red areas. 
• When you open Google Maps, type "traffic" in the search box. Or enter a place name, for example, "traffic near St. Louis." Press Enter or click the search button

• You can also see traffic while viewing directions. Click Show traffic on the directions info card when you search for a route. 
• The colors indicate the speed of traffic on the road.
• Green means there are no traffic delays.
• Orange means there's a medium amount of traffic.
• Red means there are traffic delays. The more red, the slower the speed of traffic on the road
• Consult MoDOT’s Twitter Accounts 
• @MODOT_StLouis posts general information about ongoing road 
• @StLouisTraffic posts real time alerts for accidents, lane closures, projects,etc.
•  Listen to audio books 
• Whether it’s a suspenseful mystery a hilarious comedian’s autobiography, or something to inspire productivity at the office, audio books make the time fly by and help you make the most of what might seem like otherwise wasted time. The St. St. Charles County Library District’s Overdrive App allows you do download audio books for free to your mobile device, or check out their selection of Audio Book CDs at the Winghaven Library Express. 
• Bring along a big cup of coffee
• This one really needs no explanation….

Enjoy the ride!