black friday thrifting deals

wow. wow. black friday is truly ridiculous. all these deals, and you have to wonder...are they really deals? do i really want to wait in line for two hours to save $5 on an interactive stuffed animal? well, i love shopping and i do love deals, but i also love sleeping and hanging out with my family. so i compromised. i went shopping on friday, at a respectable hour (8:30 am), and ended up finding some great stuff. i decided to not even venture into places that had more than 15 people in line. toys r us was a major fire hazard from what i could see, and i didn't even drive down the highway that goes to the mall of america for fear that i would get stuck in major traffic. i heard that their parking ramp was 60% full by 7:30 am. i did run into a canadian woman at kohls (it was 11:30 am) who told me that they drove to minnesota JUST to shop, and that she had been shopping since 10 pm the night before. yowza!
i ended up getting quite a few gifts...but not really due to black friday sales. i ended up thrifting a few presents for my kids...and the rest i got at tj maxx. yes, i did buy a pair of pants and shoes for myself at kohls ($19.90 and $10.70 respectively), but i thought i deserved that after braving the traffic and lines!

sorry i moved away from the "fashion" format...in my head thrifting and fashion go hand in hand! here's what i ended up thrifting for (what i think are) awesome gifts for my family.

for the kid who loves to cook:

pots and pans and vintage enamel mixing bowls. heart-shaped spatulas and cake pans. wooden spoons and big plastic serving utensils.

throw in a few cake mixes, some flour, sugar and oil...and you've got a child chef's dream present! i spent about $10.50 total on these items.

for the high-tea princess:

a thrifted tea set...one that is actually workable! every child loves a tea party, but why not get a set that you can actually use. and at thrift prices, you won't worry so much about a glass breaking.

throw in some tea and set up a date for a tea party! I spent $5.00 on this.

for the gardener:

while i haven't bought this yet, it is something that i plan on looking for while thrifting (and crafting) in the next few weeks. it may not be gardening season in minnesota, but it will remind the recipient that the heat will arrive soon!

this bird feeder is so easy to make!

throw in some seeds, a few gardening tools and a great pair of gloves...perfect gift!

for the music lover: 

these are just a few ideas. but really, the possibilities are endless. what do you think? do you plan to thrift holiday presents?

images via here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here