Every year the amount of people that rush out to the stores the day after Thanksgiving baffles me. The lines just to park alone are enough to scare me away from the mall for months, let alone the chaos inside stores or the lines that form on Thanksgiving night. Yet in recent years Black Friday shopping has increased in popularity, enough so to encourage many retailers to open at midnight.

While some people champion the economic benefits of mass shopping the day after Thanksgiving or claim it is a great way to start the holiday season, the impact of Black Friday does not go unfelt by the environment as well. Between the extra driving, the shopping bags, the items people buy that they don’t need, and everything else the impact is enormous.

So instead of rushing out with everyone else tomorrow, why not get a few extra hours of sleep, go for a walk or run with a friend or family member, play a game, make a great breakfast out of some leftovers, and enjoy the day outside of the shopping craze.

If you are going out for Black Friday and my suggestion for some extra sleep didn’t entice you, here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Only buy what you really need. Go in with a list and stick to it.

2. Just because it’s cheap or on-sale doesn’t mean it’s the best buy or that you need it. Choose items that will last and be used for years.

3. Once you find what you need, leave. It’s always tempting to buy a few more things when you are just walking around.

4. Set a budget and stick to it.

This morning my to-do list for the next few days spilled over onto it’s third sheet of paper, the sink overflowed with dishes from last night’s late-night-baking with my roommates, and my email keeps buzzing to deliver me more notes from my bosses.

It’s less than a week before Thanksgiving and I am sitting with the doors and windows open while sipping on some pumpkin tea in a thin sweatshirt and sweats. I love California.

But I’m not the only one enjoying warmer than normal temperatures. According to an article in Grist, if you are 27 or younger, you have never experienced a colder-than-average month. Across the world this year there has not been a single record cold, according to the article. Except for Alaska and the eastern tip of Russia, every land surface across the world had warmer-than-average temperatures.

It’s that time of year. Malls are packed, the television is constantly trying to convince me I need something, and shopping bags and coffee cups are dressed in red and white. It seems like every year the “official” Christmas season starts earlier and earlier.

But with Thanksgiving a week away and Christmas barreling down the corner, I am starting to feel the holiday pressure. I have holiday baking on my mind (mostly because I want to eat the cookies) and gift ideas randomly written on my homework.

I have started my hunt for gift ideas of things I can make, and so far I am overwhelmed and unsure. Every year I either make gifts or give things that people really need and will use regularly (as stated by them, not just my imagination). But this year I am more or less at a loss.

What are you making people this year? How are you feeling this holiday season?

I drove my roommates and a visiting friend to the mall today. I thought it wouldn’t be too bad, but after circling the parking lot for 20 minutes trying desperately to find a place to park I realized my mistake.

Since when does everyone rush out to the mall the day after Halloween? Why does the holiday season need to be synonymous with shopping? Will we ever be satisfied with what we have and stop trying to find happiness in a shopping bag?

I mistakenly forgot my wallet today when I went to the mall, and it turned out to be one of the best choices I could make. I couldn’t buy anything, and it kept me from convincing myself to make impulse purchases. I rarely make random trips to the mall, and when I do go it is for something I need or something that has been on my list. My new goal is to avoid the place as much as possible for the next three months.

Worse than any mutant monster lurking in the tub or the possibility of getting sucked down the drain, the toxic chemicals in your shampoo and soap are something to be feared.

A splash of neurotoxins to wash your face, a hint of carcinogens to make your hair really shine, all topped off with a mist of reproductive toxins to leave you sweet-smelling all day.

In the course of a single day, women put 168 chemical ingredients on their skin and men use 85. While these numbers seem inordinately high, the exhausting list on the back of most shampoo bottles alone puts a solid dent in the tally.

But just because these products are loaded with chemicals, does not mean they are safe.

I have a confession to make, one that I am honestly embarrassed to admit: my roommates and I went eight weeks without vacuuming. Trust me, it was as disgusting as it sounds. But this weekend one of my roommates and I battled the grime and took our apartment back from the brink of utter filth.

One of the most challenging aspects of living with roommates is negotiating who is responsible for cleaning what. This year my roommates and I would bring up cleaning, but no decision was ever made about responsibilities. After cleaning up nearly everything last year, I refused to do so again this year (thus the eight weeks).

But working together this weekend the two of us had our apartment absolutely spotless in an hour and all we used was castile soap, a touch of baking soda in the tub, and three microfiber cloths. For a step by step guide to effective, cheap, and easy cleaning check out my previous post.

Dorm Cleaning 101

1. Make an agreement with your roommates. Even if they are willing to live in a dirtier place than you or it’s uncomfortable to bring it up, you will both be happier if you lay out expectations and reach an agreement before you can’t see each other through the dust and trash.

2. Set up a weekly cleaning schedule or routine. You don’t have to have one massive cleaning montage all at once. Instead plan ahead so you only spend a few minutes each day to keep everything in good shape.

3. Make cleaning fun. We blasted the music and danced the dirt away.

4. Have a plan of attack. No good general (or housecleaner) could ever win the battle if there wasn’t proper planning and consideration. Don’t mop the floors and then clean your counters or you will ruin all of the hard work you just did (same goes for not cleaning the toilet and then your sink). Consider a top down, least to most disgusting, approach.

5. No excuses. Everyone is busy, no one has time. Get over it and get your hands dirty. Ten to 15 minutes can do amazing things to clear your head and make you more productive when you are finished.

Was the last fruit you ate stuffed into a piece of pie? Can you even remember the last time you ate a vegetable? Does your empty refrigerator echo back the growl of your stomach?