Black Thursday?

I hope all of you had an amazing Thanksgiving Break. I know I did! I was able to relax, visit family, eat, sleep, and get revved up even more for the holiday season. I even got the chance to read more of my favorite series, The Hunger Games. If you have not heard of these books and don’t know what all the commotion is

Me in my dorm with The Hunger Game series!

about, trust me. These books are incredible. I finished the second book, Catching Fire, last night…I started it the day before. Yeah, they are incredible! If you have any time during this holiday season to read, I encourage you to pick up a copy of The Hunger Games OR all three of the books in the series! You’ll be obsessed!

Despite my complete state of euphoria this past holiday weekend, there was still something that was really bothering me. No, it wasn’t my pants being too tight from all of the food. It was the fact that Black Friday is practically Black Thursday nowadays. I don’t know if anyone else experienced this feeling but I had this extreme feeling of disgust in the companies opening at 9pm or 10pm…on Thanksgiving! Next thing you know, we’ll be waking up at 5 am on Halloween to get the deals of the year! Now, don’t get me wrong. I am all for a good deal. You can catch me at any sale at Target or JC Penney and I am quite proud of the deals I find. But we must ask ourselves: when does seeking a good deal become getting lost in the hype of constantly buying for the sake of spending money?

Well, I struggled to find an answer to this question for at least a couple of days. But then, I remembered a video I once saw that was all about this same subject. It’s called The Story of Stuff. The video is 20 minutes but is jam-packed with information on the product life-cycle and what companies do to make us want more things. I encourage you to watch the video really quick and then keep reading! Click here to watch the video

Wow, right? I know the first time I watched that video I thought to myself “What am I doing? I’m giving in to this whole cycle that’s completing depleting our resources and contributing to the destruction of our natural environment!” Well, I hope that gets you as frustrated as me. There should be no reason that WE should be the cause of all of this. But luckily, there is a way to slow the negative impact we have and maybe even make it come to a complete stop.

Buying less and buying smart. These two simple ideas can do so much and make such a huge impact! When you go to the store and see something you really like think to yourself, “Do I really need this? Will this make me happy?” If so, go right ahead. But if not, I encourage you to put it down and walk away. You’ll not only save money but also help the environment! Easy right? Well let me make it even EASIER!

I have a new obsession called Pinterest(click the link to see what I mean). It’s an amazing website that allows you to share ideas, quotes, crafts, and more! This past week, I’ve been compiling all of these great ideas for DIY Christmas gifts using recycled material or materials that have a low impact. One idea inspired me

Melted crayon art!

to start making melted crayon art. This is so incredible and yet so simple, inexpensive, and creative. If any of you would like to Join the Pinterest community and get crafty this season, I will gladly send you an invite. Consider it a gift from me to encourage you to green up your holiday and buy less!

As I wrap up this blog post, please don’t think I am shaming all of you! Absolutely not! I am guilty of buying things I don’t need, too! But what I am trying to do is hold myself and those around me accountable for how we spend (both our money and time) this holiday season. At the end of the day, happiness is in the relationships that we share with one another, not the things we fight for on Black Friday…or Thursday.

Much love and buy smart, Sami 🙂