The long weekend following Thanksgiving is a well-deserved rest for many. However, it’s also a great opportunity to prepare for the coming holiday season. Here are my favorite things to do before the weekend’s over.

• While the family’s still gathered together, this is a great time to figure out who’s on your shopping list and what sort of things they might like. If you have a large family that draws a lottery to determine gift-giving, it’s best to do this also while everyone’s still together.
• While you’re at it, why go home right away after Thanksgiving? Especially if you’ve traveled a great distance, a few extra nights visiting family is a great way to reduce the amount of leftovers, as well as spend some quality time with people you may only see a few times a year.
• If you have items you’ve been needing over the year but are low on funds, this weekend is a great time to get them. Clothing especially is usually marked down heavily, so this is when I find replacements for my clothes that have become too worn out to wear to the office.
• Black Friday weekend is also a great time to put up those holiday lights. Before Thanksgiving is too early, but afterwards it gets cold fast. Soon it’ll be too cold to spend much time outside, and snow and ice will make the job more difficult. Doing it now will make the job much easier.

Happy Holidays!