My Black Friday shopping expedition last year was a little intense. I can understand that my Black Friday commando-camouflage could seem a little odd and possibly raise some eyebrows, but really? Apparently, some folks find a woman shopping in a mall with branches taped to her head to be a little threatening, but being tackled by a mall security guard and forced into a straight-jacket seemed a little extreme! Well, I have learned my lesson and I won’t be doing that anymore!

From now on, I will stick to more acceptable methods for preparing for Black Friday. Because of the economic downturn, a lot of stores and other businesses are really offering significant savings to draw in shoppers the day after Thanksgiving. A lot of experts recommend that you do your homework when shopping this holiday to get the most for your money. Know your budget and do research ahead of time to find the best prices. You may even want to plan to get to some stores early. Some stores offer early bird specials and extra discounts to folks that get there first.

Here are some resources that I found that have some useful shopping tips and offer information on some great Black Friday deals:

• Before Black Friday:Where the Holiday 2009 Deals Are Right Now
• Black Friday News
• How to Plan for Black Friday
• Preventing Holiday Shopping Headaches
• Tips for Smart Holiday Shopping

Note: For those of you who are concerned that I am crazy… I didn’t actually go to the mall in that get up. Well, I did play out that scenario in my head and it was pretty funny, but I am, more or less, sane. Just ask my good friend Harvey. LOL!

I used to hate to cook. In fact, the word “hate” may not accurately describe my old feelings towards cooking. On my “Least Favorite Things in the World” list, I considered cooking ranked right between explosive diarrhea and having my eyeballs fried in oil.  Not that I have ever had my eyeballs fried in oil, but a girl can imagine.

The only things that I could cook were spaghetti and tater tot casserole. We ate these things a lot. I used to joke that we ate so much tater tot casserole that my husband had nightmares about giant tater tots chasing him. The other thing we did was eat out a lot and I confess, we ate way too much fast food.

Then I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. After a period of denial, I got a grip. I realized that I had to alter my old habits. I began watching cooking shows and browsing through cookbooks. Inch by inch and culinary misstep after misstep, I taught myself to cook. It started out that I was doing this to learn to help manage my diabetes, but now, I also do it because I really LOVE to cook! And, I think it must be said, compared to my old cooking skills, I am a total rock star in the kitchen!

I used to dread cooking for holidays, but not anymore. Every year I try a few new recipes. I try lots of new ingredients and new ways of making dishes. Anyone who cooks for the holidays has to think about and plan a balanced menu. Being a diabetic means you do the same, but diabetics really have to pay attention to carbohydrates, fats, and sugars.

Fortunately, there are so many holiday tips, recipes, and resources out there to help:

• A Diabetic at the Thanksgiving Table
• Diabetes: Navigating the Holidays both Happy and Healthy
• Diabetes Diet #5: A Sweet Thanksgiving
• Elegant Holiday Recipes That Are Healthy, Too
• Healthy Thanksgiving Dinner with Diabetes
• Holiday Meal Planning
• How to Cook Thanksgiving for a Diabetic

The government offers these resources to help diabetics year round with recipes and tips:

• Diabetic Diet
• Diabetes Meal Planner
• FCIC: Diabetes Recipes
• South Dakota: Healthy Diabetes Recipes and More
• Tasty Recipes for People with Diabetes and Their Families
• USA.gov search results page

Now, if I could only make myself LOVE housework. Oddly enough, I really do enjoy cleaning toilets... I'm sure Freud would have something to say about that! LOL! Anyway, if you cook for a diabetic and have any comments, tips, or recipes to share, I would love to hear from you!

My husband and I were visiting my 80-year-old mother-in-law, Eileen, in the hospital the other day after her open-heart surgery. She showed me the incision running down her chest and looked at me ruefully. She said, “I guess I need to throw out all of those bikini tops I have.” I said, “No way! We can sew some padding in to the cups. When we go visit my family this Christmas, we can tie them around our heads and wear them as ear muffs to keep our ears warm. If anyone gives us odd looks, we will just tell them all of the top models on the runways of Milan are wearing them this year!” Eileen said, “Well, I have always been a bit of a fashion trend setter amongst my friends!” The image of all of us wearing bikini tops on our heads in the middle of a Midwest winter made us laugh, but only a few days earlier, we were really anxious and scared for her.

Last week, Eileen came to our house and told us that her throat was tingling. She thought she was having an allergic reaction to something she ate. My husband took her to an urgent care clinic. At the clinic, the tingly feeling was moving down into her chest, so the doctor performed an EKG. The electrocardiogram looked a little abnormal and her blood pressure was really high, so the clinic staff gave her some aspirin, nitroglycerin, and called an ambulance to take her to the hospital.

At the hospital the tingling sensation went away, but she kept having episodes of very high blood pressure. Over several days, the doctors ordered a cardiac MRI, stress test, cardiac catheterization, and some other tests. Eileen had previously undergone a stent procedure to open up a blockage, but the doctors determined that she would need a quadruple bypass and an aortic heart valve repair/replacement.

Last Friday she went into surgery. Eileen isn't just my mother-in-law, she is my very dear friend, so when the doctor came to tell us it was over and that she had done well, I was so relieved that I wanted to cry. Eileen still has a long road to a full recovery, but I have confidence that she is a strong lady and will do well.

If you or a loved one are suffering from heart disease, you may find these additional resources helpful:

• Gender Differences in Diagnosis and Management of Heart Disease
• The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women
• Heart Disease in Women
• Heart Healthy Eating
• USA.gov

P.S. I'd like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of the Northeast Methodist Hospital in San Antonio for taking good care of Eileen. Also, a big shout out to Eileen's posse, the Wild Bunch. Y'all are the funniest, rowdiest bunch of gals I've ever met, and you have all been wonderful friends to Eileen. Thank-you for your support during this time. Beading party at my house when Eileen is feeling up to it!

Normally, I am a law-abiding citizen and not prone to perpetrating Halloween pranks. However, earlier in the week my trainer, Mike, made me do push-ups. He claims he did not get my memo stating my “No Push-Ups Policy”, but when he denied it, he had a shifty look on his face. Anyway, I am very sore. I can't even lift my arm to offer a friendly wave or other friendly gestures. I want some payback. This friendly gal is going to get some revenge by toilet papering Mike's yard on Halloween night.

I like to bring professionalism to everything I do, so I have done my homework and I have come up with a plan:

• I have hired some of the best toilet papering commandos in my neighborhood .
• My team has done reconnaissance in Mike's neighborhood. We know where the street lights are located, how to handle the barking dogs, and which neighbors are prone to nosiness.
• We have identified an escape route should things go south.
• I have purchased black face paint and selected the perfect black outfit, with matching accessories, for the big event.

The surprise element in my whole plan is the actual papering medium we will use. Now that I have been forced to perform push-ups, I am “strong like bull.” Instead of cheap, wimpy, toilet paper, we will be going hard core and using double rolls of 2-ply!

For those who have been following my blog regularly, you know that I am kidding... or am I? Bwah Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! Have a scary, but safe Halloween. The Halloween page on USA.gov features links to Halloween facts, healthy Halloween treats, safety tips, and pumpkin carving tips. For those of you who are interested, here is my Halloween blog from last year and the Halloween blog from 2 years ago by Samantha. Enjoy!

P.S. To Lazy Ghoul, who left this comment last year,

“I live on a hillside in a suburban community, my front door is a good 20 feet above street level. Rather than subject the children to climbing my steps i sit and throw candy to (at) them from my porch. Some kids really get into it. I've learned to judge candy by it's loft to drag ratio and found that Dum Dums get the best range, followed by Tootsie Pops, then Blow Pops...”

I hope to hear from you again. Did you try my suggestion to build a candy catapult with a mouse trap, some duct tape, and a bobby pin? Let me know, because I can think of all kinds of uses for that thing if it works!

I accepted a long time ago that no bottle, compact, or spray with its glorious concoction of magical elements is going to turn me into some gorgeous babe, but I recognized that products could enhance my appearance, so I used them religiously. Now that I am older, I am getting stubborn, or perhaps just lazy in the pursuit of beauty. On any given day, it is anyone's guess whether I will slap on the old war paint or even use some moisturizer. I may have skin like an old rhino and pores the size of Montana, but I really can't be bothered.

Don't get me wrong, I have just as much product as the next gal. I consider it my consumer duty to keep the economy healthy by regularly purchasing quantities of beauty products that I then toss in to makeup bags, purses, drawers, and cabinets where they sit rarely, and sometimes never, used.

When a friend mentioned to me that I should write a blog about cosmetics and beauty products, I decided to take inventory of my beauty stash. Holy cow! I have acquired so much stuff over the years! It is embarrassing to tell you this, but I have makeup and other products that date back to the 90's.

Most women know that makeup should not be kept for that long, but how many of us keep informed about other aspects of the cosmetics industry? Do you know what is in your beauty products? Do you ever look at product labels? To be honest, I don't.

As I began to delve into information about makeup and other beauty products, I realized that there are many information resources in the federal government that pertain to cosmetics and other beauty products. Here are a few:

• Cosmetics Consumer Information for Women
• Cosmetic Labeling Guide
• Food and Drug Administration Cosmetics Section
• Hair Dye and Hair Relaxers
• Household Products Database
• MedlinePlus Cosmetics Section
• Your Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA

I learned from reading this information that I need to throw out my old beauty products. I also need to pay more attention to what I am purchasing, and just because something is more expensive doesn't mean that it is, in fact, better. Hope you find these resources useful too. See ya next week.