When I first heard about ‘Buy Nothing Day’ and its participation date - November 23rd - my immediate, fly-off-the-handle response was, “Are they CRAZY? That’s Black Friday, only, like, the biggest shopping day of the year!”

Oh, DUH.

The funny part is, I’ve never participated in Black Friday. Maybe it’s because I can’t wake up that early and do more than lie on the couch and zone out to a cartoon. Maybe it’s fear of the Target crush. Or, could it be, it’s actually nice to stay home and do nothing for once after a day and night of cooking and eating?

The concept behind Buy Nothing Day is that, since we are a world of extreme consumers, no amount of hybrid vehicles and solar paneling will help us as a society if we consistently overdo it. Therefore, if we take a day, possibly the most economically important day of the year - and actually don’t buy anything, we’re making a conscious effort to step it up and say we can consume less and get more out of life because of it. Participate by not participating. Or, participate in one of the many Buy Nothing Day activities BND groups have put together in 65 countries to protest consumer over-spending, including the infamous ‘zombie walk’ through shopping malls.

I understand about finding good prices, especially in this day and age. But, through writing teensygreen and reading about so many other parent’s experiences, I’ve come to learn that ‘less is more’ can truly apply to everyone, even the kids we want to spoil rotten and give the world to. And we can - it just takes better decision making on our part to give them the best of what we can.

So this Friday, stay home. You don’t need to brave the cold or the crowds to bust into a superstore at five in the morning. Take a walk with your kids. Eat leftovers, or have a leftovers swap with the neighbors. Hey, have a leftovers street party! Nap with your kids. Nap with the dog. Anything but taking out the AmEx.

Target will be there on Saturday. Thanks for listening…