Yeah, it’s Black Friday, yeah it still gross, yeah everyone knows it. So instead of focusing on one of my least favorite things about American culture, I am going to focus on the awesome alternatives to participating in the national binge on crap you don’t need.

1. Go outside. All national parks are free today! It’s an amazing chance to walk off the bucket of gravy you drank yesterday. Hangovers love fresh air, and getting exercise helps rationalize the pie you just ate for breakfast. It’s also a great chance to get some space from crazy family or if you like them, bring them along. If I were in Tucson right now, I would be walking Sabino Canyon right now and running into at least 4 people from high school.

2. Do the Holiday card. We have a joke in our family, and we call it the Valentines Day card. The holidays get nuts and there is never time to upload and perfectly edit a family photo. Have the fam bam send photos now and get that business done before it’s next year and you don’t have that great haircut anymore. Pinhole Press has 25% off , eco-friendly Minted has 15% off, and Artifact Uprising has 10% off some of the most beautiful photo cards, books and framed photos.

3. Board game day. We have a closet in the house full of board games. There are so many in there, that the closet is actually really awkward to open, because you usually end up with a deck of cards in the face. The day goes like this: heat leftovers, make a TON of coffee and hot chocolate, spike that hot chocolate, put on sweatpants, play games. It’s good stuff. Games I am digging on right now include Bananagrams, Cards Against Humanity, Ticket to Ride, and Chutes and Ladders. I freaking LOVE Chutes and Ladders.

4. Jump start New Years fitness resolutions. The day after Thanksgiving is a great day to move around, and yoga studios, pilates places and local gyms are likely to have memberships and classes on sale today. Go check it out.

5. If you really need to go shopping, do it at a local shop. Find the gems in your city, the independent boutiques, the family owned joints and the fair trade kids. They are everywhere and they need your business. Go find the 90 year old silversmith and get some amazing jewelry, or go into the shop where the lady is obsessed with olive oil and buy from her, or get the vendor listings from your local farmer’s market and contact the them directly.

We will be starting our official gift guides next week, focusing on places that sell awesome things that aren’t evil. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Please don’t go to Walmart.

Photo via Huffington Post