As an avid shopper, looking through the Black Friday deals in the paper is always a highlight of my Thanksgiving morning. Although there were some great deals, nothing sparked my interest.

After my family dinner, I decided to go out and search the stores with my family. We arrived to the Target in Glenview to see the velvet ropes ready to hold the lines, but they were empty.

Once we had made it inside, the store was pretty crowded, but there was no pushing or shoving as advertised on television. Rather, there were people of all ages searching for deals. The televisions were all lined up in a row, the $10 sweaters were stacked up, carts were full and, unfortunately, the lines were very long.

Next stop: Best Buy. We were on the search for a new speaker and some headphones. Upon searching the aisles and comparing our options, we came upon both things we needed for 50% off! Finally, the Black Friday we were searching for.

Since we reached our small victory, it was time to go home and sleep. Especially since it was around 1:00 a.m.

Black Friday did bring some fun and some deals; however, the real fun was on Cyber Monday. Each year, the excitement around the online sales event grows.

The Cyber Monday deals definitely beat out those from three days prior and without the long lines. As the season moves closer to the big day, the sales continue to lure in those last day shoppers looking for a deal and that perfect gift.