Call me a hater, but the idea of sitting on a cold sidewalk outside any store in the wee hours of the morning, no matter what the deal of the minute is, sounds miserable. Plus, I'm not a fan of the big box experience, despite the fact that I do my share of business with them. The expected headlines of crowds and trampled shoppers got me to stock up on groceries and essentials early in the week so, basically, I don't have to leave my house unless I really want to. So what am I going to do while playing hermit? Lots!

Here are the items from my to-do list this weekend. Clearly, it's too much to tackle in one day without being worse for wear afterward, but I chose not to travel out-of-state to see family this weekend so I could reclaim it for my project list.

• 1 Clearing the Clutter - It has been a wild 2 years of construction on my multifamily property and my own space has become the staging area for random tools, UPS deliveries and things that couldn't yet be put in their rightful spots. With all the hardest work behind me, it's time to clear everything out that doesn't belong in the house.

• 2 Hang Wallpaper - Taking a cue from Gregory and Emily's inspiration and Maxwell's Daily Find, I ordered a mural from Berlin Wallpaper. Gregory said it took him less than half an hour to hang the mural. Hopefully it goes as quickly for me!

• 3 Yard Work - Some old branches need cutting up, the lawn needs a trim, some leftover construction material needs to be recycled or donated to the appropriate places. Just some basic outdoor fall tidying needs to happen because looking at it is driving me crazy!

• 4 Bake Zucchini Bread - I've never made this before, but my neighbor gave me a TON of fresh zucchini. So, why not make the house smell lovely and have something to share with friends over a relaxing cup of tea?

• 5 Finally Take the Hard Drives Out of Old Computers - Ok, this is a weird one and probably more suited to Unplggd. I have two old G4 Mac computers and a CRT monitor that have been taking up space in my office. The only thing stopping me from getting rid of them is making sure I have all the old work, music and photos off of their hard drives. The computer motherboards are dead, so I bought an external hard drive case to install the drives in and pull data off before I finally recycle the components. The great thing is that Apple will give you a paid postage label to ship your products back to them for recycling.

• 6 Get Some Exercise - Be it a brisk walk, a scenic hike or a bike ride around the park, get outside and enjoy some fresh air.

• 7 Get A Head Start On Holiday Crafts - Why not spend the day getting ahead on your holiday gift-making and reduce the stress on yourself for the rest of the season?

• 8 Convert The Toilet To Dual Flush - Rather than switch out the whole toilet, which is wasteful and impractical, you can easily retrofit your existing toilet to be dual flush. I bought this kit for under $20. It will hopefully we a quick project that will ultimately save a lot of water. I've had mine sitting in the package waiting patiently to be installed, so technically I'm still not shopping on Black Friday. I'll look the other way if you go buy this today.

• 9 Sort Through Your Closet - This is the perfect time of year to donate your unwanted clothing to local rescue missions and charities.

• 10 Volunteer - Even if it's just picking up litter at the local park or walking an elderly neighbor's dog...you'll be brightening the world for those around you.

If you're also avoiding the shopping stampede today, what are you doing instead?

(Image: Dr Susan Rubin)