I used to look forward to Christmas shopping. Every year, on Black Friday, my mother, daughter and I would head to the mall first thing in the morning. We’d spend a full day shopping all of the deals. We recently gave up this tradition and have switched to shopping online. In my area, the November weather is very unpredictable. We might have several feet of snow on the ground and below freezing temperatures or high heat and humidity. No matter what is going on outside, we could guarantee that the conditions inside of the mall would be horribly uncomfortable. Because of the crowds, we were always forced to park a long distance from the mall entrance. We’d then bundle up in sweaters and a wool coat to walk through snow and below freezing temperatures. We’d enter the mall and get blasted with heat. With so many vents for the mall’s heating and cooling system, there was no way to escape the influx of hot air. Carrying our heavy coats and sweating profusely while shopping was exhausting and not pleasant. If the weather was sunny and warm, we knew that the mall would be overusing the air conditioning. Every store would be freezing cold, and we’d be forced to war coats while shopping. The mall was never set to a reasonable or comfortable temperature. We now show shop online, from home, where we are in control of the thermostat setting. We don’t need to worry about parking, battle the crowds, wait in line or carry bulky packages. However, it’s not quite as fun or exciting. I miss looking for deals and spending the day with my mom and daughter.