It’s Black Friday. The alarm goes off at 3:00 am. Your first sale starts at 4:00. You groan and pull yourself out of bed. Think of the sales, you tell yourself. You blearily search for clothes, shuffle into your shoes, and pour yourself a much-needed cup of coffee. It’s time for a long, grueling day of shopping… or is it?

Black Friday doesn’t have to be a chore. After all, Black Friday occurs on a holiday weekend — why not turn it into a holiday in its own right? There are plenty of ways you can turn Black Friday into something special. Here are some ideas you can use to make your Black Friday fun again.

1. Girls Day Out

Leave the kids at home, ladies — it’s time for a girl’s day out! Nothing makes a long day of sale-hunting more bearable than a friend to share it with. Call up all of your fellow shopaholics and plan a ladies-only Black Friday shopping day. Meet up a week before Black Friday to compare sales and find out which stores you all want to go to. You’ll give each other some much-needed motivation as you power your way through each store. When you’ve all exhausted yourselves (and your bank accounts), head to a local restaurant for a specialty girl’s brunch. There’s no better way to share your shopping scores than over some Black Friday mimosas or Irish coffee.

2. The Black Friday Tag-Team Relay

You need to go to Target, Wal-mart, and Toys ‘R’ Us on Black Friday. Over Thanksgiving dinner, you discover that your two sisters are planning on hitting the same spots as you. Why not divide and conquer? Have each of your companions head to one store armed with a communal shopping list. It’ll save you all time and headaches since you’re only facing one store, one crowd, and one line. Meet up for breakfast to swap shopping stories along with each others’ requested purchases.

3. The Action-Packed All-Nighter

This method is not for the faint of heart. Many stores, especially outlet malls, start their sales at midnight. Gather your friends and prepare yourselves for a Black Friday shopping all-nighter. Start by meeting at one spot on Thanksgiving evening. Pass out plenty of caffeine and plan your attack strategy for the night ahead. Start with the midnight sales. You’ll experience a lag time between midnight and the 4:00 am doorbusters, so now would be a great time to stop at a 24-hour restaurant for a late night bite to eat. Continue plodding through the early-morning sales and finish with the standard 9:00 am mall openers. Finish by heading home and crawling into bed for a nice, long Black Friday nap — you’ve earned it!

4. Black Friday Spa Day

What’s better than a long day of shopping? An after-shopping day at the spa! Book a spa day for you and your shopping companions and take it easy after a lengthy shopping spree. No time for a complete spa treatment? Plan your last shopping stop at a location near a nail salon and book pedicures for your entire party — what better way to reward your feet for all that time spent waiting in line?

There’s no reason to treat Black Friday like just another item on your holiday to-do list. With Thanksgiving behind you, Black Friday signifies the start of the yuletide season. Enjoy this special time of year. Take in the in-store decorations. Blast Christmas music from your car as you travel from store to store. However you choose to celebrate the season, there’s no better time to start than Black Friday.