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Not only is Thanksgiving is a time to pause and give thanks for all you have to be grateful for, but also a great time to GIVE thanks by doing something nice for others!

Think of all the reasons you say "thank you" without even thinking about it during the day: the hot cup of coffee you just bought, the wave of gratitude to the driver who let you break into traffic or the person walking into the building right before you and held the door open. We may not always stop to think of the small things people do for us, and we probably don't ponder the positive impact these small actions have. Everyone benefits though with acts of kindness to others.

Performing random acts of kindness can be fun and contagious. Once you do something good for others, you start to feel good and want to keep going. And those around you can sense your positive energy and may be inspired to do the same. This Thanksgiving, stop and think about all you have to be thankful for. Then be sure to pass that gratitude on through a random act of kindness.

The way we shop for the holidays has evolved over the past decade with the beginning of Internet shopping. While the adventure of standing in line during the pre-dawn hours for Black Friday sales is appealing to some, others may choose a more civilized (if less exciting) approach to holiday shopping from the comfort of home.

Black Friday was long known as the official first day of the holiday shopping season as people waited for Thanksgiving to pass before moving on to Christmas. With the number of online retailers growing every year for the past decade, Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving has become another icon of the holiday shopping experience and in most cases, is the day the best online deals can be found.

"Window Shopping"

Spend some time "window shopping" at different "stores" online. Look for gift ideas, deals, shipping deadlines (and cost!), online only specials and coupon codes. Use your browser's search engine to type the name of a specific product or "online price comparison" for a list of websites to help you compare prices.

Online safety

Joining mall crowds and driving on weather-compromised roads may pose some safety risks but shopping online isn't without its own set of concerns. Be sure to check for credibility and ensure it's a legitimate business. Most importantly, be sure a website is secure when "checking out" by looking at the URL…you're good to go if it starts with HTTPS:// instead of HTTP://, remember "S" for secure.

Shipping and returns

Once you've found the deal you can't refuse, be sure to do a little more checking before hitting that "buy now" button. You want to be sure you'll get your merchandise in time, are not overpaying for shipping (especially when you need express service) and that you can return or replace it if necessary.

When it comes to holiday shopping, the Internet has certainly offered some variation on tradition. Shopping is part of the holiday tradition though, regardless of how it is practiced.