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Thanksgiving is tomorrow and some stores are starting their holiday "Black Friday" sales as early as tomorrow. I hate that they are cutting in on the time that we are supposed to be thankful for to make us want to go out and buy, buy, buy to get a good deal. I won't be out tomorrow doing any shopping. I'll be with some of my family enjoying time together and a good meal. I am even skipping Black Friday shopping all together. As a young lady I wasn't allowed to go BF shopping with my mom. I wasn't very interested in being out in a crowd before the sun was up anyways. There were a few years where my cousins and I got together and went shopping on Black Friday. Now I'm more of a Cyber Monday shopper. I can shop from home for pretty much the same sales and deals but don't have to worry about standing in lines, getting trampled for toys or losing any sleep. As a mom I have come to love my sleep more than ever I do believe. No matter if you shop Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or any day, I have gathered some tips that can help protect yourself from identity theft while holiday shopping.

• Check your shopping sites to see if they have the "https:" at the beginning of the address in the address bar of your browser. You can also check for a little yellow padlock that you can click on and it will give you a certificate you can check for safety.
• NEVER offer your social security numbers or email/bank account passwords when going through the buying process on a website.
• Use different passwords for online shopping retailers, email accounts and bank accounts. That way if a hacker gets access to one account they can't go on a rampage and get in to all of your accounts. I have learned the hard way that having your account "saved" to a retailer isn't really worth the extra deals either because their systems are just as hackable as any other sites so to me it's not worth the risks.
• Try to use credit cards online in place of debit cards if at all possible. I keep the cards with the lowest limits set to accounts we have online so if the account is hacked they only get the lowest amount to try and get away with.
• Install and keep updated antivirus, anti-malware and firewall software on your computers. You can also make sure that the operating system and internet browser you use are up to date with the latest security measures.
• Be a LifeLock member. The LifeLock identity theft protection is a proactive defense system to help keep our personal information safe.

I know many of the Mama Bee readers enjoy sweepstakes and Twitter parties, don't cha? We have both of those to share with you from LifeLock. If you take a chance on entering sweepstakes you can try the LifeLock for Life sweepstakes. You could win Visa gift cards, LifeLock memberships or even family vacations!

For those who will be on a shopping break on Black Friday, November 23, 2012 you should hop on to twitter and join us and @LifeLock at the LifeLock Black Friday Twitter party at 6pm est (3pm pst). Prizes include $100 and $400 Best Buy gift cards! Now that can do some major holiday shopping for you! You can RSVP for the party right here at Mama Bee Does. Fill out the form below and you'll be signed up for the party.

disclosure: I am a LifeLock brand ambassador and I have been compensated for this post. Opinions are my own.