After eating that big Thanksgiving feast at grandmother's house, you probably need some time to recover.

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And what better way to do that than by putting in a full day of shopping?

The day after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and the race is on to take advantage of all the sales out there.

Stores and malls are opening early and you can expect them to be packed to capacity.

But there are a few tips you should remember. They include:

• Don't put wallets, loose cash or credit cards in your coat pockets.
• Don't carry too many bags into stores.
• Don't fumble with car keys. Have them ready.
• Don't keep packages in plain view in your car.
• Don't make trips to the car to drop off your packages.

If running around in crowded malls is not your idea of an exciting shopping experience, then maybe you should try shopping online. But just like mall shopping there are things that you should be aware of. Here are a few tips:

• Do business with companies you trust.
• Understand the offer.
• Don't provide bank account numbers, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and any other personal information.

Wake-Up Calls

Target, for the first time, is offering to wake up shoppers on Friday morning for free.

Log on to Target's Web site and choose the voice you'd like to hear wake you up.

Recorded messages are available from such celebrities as Ice-T, Cheech Marin and Heidi Klum.

Best Times To Shop

Is the busiest shopping day of the holiday season the day after Thanksgiving? Usually not, according to MasterCard International.

"The common myth among Americans is that "Black Friday," which is what the industry calls the day after Thanksgiving, is the busiest shopping day of the season," said Manchisi. "However, as busy as "Black Friday" can be, there are other very busy times in the month of December. Typically, at MasterCard, we have processed nearly 33 million transactions on each of the two Saturdays before Christmas -- almost a million more than on the day after Thanksgiving."

MasterCard also suggests finishing up holiday shopping early this year, predicting that the malls could be packed with holiday procrastinators on Christmas Eve.

"We think we will see high-volume Saturdays on Dec. 11 and 18. Also, our data shows that when Christmas Eve falls on a Friday, as it does this year, that day is even more crazed than usual. If you wait until then to do your shopping this year, you'll need a lot of patience -- as we expect to have our busiest hour of the year on the afternoon of Christmas Eve," said Manchisi.

The busiest days tend to be on Saturdays during December. The busiest day of the year most likely will occur on Dec. 23 and the busiest hour most likely will be from 2 to 3 p.m. CST on Christmas Eve.

The patterns are based on analysis of MasterCard's transaction data from the past several holiday seasons. According to the data, there is hope for shoppers who loathe long lines and crowded aisles -- just choose the best days to hit the stores.

"If possible, we advise people to do their shopping on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays," said Michael Manchisi, senior vice president of MasterCard International.

A closer look at the data reveals some specific dates that should be the best for shopping this year.

According to MasterCard's data, the last Monday and Tuesday in November (which, this year, are Nov. 29 and 30) and the first Monday and Tuesday in December (Dec. 6 and 7) are ideal days to shop between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

To be even more specific, MasterCard records the fewest transactions per hour between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. In other words, consumers who enjoy shopping in relative peace should set their alarm clocks and get out early.

But if a consumer is not a morning person, then MasterCard advised waiting until the evening.

"We've noticed that on most days, transaction volume will spike in the middle of the afternoon -- but slow down between the hours of 7 and 9 p.m., indicating the lines at the registers may be shorter and parking spaces may be easier to find," said Manchisi.

MasterCard also has noticed from years past that holiday shopping generally commences right after Halloween -- which means that many Americans have already started their holiday shopping both in the malls and online.