It's Holiday Prep Day. Shoot Me Now.

For me, Nov. 1 has always been the day I try to figure out what I HAVE to have to survive the holiday season. No, I don't mean presents for the kiddees and a Christmas Tree. I mean the SERIOUSLY important stuff like "What are we doing about Christmas cards" (since we always get the cards ready by December 1, though we never mail them out before New Years--at the earliest), and "What decorations, serving pieces, etc. did I need last year that I think I can't live without this year". Ya' know, THOSE sorts of things.

Last year, my big obsession was silverware. Like many little Southern Belles, my mother started collecting my silver for me when I was born, but I had never completed my sets. So, in anticipation of several Holiday events being held in our home, I decided that it was time to hit eBay to finish out my collections of my silverplate and my "good silver".

Two months later, I had 24 place settings of Heritage, (almost) 12 place settings (plus quite a few serving pieces) of Versailles, $3000 less in my bank account, lovely Christmas cards (most of which were never sent out), fabulous Christmas decorations (that I have sworn to never take out all at the same time EVER again since I seem to be the only person in the house responsible for taking them down), and one VERY incensed, miserably cranky husband.

And so, I am left today to figure out what to do for an encore of last-year's production. I am still so worn out from last year's Holiday Season that I am considering planning a No-Frills Christmas--no parties, no decorations, no presents--just a nice trip to Hawaii, perhaps? By the time we finish the rehearsals and 17 performances of The Nutcracker (that's for another LONG post--but both boys are performing in two casts. Yes, I said BOTH boys...), I am thinking that we'll be pretty much Christmassed out and ready to celebrate the Lord's birth on the beach, appreciating nature, just the way it was intended. Hubby and I did this years ago when I was pregnant with Son 1 and it was SOOOO nice.

So am I crazy? And what are YOU doing to prepare yourself for the onslaught that is the Holiday Season?