Preparing to get prepared to start getting ready for vacation.

I am sure the title is going to drive some insane. Well frankly it really does not make much sense but is how I feel when I need to get things ready to go out of town. I feel like I have to make a list of the list of things I need then make each list. I have a list for meals and food for the meals and snacks, a list of clothes, a list of baby/toddler items and a list of just other stuff. Of course most of these lists are in my head then get widdled down to what I really need and that goes on a master list. A master packing list if you will. We are going to spend Thanksgiving on the Outer Banks with my family. We have done this every year since Clyde and I have been married except for one. We were all miserable that year so we all promised not to do that again. My sister and I typically work together to prepare a menu for the week and are getting very good at perfecting not having too much food. We then split of the shopping list between us, our mother and grandmother. With FIVE little ones this year we do not want to be cooking all the day. We have thrift stores to visit you now! I am making as much food as possible before we leave for the beach. I recommend doing as much cooking as possible before you leave for vacation. I typically carry dry foods in a box and cold foods in the cooler. I will pick up items on sale that we always need when we are on vacation, like stuffing, chips, dip, crackers, ect. So I have my "box" in the laundry room collecting items until we leave. Frozen food go into a bag in the freezer so they all stay together and nothing gets left behind. The rest of this week I will collect the food items that I still need to collect and probably make one more dish before we leave!