for swiss days rookies

tomorrow is the first day of swiss days.

i look forward to this all year. so in honor of the party, i thought i'd give some pointers to the newbies out there. i'm no veteran, not compared to sara anyway, but this is my 7th year going, so i feel like i know a little something, and have a little experience.

• it will be cold in the morning. like, really really cold. but by about 11:00 am, it will be hot as hades and you will be kicking yourself for your long-sleeved t-shirt under your short-sleeved t-shirt, your jacket, and your jeans. my suggestion? light layers. stick with shorts or capris and deal with cold feet for a few hours (mine don't get cold so this isn't an issue for me) and a sweatshirt that is easily removable.

• bring chairs, and set them up under a big shady tree. it's sooo nice to have a place to sit when your feet hurt so bad you just want to lay down on the grass. you then have a common area to meet your group if you get lost, a place to leave your purchases if you don't want to carry them around, and a nice, shady place to eat lunch and people watch. it's heaven.

(the girls from last year: me, sara, misty, alice, ellen)

• don't impulse shop. i know this is a tricky area, but i have experience with this. you see something when you first walk in and you love it and can't live without it, and you only see a few of them and don't want it to disappear before you get a chance, so you buy it. there are no returns at swiss days, and you may live to regret that purchase. give it a minute. think about it. where are you going to hang it? what room will it look best in? can you call your husband and have him measure the space to be absolutely certain it works? wait a few hours. if you're still thinking about it later in the day, go back. this gets tricky because sometimes, it actually will be gone and you're out of luck. but this brings me to my next point:

• get cards from the booths you love. almost everybody has a card where you can call/email/shop online. that way if something you love disappears, you still have a chance to get it, and maybe even something better because it can then be customized. the other benefit of this, i've discovered, is that after a few days, you've forgotten all about it. then you pull the card out of your purse and go, "what was this for?" and you can't remember. so you're not out the money and you no longer care. it's beautiful.

• pace yourself with the food. eat breakfast before you get there, unless you're there early enough for the breakfast they serve there. get pie around 10. they have the best selection then and you're hungry enough for a snack but not hungry enough for lunch. get a swiss (navajo) taco for lunch. they're delish. just make sure you don't wear white and have plenty of napkins on hand. get a caramel apple for your afternoon snack, and make sure they slice it. sooo much easier to eat it that way. get pie again before you leave, because you know there's more than one you want to try. you might want to get an extra apple to take home to your husband for watching the kids. oh, and bring cash. food booths don't take cards.
  

• pay for parking. don't worry about taking the shuttle, it's not worth it. there's a nice family just down the street that charges $5/day and you're less than a block away, and they always have space. believe me, when you're leaving and your feet are killing you and you're carrying four camping chairs and 17 wreaths and a table, it's worth it.

• get a second opinion. if you like something but aren't quite sure, look up my family. we've been there for so many years now that we are pretty good at deciding when something is worth getting. we're also verrry good at talking you into spending money you didn't plan on spending, so be careful.

• bring water. it gets sooo hot, and with all those people crowded into booths, you'll want to stay hydrated.
  

• but don't drink too much. they only have porta-potties there.

• don't bring your kids. seriously. but if you must, do not bring a stroller.
  

i can't wait to go.
it's been a loooong week and i'm ready
for a little girl time with my sisters and mom.

p.s. we'll miss you sara. it's just not going to be the same without you!