Hello, my name is Kat and I’d like to make a little confession…

I can’t seem to take a vacation (no matter how short), without first having to shop and pamper myself a bit.

The worst part, I know this about myself and typically try to stop myself from doing this and wait until the last possible minute to shop (though I have avoided the pampering part).

We’re finally getting around to scheduling a little R&R at the northern California coast before the year ends and yes, you guessed it…I’ve been shopping.

I told myself I didn’t need to shop.  We went to Ireland last winter, so I have plenty of cold-weather wear, complete with waterproof shoes and a jacket. So for the most part, I’ve managed to avoid the shopping (much like I’ve avoided actually doing any Christmas shopping thus far).

Until this weekend, that is.

This weekend I picked up a lovely cashmere sweater on clearance at J.Jill and of course, I had to pay extra to speed up the shipping.  Then on Sunday, after a solid weekend of rain, I decided that I was going to make the leap and get a pair of real Uggs (I’ve been wearing my faux-uggs to pieces since the weather changed).

Little did I know that the Ugg clogs I fell in love with were last year’s style.  Basically, I spent most of the day searching every online and local store for these babies in black and in my size.

They’ll be perfect for the cold, wet weather I’m sure to encounter in Mendocino.  Plus, they’re not quite so casual and ugg-obvious as the typical Ugg boat so I’d be able to wear them with jeans and a nice top and not feel like a slob.

Well, it took a few hours and the advice of a good friend, but I finally ordered my new shoes through Neiman’s and just had them sent directly to the hotel (even speedy shipping couldn’t get them to me on time).  Thankfully, my expedited shipping was FREE!!

That said, I don’t think I have any desire to spend large chunks of my time searching for the “perfect” must-have item any time soon.  Let alone doing so while hoping and praying it arrives in a timely manner.  That level of obsession was just a tad too freaky for my tastes.

Do you do anything particular before heading out of town –  shopping, pampering, grooming, packing weeks in advance??