Dinnerware rotation

In those "10 things every woman should have" email lists that keep getting passed around, one of the items is "a complete set of dinnerware for 2 dozen people." I am going to fail that one. What I do have is seven sets of dinnerware, good for four people (starter sets) to a dozen. (It's a good thing we don't have large dinner parties at home. Here in Manila, it's so much easier just to have those in restaurants.)

One set is the Christmas dinnerware which we use from the first Sunday of Advent up to Three Kings Day. Two sets are real porcelain (my mom's, or was it my grandma's?) which we hardly ever use because they're not microwave-safe (one even has gold trim—imagine what'll happen if that gets in the microwave!).

The four remaining sets are safe and convenient for everyday use. The wheat design is what my family used before I got married. The fiesta-colored plates are a wedding gift. The Corelle set is a gift from my sister. And the fourth set, I got from exchanging my credit card points before closing the account.

Just as I rotate shower curtains (read Quick bathroom facelift), I also rotate our dinnerware, though not as often as the shower curtains of course. Some years, I change sets every three months or so. The whole of last year, we only used the fiesta pattern. Depends on my mood, schedule, and (even when I have the time) whether I want to bother taking the new plates and place mats out, washing them, and storing the just-used set.

I've started 2008 with the Corelle Forget Me Not set with green and lavender place mats. Let's see for how long this time.