What do you do in the mayhem of preparing for a book signing?

July has drawn to a close and August will bring a new season for me. One filled with making sure I have enough stuff for my book signings, getting up early for said book signings, seeing to it that my 'equipment' doesn't get mixed up or lost in the confusion, making sure events don't overlap... oh my goodness! It seems like there's so much to do! I've started making a list of what I'll need for these events and I've starting gathering the items now instead of waiting for the last minute. It isn't always easy, especially when there are times I become disorganized. How do you keep it together in times like this? Do you keep a giant check list and check items off after they're completed? Or do you wait until a day or two before an event to start throwing everything together?