For many of us, getting a new iPad means a trickle-down effect. What to do with the old iPad it is replacing! In my house, my old one goes to Carrie. So not only do I go through getting it backed up to restore data onto the new one, but I need to back her old one up to restore the data onto MY old one. Once all of that is done, we go through the process of making sure that everything is in working order for her to get back to work on Monday.
TJ Luoma over at TUAW.com has posted a great article on the basics of getting the old iPad ready for the next person. What that means is going to be different for everyone, but it is a great start for you to make things easier on yourselves. You can find the article here.