NOW WHAT?

The play is over, report cards are delivered, and students are gone for the summer.

The classroom is all packed up.

Or pushed up against one wall in anticipation for August.

{source}

On my way home that last day, I used a Christmas gift card for a massage. 

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I think I'd be willing to trade my first born child for another one. Maybe. 

I arrived home to where organization, dish washing, laundry, and grocery shopping of any kind has been neglected for some weeks now. 

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I felt it was wiser to spare you the devastation.

I also noticed that I still have my Easter decorations on display through the house. 

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I mean, that holiday was only a month ago, right?

You'd think I'd be immediately off to conquer long lists of things I can never accomplish while working full-time. But I have no motivation. 

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And anyway, my list board seems to have been overtaken by Andrew's artistic fancies. 

Besides, as if on cue, as always happens the day after school gets out, I am sick. My body seems to wait for me to have time for illness in my life. 

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Very courteous, don't you think? 

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So, if you need me, I'll be here on my bed in a flu/mental anxiety-induced catatonic state. I'll probably be here for a few days...

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY DECOR--freebies!

1.)

I shared the Valentine version of this subway art last month, and was pleased to see one for March. I thought I'd share the wealth. This one comes from the blog eighteen25.

I think mine adds a nice St. Patrick's Day Touch without being tacky.

Because let's face it: decorating for a holiday that revolves around little, green, beer drinkin' Irishmen can get tacky reeeal quick.

2.)

If that one doesn't suit your fancy, I found these free printables on the blog two twenty-one.

Signs like this are all the rage right now. If you care about that sort of thing.

This is my favorite one. For some reason, it makes me think of Andrew.

3.)

And here are some funb printables from it's a crafty life.

Each one comes in 2 different color variations.

Get your minds out of the gutter.

Anyway. Here are a few ideas of my own.

Printer out of ink?

{Mine is...after all these darn printables}

Stick some scrapbook paper in a frame for a super simple holiday statement.

Happy March!

DECOR TOUR 2010

I consider myself to be fairly wise with my money--budgeting and saving and frugality--but I have two big weaknesses...used books being one of  them...that I will lay money down for just as fast as it takes to get the debit card out of my wallet.  My other weakness, I would have to admit, is Christmas decorations. 

Christmas seemed to come and go with a wild, whirlwind-y bang this year. December was insanely busy. I was so excited to get out my holiday decorations, and yet, I feel like I was hardly able to enjoy them before it was time to put them away again.  

It has all been rather heartbreaking. 

And so, as part of the mourning process, I am going to relish in their festiveness one last time before next year: all the trinkets, trees, nativities, Christmas pillows, and stockings...Ah, how I love them. 

Remember my new Christmas wreath? She looked scrumptious hanging on our living room mirror. 

We received these stockings as a wedding present. They are pretty, and we like to hang them up to make the room look Christmas-y.

But these are the stockings that we use and love. Andrew's mom made one for each of the Ashmores. 

And I am happy to announce that I became an official member of the family this year, when I received my very own stocking in the mail! Check out the beautiful details...

I. LOVE. IT.

Okay. Now take note of the wooden reindeer stocking holders. 

When I packed them away last year, I wrote this on the box partly to make Andrew laugh, and partly in effort to keep him from roughly pulling them out and causing damage. 

But guess who ended up breaking THIS delicate antler? I'll give you one clue.

It wasn't Andrew. 

And finally, our lovely nativity. It was joined this year by a stand and star (thanks to Grandma Johnson) and a mini bale of hay (thanks to me). I think it looks complete now, don't you?

Well, I guess that concludes Christmas Decor Tour 2010. Until next year...

BUSY HOUSEWIFE TIPS

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My home is not always clean. The laundry baskets are usually full. And I am not an expert housekeeper. But we try so hard, despite our insane schedules to keep up on things. Over the years, we have figured out a few secrets (or just common sense things) that work for us.

1.) Make the bed. Every single day. It takes just a minute and it makes a world of difference as to the feel of the room...even if the rest of it is a disaster area.

2.) Set a timer. For twenty minutes to be exact. Then clean like mad until the buzzer rings. It's amazing what you can accomplish in such a short time. So often, we arrive home exhausted, to a messy house, with still so many more obligations to meet that night. But messy house = frazzled Rachel. So we just set the timer, clean for our allotted time, and then move on to the next thing without the housework weighing on my mind.

3.) Do some laundry every day. This might have to be modified after our family grows, but by doing SOMETHING everyday...even if it is just washing one load, or simply matching the socks up...it doesn't ever become an overwhelming task.

4.) Clean up after dinner. Don't be tempted to lay down, log in to Netflix, or get started on any other project before the food and dishes are put away. Otherwise, it won't get done. And after a few days, it is an unmanageable stack.

5.) Create a dinner schedule. It saves time, eliminates the pain of having to come up with something to make every night, and I'm wiser about using the food we have before it spoils.

6.) Anti-bacterial wipes. If you're in a hurry, these guys are the best. With one extra little minute, I can have the entire bathroom wiped down.

7.) Invite people over for fun once in awhile. Prideful or not, theres no motivation to clean up like the thought of others seeing how messy you are. You suddenly have a great desire to dust the base boards, mop the floor, and fold that pile of laundry you've been ignoring in the corner the past week. Invite friends over for dinner or games or family home evening. I guarantee you, the house will look great before they arrive.

OUR FIRST

We have never hosted a Thanksgiving meal before, that the preparations weren't carefully supervised by a more experienced mother figure. This time we were on our own. There was no one to ask how to roll out a pie crust, to share the best fruit salad recipe, or provide reassurance that the turkey is in fact, cooked through.

Okay. I got it into the pan. Now what?

We tag teamed the pie. Andrew handled the filling while I conquered the crust. Ready to bake!

Our makeshift place settings. We took our tiny kitchen table built for two, pushed it up against our skinny hall table, and covered it with a spare window curtain. We didn't have enough matching place mats for our three guests, so I just went with the mismatched look. Not only the place mats were different, but so were the chairs, and all of the dishes. Apparently, we're not set up very well to entertain.
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And I'm still wondering why I took a picture of the table...and not the people.
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But we enjoyed a lovely meal with belching Becca, her Canadian roommate, and Andrew's crippled Canadian business partner (ha!). Then we played card games, ate pie, and kicked our friends out, so we could hit the icy road. We were off to Utah for the next day's Thanksgiving dinner!

(The camera doesn't capture it, but imagine a whirling blizzard out that window.)

CELL PHONE SERIES

Here I am...

Driving home from work...

Looking very stressed and tired.

A stop on Main Street.

My name is Rachel Ashmore, and I am addicted to shaved ice. I must have my daily 75 cent fix.

Turning onto our street...

Looks like that tree turned yellow in the nine hours I was gone. Which means every leaf on that tree will drop in our yard in the next 24 hours.

Walking through the front door...

Messy house, laundry to put away, homework to be done, dinner to prepare, meeting to be to in an hour.

Feeling an inexpressible gratitude for my single working mother. I mean, I have my Andrew. And no kids to care for...and I am utterly EXHAUSTED. How did you DO it??