1. Get Organized.
Holy cow man, sorting photos is intense. I am happy to report I just have 2 more boxes of photos to power through before I’m finished. I started with 8 boxes and I think we’ll only be keeping one bin of photos when all is said and done. I plan on passing along the rest to other family members. 🙂
2. Run, walk or crawl a Marathon, half marathon, 10k, and 5k race this year.
This past week I strapped on my pedometer. Most days I averaged age just 7,500 steps {yikes!} but yesterday I managed to walk 12,592 steps throughout the day. There are only 27 days left in the year and if I want to check that marathon off my list I need to get MOVING.
3. Remodel our Master Bathroom, Master Closet and Monkey Boy’s Bathroom.
4. Finish Every Room in Our House.
Technically, this is done. Last week I found a mirror for the powder room {and hung it too!} as well as finished painting the laundry room. There are still a few pictures to be hung and random things to throw on the walls {which I’m hoping to find next summer at garage sales} but for the most part, I’m done.
5. Turn Spare Bedroom into a Cozy Home Office Space for myself.
6. Create a Vegetable Garden.
7. Build a Path into the Hillside for Easy Access to the Upper Garden. We built a fence instead.
8. Limit my personal spending to $100 a month.
Last week was a spendy one for me. 🙂 I spent $57.51 on a new set of spatulas, running shoes and a spare rug hook. I lost the rug hook I was using about 30 minutes before the plane landed on my last flight. A really nice man seated next to me tried to help me find it but we finally had to give up when the plane landed. I was seated towards the front of the plane and there was no way on earth I was going to wait for the entire plane to get off to search for it.
In November I spent $71.29
In October I Spent $128.19
In September I Spent $28.73
In August I Spent $27.29
In July I Spent $50.82
In June I Spent $6.00.
In May I Spent $26.50.
In April I Spent $18.46.
In March I Spent $42.44.
In February I Spent $32.52
In January I Spent $84.33
9. Purge… Weekly. Find 10 things each week to donate to the thrift store.
I’m done purging for this year but my Mom gave me a popcorn popper to add to next year’s yard sale pile. The popper had good reviews on Amazon but she said it was too much of a pain to clean so she’s going back to microwave popcorn.
10. Read 1 book a week.
A Walk in the Woods. Have you read it? I plan on sleeping in tomorrow then starting the book.
11. Slow Down.
I am so glad I got back into rug hooking earlier this year. It’s so nice to have something to do when it’s cold outside and there’s not much work to do in the garden. I’ve been working on some pieces for ebay and plan on listing them at the beginning of the year. I’d list them now but hanging out in the post office this time of year just does not appeal to me. 😉
12. Canning
Did you do a bunch of canning this summer? I LOVE giving away my homemade jams during the holiday season. They make the best gifts.
Did you set any goals for this year? If so, how are they coming along?
~Mavis
Amy says
I really liked that book. Another book to add to you read list if you haven’t already is The $64 Tomato by William Alexander.
I love giving away home canned items for Christmas too. I like your wrapped basket idea in the picture. Do you have any more ideas for cleaver wrapping and tagging for jars?
Mavis Butterfield says
The $64 Tomato by William Alexander is a great book!
Stacey says
I loved A walk in the woods! It was a fun read. I didn’t want to put it down! Enjoy 🙂
Karen says
Hey Mavis, try suggesting Quinn microwave popcorn to your mom. The rosemary one and butter ones are awesome. No chemicals, the bag is compostable…. I am so in love with it!
Elise says
Home with a sick kid = time on my hands to share advice 🙂 Does your mom use store-bought microwave popcorn bags? If so, I HIGHLY Recommend this as an alternative:
http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Microwave-Popcorn-Popper/dp/B00004W4UP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449260407&sr=8-1&keywords=nordicware+microwave+popcorn+popper
I have used mine for YEARS and I LOVE it. I use it every morning now to make popcorn (with about 1/4 teaspoon butter and a shake of salt) for my girls’ lunches instead of chips, which they have never gotten in their lunches, but at least now they have something snack-y 🙂
I dropped it REALLY HARD on the floor once and it did crack, about a 2-3 inch crack, but it still works just fine. Sometimes (back-to-school in particular) it goes on sale for under $10. That’s when I got mine, about 3-4 years ago. I got mine at Target.
ann in E. oregon says
I really LOVE your list of gardening books! I have several of them and hope to have more! Thanks for sharing! 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Stacy says
I have 2 electric popcorn poppers as well….but we love them!
If you ever want to break the microwave popcorn habit…cut open a package of it and check it out unpopped, looks pretty unappetizing! All the yellow congealed ‘butter’ and stuff….YUCK!
Since I have seen the inside of a microwave corn pack….I haven’t eaten a single kernel. We always use the popper (have a $2. second hand Stir-Crazy, that works great)
I’m sure it’s not the worse thing to snack on, but…I just cant eat micro’d popcorn.
Ashley says
A walk in the woods is very funny. You can schedule a postal pick up at your house or weigh your package and print the shipping label at home. Then drop your package in a blue box. No lines! Hooray!
Jeannine says
Hi Mavis,
I hope you do the goal list again in 2016. I really enjoy it and it helps me keep on track with my goals.
I still wonder about Secret Plan #3 from 2014…I don’t recall ever seeing what that secret plan was 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
Funny you should mention that. 😉 I’ve actually been working on it and will be sharing about it in a few weeks.
Rynda says
I love the book. Read it about 12 years ago for the first time, and at least 3 more times since. I still laugh out loud. Enjoy!!
Rynda
Corvallis, OR
Pam says
I read A Walk in the Woods a few years ago. Really good book.
connie says
2016 goal, to be more like you:)
Christy says
Please tell your mom the inside of those microwave popcorn bags are horribly toxic!
Jules says
I make microwave popcorn by using regular popcorn kernels in a small brown paper bag (lunch size). Don’t fill it too much and stand near while it’s popping to stop it when the pops taper off. Pour the popcorn into a large bowl.
Melt butter, coconut oil, or whatever else you like, and pour it on top.
The popcorn is much healthier than the scary microwave packs and pennies to make.