“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
My goals for 2018
Goal #1 – Write Like No One is Reading.
“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” ~ Barbara Kingsolver
Goal #2 – Slow Down
In the old days, slowing down might have meant lounging around on the couch with a pint of Chunky Monkey and catching up on my favorite shows. But since stepping foot in New England, my idea of slowing down has changed immensely.
Playing in the garden, with the birds chirping, and not other distractions, staying home for 5 days in a row working on tiny projects here and there, hoping online less, organizing rooms and adding another log to the fire…. That’s what slowing down means to me these days. And I am loving it.
Goal #3 – Shop Small
- Local hardware store {It was like being transported back to 1985. I LOVED it.} 🙂
- Bought some local food from someone’s pop up roadside stand at the end of their driveway. Ah-Some.
- Found the local {mom and pop} feed store and bought supplies for Lucy’s chicks.
Goal # 4 – Have a Designated Meal Prep Day
Looking forward to starting next week.
Goal #5 – Install a Vegetable Garden
I was going to rent a giant tiller to turn over the sod, so I called the local hardware store/rental shop and yada yada yada…. They wanted $105 to rent a {much larger} tiller plus delivery {we don’t have a truck yet}. Anywho, after reading the {awesome} reviews online from several sites for the Mantis 4-Cycle Tiller Cultivator I was 100% certain I was going to be buying the Mantis this spring anyway, so I asked the peeps at the hardware store if they thought the Mantis would till up the grass.
After showing them a few pictures of the area I wanted dug up, they said the Mantis would break up the grass…. but it was going to be much MORE work than the larger tiller that I could rent. But then again, if I was willing to do the work to save the $105 rental fee, why not.
The HH and pretty much everyone on the blog said to RENT the big tiller…. or at least pay someone else to do it. Did I listen? NO. No, I did not. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Because c’mon now…. $105? That’s like the equivalent of 8 big Yankee Candles on sale! Bahahhahaa. Priorities. We’ve all got ’em. The way I see it, even if it takes me a several 20 minute sessions at the patch of grass {and a dent in my ibuprofen stash}, as long as the garden is dug in time to plant… All will be well with the universe. Plus the house will smell nice.
Also, I happily paid $10 more to purchase my Mantis tiller at the local hardware {totally not big box} store instead of ordering it off of Amazon. Don’t get me wrong, I love Amazon, but was Amazon going to assemble the tiller for me? Were they going to take it back to the repair shop, put a little gas and oil in it and give it a whirl to make sure everything was working? Were they going to take it outside and show me how to start ‘er up and answer all of my 22 rapid fire questions and then load it in my car? Uhhh no.
Small town stores. I love them.
Goal #6 – Clear Land for a Chicken Coop and Future Raised Garden Bed Area
Poor Lucy. Hang in there puggles! Less than 10 days to go until your babies arrive.
Goal #7 – Grow 500 Pounds of Vegetables
So far I have 3 flats of vegetables and 1 flat of flowers planted and under the grow lights. As soon as I finish tilling up the veg patch, and building some teepees, I’ll get the sugar snap peas planted.
Goal #8 – Hook 100 Rugs
38 down, 62 to go. This past week I worked on not only my GIANT double trouble chicken rug, but finishing up the rugs I hooked while we were living in the 600 square foot apartment. Hooking rugs in front of the wood stove? Freakin’ awesome!
Goal #9 – Make a Set of Dolls
I plan to make a set {or two} of primitive dolls later this year after the garden has been put to bed.
Goal #10 – Make a Sampler, Frame it and Hang it on the Wall
1 down, 1 more to go. I’ll probably work on the second one this fall and then get the samplers hung on the wall.
Goal #11 – Visit 22 Bakeries
I plan to share our trip the Bernice’s Bakery on the blog this week.
Goal #12 – Start a Collection
Check out this cool glass frog I found at our local recycling center for free. I used to have a nice collection of these but sold them off a few years ago. I don’t know what it is about old fogs {especially the green ones} but every time I come across one I just have to snatch it up. Who knows, maybe it’s the start of a new collection. 😉
Goal #13 – Read {or listen to} 26 Books
I am in LOVE with the podcast How I Built This. If you are as fascinated as I am about how people started their businesses and how they evolved, you must check it out.
Goal #14 – Try 12 New Canning Recipes
Check out all those old glass top Atlas and Ball jars! This is only about 1/3rd of the stash. The previous owner had a rather large collection and left them for me. How cool is that? I’ve since unpacked all of our canning jars and now have an entire wall in the house dedicated to canning jars. It’s soooo much fun and I am looking forward to canning season.
Goal #15 – Secret {for now} Holiday Project
I’ll be placing my order for the biggest component of this project on Monday. I’m excited!!
How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2018? How are they coming along?
~Mavis
Read About My 2018 Goals HERE.
Jane says
Nothing like sitting in front of a woodstove 🙂
Sue R. says
All those jars! How nice was that?! Will watch to see what they are filled with!
Em says
Mavis I love the look of those jars and your brick floor.
Thanks for sharing your goals and progress. I’m thinking you’re going to accomplish all of them before the year is over.
May I ask how old your house is?
Martine Hamilton says
It may be a cultural difference but can you tell me what a glass frog is please? I’m loving reading about your new home, I wish you many happy years in it. x
Mavis Butterfield says
You put it at the bottom of a vase and place flower stems in the holes. They are wonderful for flower arranging.
Donna says
I have two of the same glass frogs. You can use them to keep green onions going forever. Put the frog in a steep sided bowl (to leave room for the roots) cut off the onion with an inch or so of the bottom. Put it in one of the holes. The green onion will shoot up.
Kara says
Thanks for sharing! I have several glass frogs and now they have a purpose!
Teri says
I love the brick pathway and bench. How lovely. How do you like the Mantis so far? Looking forward to your sharing more pics of your new digs. Happy Easter to you and your family!
Mavis Butterfield says
I used it on Thursday, took a break on Friday and then used it a bunch yesterday and I am LOVING it. So glad I bought it.
ruth w vidunas says
Good idea Now I have to keep an eye out for them
Tracy says
Mavis, I LOVE the brick floor! What room is this? Also, if you are not familiar with her already, look up Tasha Tudor. A now deceased (quite amazing) illustrator who lived in New Hampshire for much of her life and lived as if it were the 1800s. Clothes and all. Very crafty, amazing gardener. She just liked living by her own hands. She was incredibly creative and wrote quite a few books, and had other write more, about her lifestyle. I have all of them and they are among the very few subset of books I refer to over and over again both for craft, gardening and some recipe advice, but mostly for visual inspiration. Take a look.
Mavis Butterfield says
https://www.tashatudorandfamily.com/tasha-tudor/the-woman
What a lady! I remember reading several of her books 20+ years ago…. I think it’s time to revisit them again. Thanks for the reminder Tracy.
Barbara Benware says
Mavis, is that maple tree tapped on your land? Yesterday I had a glass of maple water, the sap that is usually boiled down ( 40 parts sap to get one part syrup ) and it was the freshest tasting liquid I have had in a long time, with just a hint of sweetness. Try to get your hands on some sap to drink, no need to boil it !
Mavis Butterfield says
Nope, down the street actually. Next year though, we plan to tap some trees. EXCITING!!!!!
Sallie Borrink says
Re: not buying from Amazon… We’ve had numerous discussions about the tremendously negative impact Amazon is having on local communities. It isn’t only the lost business revenue. It’s the loss in the tax base that pays for everything from police and fire to roads and libraries. Buying from Amazon puts basically nothing into the local economy and ships all of that money out of the area. Even shopping at a big box store in your community is better than buying from Amazon because at least it contributes to the local tax base. I keep wondering when people are going to realize that Amazon is not worth what it is going to cost all of us in the long run.
Elaine says
I totally agree with you about Amazon! I’m afraid people won’t realize how bad it is until all the local stores are gone and I hope that doesn’t happen!
Mavis, I have to say that I shop local and small mom and pop stores as much as I can. I bought my big grill from my hardware store, I probably paid $50 more but they too assembled, delivered it and I love having a relationship with them. They’ll even drop off the 50lb bags of ice melt because it’s so heavy. I buy from our local garden center and it costs more but I love the fact that I can ask a million questions and they patiently answer.
I also love knowing that my money goes right into the pockets of someone whose name I know.
Good luck with that garden! We woke up to 6″ of snow today (southern NY)….what a drag.
Christy says
If you are looking for a good manual tool for removing grass and turning 2-3 inches of soil, check out the Claw. 4-pronged tool with a handle you twist to remove grass and weeds. It’ll give you a good workout too! I’ve used it for a few years but on a smaller garden than yours.
Betsy in MN says
You must not have any frost in the ground if you can dig up the grass. I would be digging dirt ice cubes if I tried in my garden!
Can’t wait to see the garden.
TERRY COMPTON-FRIEDEMANN says
I am in love with the glass jars. How wonderful that the former owners left them for you. I have several myself in clear and blue. I even picked up one in a light lavender. I love to see pictures of your new home. I can’t wait to see your garden too!
Cecile H says
Mavis, the glass frogs are a unique way to store craft supplies. I have a few in the top of an antique jars from my husband’s grandma’s estate. I keep crochet hooks in one, another houses my wool hooks, I have a wire one I use for my fine art brushes which accommodates the different handle thicknesses. I have a tiny one I assume was used for wild violets that sits in a footed silver bowl that I keep darning and blunt end needles for sewing knitting and crocheting together.
Mavis Butterfield says
I LOVE this idea. Thank you Cecile H.
Torry says
I want to answer the question you asked about meeting our own goals. I set the goal of sewing every week. This past week, I cut out three pair of lounging pants for my sweet daughter-in-law. They will be part of her Christmas gift this year. I also cut out PJ pants for a friend’s two children. After I got the size 3 pants for her son cut out, I looked at the fabric and realized that there was enough fabric left to do another pair, so I cut out another pair that will be for my grandson, when he is older. So I am doing pretty good at staying on track with my goal of sewing each week. I made this goal so I wouldn’t be sewing on Christmas Eve this year! So far, so good!
You are doing much better on a really big goal list!
Kate says
Hi Mavis! I have some of those vintage jars too, but I’m having trouble finding the right kinds of rubber seals for them. Do you have recommendations? Thanks!!