My goals for 2017
Get 7- 8 Hours of Sleep Each Night
So. This really never happened while we were on vacation. But that was because most nights we didn’t get in until around 7 pm. Then there was dinner, catching up on the blog, sorting through or repacking what we had purchased {mostly rug hooking supplies} and then of course winding down and getting ready for bed. I think The Girl and I both averaged about 5-6 hours a sleep each night while we were traveling. Last night, I slept from 8 pm until 4 am this morning. Ahhh. Sleep. It’s such an awesome thing.
Make Saving a Priority, Not an Idea
- Made 6 extra principal payments on the mortage for March
- Came home from vacation with $2.37 left in my pocket {Stayed under budget!}
- Planting vegetable seeds this week – Save on groceries down the road
- The boys didn’t turn up the heat while I was away. Shocking!
Live a little
Ya. So that totally happened last week. Soooo many stories to tell and pictures to tell. 😉 Stay tuned.
Visit 52 REAL Bakeries
Yes. Yes we did. We ate at 5 new bakeries last week. And let me tell you Bob, we hit the jackpot at each one. 5 bakeries in 4 states in 9 days. I’m thinking I could turn pro. I plan on featuring a new bakery once a week over the next month so stay tuned. 😉
Have 1 “no spend” week each month
We did this the week before we headed out of town. So far I have had 3 no spend weeks this year {1 each month} and I am LOVING it. It’s freeing and if you are a person with impulse control, you should really challenge yourself to do a no spending week at least once a month.
Start a Line of Rug Hooking Patterns
I finished pattern #8 and now I’m on to #9 {I made some good progress on the place yesterday}. This has been such a fun and easy and pattern to hook up that I think Ill go ahead an offer the pattern on Etsy when I finish it {probably later this week}. Originally I was planning on releasing all 12 patterns at the same time, but I’ve had a few requests so I think I’ll just go ahead and offer it early.
Turn My Wool Stash into $2,500.
While I was away I sold one item for $99.99 on my Etsy page last week. That brings my total to $1638.37 for the year. I added more items to both my Etsy and Ebay shops a few days ago but this is a slow time of year for selling finished goods online {for rug hooking anyway} so we’ll see.
I love the fact that I can earn a little extra money from something I genuinely LOVE doing.
Play in The Dirt
Because I was away last week I didn’t get a chance to work in my yard but I did snap some pictures of my friend Heather from Massachusetts garden and of the nature hike we went on a few days ago. You’ll be able to see those pictures over on Dig for Your Dinner later today.
Purge 250 Items Including Selling Larger Items We No Longer Feel We Need
So far I’ve purged 61 items this year.
Learn to Crochet
I did learn to crochet. So yay for that. 😉 Goal accomplished.
However, I have made the decision to set aside the crochet hook and make a quilt instead. Spending my free time struggling along with crocheting a blanket that would have been more of a decorate piece rather than a functional one just wasn’t appealing to me anymore. My friend Zoë is making the quilt top for me {she LOVES coordinating colors and piecing quilts together!!} and I am going to back the quilt and do all the hand quilting myself.
I adore handmade quilts. And honestly, I’d much rather invest my money in paying Zoë a fair wage for piecing the quilt top for me and then spending my time finishing something I know I will be able to use {and wash} and treasure for years to come. If one {or a hundred} Lucy hairs get on the quilt, no problem, I can shake them off. If the quilt gets dirty, I can toss it in the washing machine. No worries.
Goals. They evolve. 😉 You’ve just got to go with the flow and do what makes you happy.
Dote on My Husband Even More Than I Do Now.
I have no idea what he ate while I was gone because half of the food I put in the fridge before I left on vacation was still there when I go home. This weeks mission: Feed the husband. And the boy.
Lose the Muffin Top. {again}
Ya. So this starts on monday. Go.Fight.Win.
Wear out {most of} the clothing I already own.
While on vacation I bought a pair of pink corduroys and a sweater for $0.50 each and a used fitted puffy coat for $6. Freakin’ bargains they were. I couldn’t resist. I’ll never understand why people willingly pay full price for clothing. Thrift stores rule! I’d much rather pay $7 for 3 items of slightly used clothing than pay $200 for brand spankin’ new threads. Seriously. Retiring early. It’s on our radar. This is just one of the ways to get there.
Try 52 New Recipes
Nope. Not this past week. I’ll have to check in with Mrs. HB to see if she made anything new.
Read 52 Books
Instead of audio books we listened to Dave Ramsey podcasts on our east coast road trip. Although I don’t agree with his stance on credit cards and I don’t keep my money in envelopes he really has great advice.
Give Back to 12 Different Organizations in My Community
- January – Donated to Quilts from the Heart in Memory of my brother
- February – Donated to Empty Bowls Fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club
- March – Donated to my daughter’s mentor who was in a horrible car accident.
And then, there’s those top secret goals we’re not talking about yet.
- Secret Goal #1 Â – Working on it.
- Secret Goal #2
- Secret Goal #3
- Secret Goal #4
How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2017? How are they coming along?
~Mavis
Read About My 2017 Goals HERE.
Kris says
I LOVE that you are going to hand stitch your quilt. It is such a dying art. Even the county Fair has very little displayed each year. There is something beautiful with each panel puckering from the individual stiches.
Mavis Butterfield says
I totally agree!
Marcia says
Ha ha ha the quilting thing cracks me up. I quilt and crochet. Usually more quilting, but lately more crochet. Why? Small house. The quilting table is the kitchen table and the homework table.
So most of my quilting friends do the opposite. They make the top and pay someone else to quilt it! Three of my friends machine quilt for money.
Melissa says
Maybe you should save the muffin top goal for next year. Since this year you are visiting 52 bakeries and eating muffin tops. And bottoms, LOL. I just don’t see how those two goals can co-exist. 🙂
Delores says
🙂 I kind of agree. Not sure of those two goals are compatible. Unless you add in a previous goal, Mavis, of doing a 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon. 🙂
Julia says
My friend and neighbor, Fannie, quilts. The quilting frame can be quite large and takes up a lot of room. One year another friend and neighbor moved out of her house and allowed Fannie to set up her frame in the empty house until the house sold. Fannie had several quilting parties to take advantage of the space and was able to finish off quite a few quilts. It was a fun walking across th street to help with the quilting. Even my son, who was 10 at the time, helped.
Reva says
Can you define a “no spend week?” Is it unplanned spending, scheduled spending or actually NO spending?? If I have on my list ‘grain for the chickens” and “sprouting seeds” at the health food store when I go to that town once a month, is that “no spend?” It is planned and controlled and expected. Same with days I pick up prescriptions at the drugstore – if I don’t buy anything extra is it “no spend?” Seems to me if it is actually spend no money, I would have difficulty trying to do that for more than an occasional day and would never get a whole week together. We have a pretty predictable budget and I am trying to limit online and thrift store spending which was too much in 2016. Thanks. I enjoy your blog and like your goals.
Mavis Butterfield says
I don’t buy anything. Period.
Delores says
I see not many are posting on these comments anymore, I kinda fell off as well. I was (still am) dealing with some health issues… but will avoid TMI here. 🙂 On the upside, I lost about 10 pounds in 2 weeks and am down a size in my tops. And apart from being hungry a lot of the time, I actually feel great!
We finished our roof (mostly). It is done for now.
In all honesty, with my health issues, with Lent (we do a lot for Lent and Easter), and with finishing our homeschool year (we finish at Easter), I have not made much measurable headway in other goals. I hope to get back into the swing of things this week.