My goals for 2017
Get 7- 8 Hours of Sleep Each Night
I rocked this goal last week and even drank more water… so I felt great.
Make Saving a Priority, Not an Idea
Working it. We knocked an additional 2 years and 7 months off the principal this month and are looking forward to paying off even more this summer. Fingers crossed it happens because man oh man do I want to get out of here. Goals are cool. You’ve just got to stay motivated.
Live a little
So. I placed an order for something I’ve been wanting {missing} for a looooooong time. It has to do with goal #2 and I can’t wait to tell you all about it when it arrives {hopefully next week}.
Visit 52 REAL Bakeries
Yep. So far we have visited 13 bakeries this year and know exactly where were are going for bakery #14. This has been such a fun goal to have this year and I highly recommend putting something tasty on your goals list for next year.
Have 1 “no spend” week each month
I’ll probably do it at the end of the month.
Start a Line of Rug Hooking Patterns
Last week I added another pattern – Miss Robin to my Etsy shop. I wanted to create a small “beginner” pattern for those peeps just starting out. I have 7 more patterns to get listed so I’ll work on some of those this week {my goal is to have 12 by the end of the year}.
Turn My Wool Stash into $2,500.
I sold $504.93 worth of goodies in my Etsy and Ebay shops last week. That brings my total to $2344.23 for the year so far. I added more items to my Etsy shop including a new pattern, some mini robin rugs, flowers and a whale rug. This week I’ll be working on more whale rugs and getting another pattern listed. Maybe a pillow too if I have the time.
Play in The Dirt More
The garden is coming alive and I shared some pictures over on Dig for Your Dinner this morning if you’d like to take a peek. After an incredibly wet and dreary winter it’s so nice to be able to play outside again.
Purge 250 Items Including Selling Larger Items We No Longer Feel We Need
I’ve decided it’s time to let go of my giant stash of dinner plates. I’m pretty sure I won’t be entertaining kids for pasta feeds anymore so I added a stack of 23 dinner plates to the garage sale pile this week.
So far I’ve purged 86 items this year. Our neighborhood does a sale every July so I’m hoping to have this goal wrapped up by then.
Learn to Crochet
I did learn to crochet. Goal accomplished.
Dote on My Husband Even More Than I Do Now.
The HH and I went on our {2nd?} date of the year to the new pizza joint in town and we had a great time. I’ll write more about it tomorrow in my food budget post.
Lose the Muffin Top. {again}
I am back down to my pre vacation weight, so that’s good and my goal is to lose Muffy by the end of June. I took Lucy to the vet last week to get her nails clip and she topped the scale at 28 pounds. So, yeah, I have some extra motivation to go on some long walks and to cut back EVERYONE’S portions. Well, me, the HH and Lucy’s anyways.
About Lucy – I read online that the average weight for a puggle is between 15-30 pounds. But how can that be if the ‘ideal’ weight for a Pug is between 14 and 18 pounds and the ‘ideal’ weight for a beagle is 20-22 pounds? She was so trim when we lived at the old house {because we spent more time outside I presume} and although I have no idea what her weight was back then, I’d like to get her to slimmed down by the end of summer and have her stay that way.
Wear out {most of} the clothing I already own.
Yep yep.
Try 52 New Recipes
This week I tried Devil’s Food Fudge Cookies and they were a hit.
Read 52 Books
I didn’t read anything new this past week {mostly just listed to NPR podcasts while I worked on rug hooking projects} but I need some suggestions for a new audiobook because we have a road trip coming up. Have you read any good books or heard any good podcasts lately? Do tell.
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 – Working on it
- Secret Goal #2 – Hopefully by next weekend
- 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.
sharon says
If you like Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) try Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone Series. The first book is The Templar Legacy. The books are spy type thrillers with a historical element. Scott Brick who reads most of the audio recordings is great!
Niklee6 says
Tana French books…all of them, are totally addicting and great. Your goals are great..finally sat down and read through a whole post for the first time in awhile and feeling inspired. I’m curious how you pay off two years+ of your principle in a month or two….we just went from a two person income to a one full-time one opening a business income and once we get back to regular income I would like to really pay off the 2nd asap and start chipping at the 1st…now off to make some goals
Mavis Butterfield says
I my husband received a bonus check last month and instead of buying something with it we decided to apply it to the principal on the mortgage. As for the other months, I tend to “over budget” for items {especially my teeth at $500 a month} when we don’t use that money, I let it accumulate and then every few months move it over to the checking account and pay down mortage with it.
Earlene says
We just got back from a short trip and listened to a few books on CD, the Chisholm trail and The Hotel between Bitter and Sweet, the last one supposedly takes place in Seattle. We liked it a lot. Plus we listened to a Rick Castle book, High Heat, but we liked the show and this made us laugh out loud!
Jackie says
You recently wrote about all the cool services available through the library, but I use one I don’t think you mentioned. Here in Wisconsin we have Overdrive. I am an audio book junkie since I can enjoy books while cleaning, doing needlework, weeding or walking. With Overdrive I can check out audio books online and listen to them through my phone or laptop. I can put a book on hold if it’s not immediately available and it’s automatically checked out for me when my turn comes up. They are checked out for 7 days and you can’t get any fines! I’m in a tourist town and the library is crazy to get to in the Summer. No more fighting crowds, weather, no more fines for me!
Mavis Butterfield says
I can’t believe I forgot to mention Overdrive. Our library provides it as well but I don’t think I’ve ever used it. Thanks for the reminder Jackie.
Jackie says
I’ll bet you love it! Much bigger selection, no scratchy cds. No stuff to return. Between errands and working at home, I often listen to one in a day! 52 books? piece of cake!
Gigi says
I also love Overdrive. You can change the settings to check out for up to 21 days through the app. The default is 14 days.
Jackie says
Oooh, I didn’t know that. Thanks for the info
Em says
Re: goal #2 I have a guess but will wait for your post.
Re: dishes, if you happen to have the opportunity to host a large party, you could consider renting from a party supply house or ask guests to “byop” (bring your own plate).
I am trying to propagate some rosemary and ornamental pomegranate from my parents’ house. Wish me (good) luck! So far, I have not had much success. The (mother) rosemary plant is dying, so I hope it works this time.
Mavis Butterfield says
Rosemary is a hard plant to propagate so I wish you luck with that one. About the dishes. I LOVE the idea of the byop. My husband however would be horrified. LOL. {I might still try it though}.
KC says
When living in student housing, we had events which were “bring your own chair” for those who were in the same housing complex… but I think you can get away with that sort of thing more as students than as “real grownups.” We didn’t ever do a total “bring your own plate” (esp. since those in the dorms might not actually own any plates at all) but did team up with other people to co-host events – two (or more) full households’ worth of plates and glasses = one pretty large party. 🙂 You all have to have approximately the same views on how careful to be with plates, etc., though, and have some idea of what to do if something gets broken/lost, so there are advantages to just having a pile of cheap china *if* you’re going to host that many people and do not want to use disposables. But thrift stores exist – you can buy plates again if you do ever want to have a pasta party again!
Jennifer says
I’ve made some progress on my goals. Our major one was refurbishing one room every two months (and totally purging extras from said room as we put it back together l). I finished the first room by the end of February, and we are doing two room simultaneously (so I have through the end of June)…work slowed down a bit because I took a job as a long term substitute teacher for some extra cash.
My other goals are progressing, just not as quickly.
Mavis Butterfield says
I like the idea of doing a new room every 2 months. Keep at it!
Mrs. C. says
The average weight is higher than the ideal weight because the average puggle is, I’m sorry to say, fat. No offense.
I know a vet with a puggle. People they see on walks keep telling her, not knowing that she’s a vet, that her dog is too thin. They’re wrong.
Mrs. C. says
A non-fat juggle:
http://cdn3-www.dogtime.com/assets/uploads/2011/01/file_23212_puggle.jpg
Mavis Butterfield says
I agree. That’s what she needs to look like. Thanks Mrs. C.
Barb says
As a rescuer an owner of more beagles I can count I can say with honesty I have yet to meet a beagle who kept his idea weight much after puppyhood. They tend to weight gain and you REALLY have to watch them. It’s a constant thing. Of course, pure beagles will (literally) eat and chase everything. I had jump up and grab a standing rib roast of the end of the table once.
I need to do my goals as well……………….
Joanna says
My MIL’s puggle jumped up and pulled down a Thanksgiving Honeybaked ham in the kitchen when we were at the table one year. I was SO MAD, especially because the hams are so expensive, that ham was supposed to be for another dinner and a few lunches, and my MIL is horrible about training her dog and she basically laughed it off.
Gigi says
I’m listening to Year Zero by Rob Reid. It’s hilarious. Kind of like Hitchhikers guide to the Universe. I love Overdrive because I can play it through my car’s Bluetooth link.
KCB says
We put our pup on a doggy diet. We switched her to a weight control dry dog food & cut her daily portion down a bit. Also instead of Milk Bone type treats, we now give her carrots, broccoli, green beans as a treats. Her daily portion of dog food is measured so I know how much she’s getting. She’s lost 2 pounds down from 26 to 24.
Mavis Butterfield says
We started cutting back her daily meal portions and treats. I like the idea of giving Lucy a carrot to much on for an afternoon snack though. Thanks for the reminder.
Mama Cook says
I’m trying to get my cockapoo to gain weight!!! I actually started giving him cheese because you mentioned Lucy gaining weight from cheese! At only 6 1/2 lbs, he just prefers to play catch over treats!
Nancy D says
My favorite picture of her… Lucy with the football. I always think how wonderful it would be in a calendar that has a Puggle theme.
Pauline says
Mavis, you might take a look at the mystery series by Louise Penny. A dear friend just pointed me to these, and, though I’m still on #1, I am totally hooked — the setting (Quebec), the plot, the writing, the dry humor. The series starts with the title “Still Life.”
Donna in VA says
Jodi Pickoult “Small Great Things”. I listened to the audiobook. Audra MacDonald was one of the narrators. Fabulous. I was hooked in the first 5 minutes.