Just a friendly reminder… If you set some goals for 2017 you only have 350 days to go. No excuses! Stay focused. Reach.That.Goal.
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The Progress Report
Get 7- 8 Hours of Sleep Each Night
I am doing AMAZINGLY well with this goal so far this year. I can’t believe it. I’m also drinking a lot more water {and cutting myself off at 6pm each night from liquids} and I can already tell a difference in my ability to get more stuff done each day. Sleep. Who knew?
Make Saving a Priority, Not an Idea
Monkey Boy had a wisdom tooth pulled this past week and our out of pocket for the procedure was only $203 thanks to our dental insurance. We set aside $500 a month for dental/medical bills for our family just to be on the safe side. Our medical/dental insurance premiums come right out of the HH’s paycheck so we don’t have to worry about budgeting for any premiums.
Typically what we don’t spend out of this category at the end of the year gets tossed into our savings account. Last year we didn’t get to save a dime because of dental work for me and Moh’s surgery for the HH. Planning ahead is KEY if you don’t want to go into debt for these type of things. It’s kind of a downer I know… but it’s much better to have a safety net then to be caught off guard.
On a brighter note…. Monkey Boy needed a prescription filled after his dental procedure. No one in our family has a standing prescription for any medications so I called a few grocery stores with in house pharmacies to see if they were offering any gift cards for a new prescription.
Safeway was offering a $25 gift card for any new or transferred prescription PLUS if you were to get 5 prescriptions filled {and collected the little stamps on their prescription card} you could earn an additional gift card for $50! So guess where I went to get Monkey Boy’s prescription? Safeway! The prescription itself was like $3 thanks to insurance. I highly doubt he will need 5 prescriptions filled anytime soon but I took the stamp card {to earn an additional $50} just in case. Because hey, $50! You never know.
Yada yada yada… Now I have a $25 gift card to spend at Safeway on groceries. Go fight win!
Visit 52 REAL Bakeries
In case you haven’t heard…I’m going to find 52 bakeries this year and buy a delicious treat {or two or three}. This past week My mom, The Girl and I all stopped at The French Bakery in Bellevue, Washington… my treat. We each selected something different and we all went away happy. Can’t beat that.
Have 1 “no spend” week each month
With the exception of the of stopping by a local to bakery for my required spending… I didn’t spend a dime.
I also spotted a galvanized tub along the side of the road and stopped to pick it up. Giddy up! Oh, and I found $0.79 on the ground. Plus got that $25 gift card, so ya, it was a good week.
Start a Line of Rug Hooking Patterns
Working on it.
Turn My Wool Stash into $2,500.
I listed a bunch of Primitive Hooked Rug Valentines on Ebay last night. Hopefully I’ll sell a few and make a dent in goal.
Play in The Dirt
How’s the garden you ask? With warmer temps on the horizon I’m looking forward to getting out there and cleaning up the joint. You can read all about it over on Dig for Your Dinner.
Purge 250 Items Including Selling Larger Items We No Longer Feel We Need
After putting away our Christmas decorations {they all fit into 3 bins now!!} I set aside the 10 items you see above to sell at the garage sale next summer. It’s funny. The older I get the less stuff I want to have. Do you feel that way too?
Only 239 items left to purge. Ho Ho Ho
Learn to Crochet
It’s hopeless. I watched 3 YouTube videos and still couldn’t get the hang of it. Seriously. What is my problem?
Then, last night my friend Heather from MA sent me this picture of a perfectly pink granny square. And then I grilled her on how she was able to teach herself how to make one. Turns out she was on a sporting trip with one of her kids and one of the mothers there taught her how to make one {she too thought it was hard to catch on by watching videos}. So I guess this means I’m going to need to take a lesson as none of my local friends know how to crochet.
Dote on My Husband Even More Than I Do Now.
“Breakfast? This isn’t breakfast. What are you trying to do? Starve me?” 😉
So apparently his royal highness requires more than a bowl of oatmeal to jump start his Sundays. Or maybe he’s just grumpy because the Seahawks lost? Poor poor baby.
Lose the Muffin Top. {again}
Ya ya ya.
Wear out {most of} the clothing I already own.
Workin on it.
Try 52 New Recipes
Mrs. HB and I had yet another handful of winners with the new recipes we tried this week. I’ll share the pictures tomorrow. 🙂
Read 52 Books
I started reading the 12 Week Year {great info in there!} The Art of Pie {because I want to use up all the berries in my freezer} and The Cupboard to Table Cookbook {I hoping to learn something new}. How about YOU? What are you reading?
Give Back to 12 Different Organizations in My Community
My mom and I got together last weekend and selected 22 yards of cotton fabric to donate to Quilts from the Heart. While my brother was in the hospital battling colon cancer some nice ladies from the group donated a stack of handmade quilts to the nurses station in hopes that some of their patients would enjoy them.
Well, lets just say when they saw one quilt in particular {a lighthouse quilt}, 3 of the nurses immediately thought of my brother and together they selected that one for him. The quilt brought SO MUCH joy to him in his final days and became such a conversation piece that when I was coming up with my goal of 12 different ways to give back to my community I wanted to make sure Quilts from the Heart was on my list. My mom and I selected prints that reflected my brothers interests in hopes the ladies from the quilting group could incorporate the fabrics into unique quilts for other people.
It’s strange. I don’t think we realize what a simple act of kindness, or something that may seem like a small thing to us {the giving of our time} can mean to someone else. That quilt. It lifted his spirits so high. That feeling, it lasted for days, it was something you couldn’t put a price tag on. It was something my mother nor I would think to buy, bring or make for him in his time of need. He would tell everyone who walked in his room about the quilt and about why the lighthouse quilt was so amazing to him {my brother made lighthouses and sold them at Farmer’s Markets around town in his spare time}.
So the giving of your time, even though it might seem insignificant to you, you never know how much it could mean to someone else.
Life. It’s pretty grand when we can help a complete stranger.
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And then, there’s those top secret goals we’re not talking about yet.
- Secret Goal #1
- 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 2016 Goals HERE.
Sarah L says
We are doing great with our goals this year! We have been finding lots of zero waste ideas, which is part if our goal. As well as greening up our school a touch!
Mel says
I highly, highly recommend loom knitting. I started last week (complete beginner), and I have already been able to do a pair of mittens. You can still do blanket squares even on the round looms, but you can also do socks, mittens, hats, etc. It’s very fast and easy (seriously like knitting with training wheels), and there are great free tutorials on YouTube and Pinterest.
Megan says
Mavis, I know how to crochet and would be happy to help you… I LOVE it. I’ve been crocheting since high school and just picked it back up because I’m stuck home now with my health! A granny square was my first quilt!
Melissa says
So sorry to hear of your brother. I knew he was sick, but I didn’t know he had passed away. What a great way to give back in his memory.
Becky says
I am retiring in May, so goals – ditch direct TV, lower expenses. I am going to try your purge of 250 things, and I love to crochet, but haven’t for awhile. Going to see if I can make any money from my yarn stash. And stealing your idea for Christmas, everything free or handmade. Love reading your blog, so many great ideas!
Margery says
Stop by your local senior center and ask if there is any one there who might want to teach you.
The quilts are great my mom sews all winter in FL, as my dad plays horseshoes. My mom makes baby / toddler sized quilts and then takes them to the cardio unit at Strong Hospital in Rochester NY. Her great granddaughter has spent many many months on the unit and she is just 3, my mom had made her a quilt when she was first born, and the other parents asked about it. So know she makes a bunch each winter to deliver in the spring.
Kristina says
That is so beautiful. I think you’re right about the senior center idea- lots of older women have those sort of home craft skills and would probably be thrilled to help you learn. Wow, if we didn’t all lean on each other a little, I think we would fall down.
Kathy says
Oh my goodness, love this idea! A local retirement community would be full of crochet experts. Give it a shot! Plus this would be a *free* way to learn, and you would be giving enjoyment to the lucky ladies who get to teach you!
Norma says
I have crocheted since I was a teen. My grandmother had the patience to teach me and show me how to do the different stitches and told me what they were called. However, no one taught me how to read a pattern. That I had to do myself when I was in my 20’s and not living at home. I had bought an afghan kit that I wanted to make for my Mother as a Mother’s Day gift. I sat with scrap yarn and worked on getting it right (ripped out the piece more times than I care to think about) until I got it and understood what it said to do.
I have since taught crocheting at the local library where we have “Thursday Night Yarns” from 6:30 to 7:30 every Thursday evening.
I make hats for different places. For many years it was the local school. My goal was 50 per year.
Then I made hats for the local church’s food pantry. Then for my church’s food pantry. My church’s food pantry also just got 7 boxes of baby crocheted items, hats, scarfs, mittens and a few adult sweaters. The woman who runs our “Free Store”, told me that the items were so highly sought after that she had to hand out special “tickets” so that everyone could pick one piece.
Now, I am making hats again – this time for a special program by a youtuber who is 15 and has a heart to give hats to veterans. I have ten right now to put in the mail to this teen to help her reach a goal.
Anyway, asking at the senior center is an excellent idea, look at craft stores, and see if they can recommend someone, and ask at your local library.
AJ @ FurtherJourneys says
My Aunt, who is battling cancer herself, is an avid quilter and has made many blankets and other items for those in the hospital. I think it helps keep her mind off of her own struggles and I know that the recipients really appreciate her efforts.
My goal this month has been to really get a handle on what we were spending and to greatly reduce our budget for food. Last week I only spent $54 at the grocery, so I’m feeling pretty good about things!
Rebecca says
Mavis, I am so sincerely sorry to find out that your brother passed – – – I knew he was sick, but did not know you lost him. Virtual hugs to you my friend.
Andrea D says
Thanks for the good cry, Mavis. What a wonderful idea to distribute quilts. I love it. I had a friend who lost her infant 10 short hours after giving birth, and through her I learned of organizations in hospitals that donate crocheted/knitted baby blankets. And when my sister lost her son at 21 weeks gestation, the hospital gave my nieces stuffed animals as a special reminder of their brother. So I have heard of those types of things for infant loss, but I never thought about how meaningful that would be for someone of any age.
As to crochet- I again highly recommend the book ‘Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crochet’ by Cecily Keim & Kim P. Werker. But, at the very least- start with the basic stitches and work yourself up to a granny square. Once you get the hang of a few simple stitches you should find it easier.
One of my goals was to earn more gift cards through Swagbucks, and I just redeemed points for my first $25 amazon gift card of the year. Way ahead of schedule so I am pleased.
Andrea says
My biggest goal this year was to remove 20 things out of my house each week. Trying to clear clutter is hard when I seem to be the local drop off for people willing to get rid of stuff. But I am doing well on this. I am trying to read 52 books this year. I have found that some books read fast and some books are so full of info that they read slow. I am on book 3 at the moment. I am having a hard time myself learning to crochet through videos. I joined a craft group, and I am learning to knit. They were teaching knitting to start with, and then crochet later in year. I found having goals is good.
Linda @ A La Carte says
I’m new to your Blog but I am loving all the great info you share. I’ve set a few goals and so far doing OK with them, but I like some of the one’s you shared here. I need to add a few more to my list. My biggest goal is to downsize and I’m making great progress on that!
Terri says
What a wonderful way to remember your brother.
http://www.help4women.org/mardibras
I have a relative who supports this organization. She collects bras and personal care products on sale for homeless women. She also takes donations from others to forward. The women and the local organizations are so appreciative.
Laura Z says
Yes. Group homes and shelters always need personal items and toiletries. I use my pharmacy couponing freebies to that end once we are stocked with what we need at home.
Jo says
I taught myself how to crochet many many years ago using a book from Leisure Arts called “I Can’t believe I’m Crocheting”. I still use it as a resource from time to time when I forget how many “yarn overs” some of the stitches have.
Lisa says
Dear Mavis, so very sorry to hear that your brother has passed. You and your family are in my prayers. May the wonderful memories you cherish bring you comfort.
Nancy Nussbaum says
Hi Mavis,
I was so sorry to read that you lost your brother. I knew he was sick but I must have missed the post. I lost a sister 7 years ago….a loss one can never overcome. Again, my condolences.
Nancy
bobbi dougherty says
I am so sorry to hear about your brother. Hugs and prayers your way.
I quilt and our church group makes quilts for preemies and drug addicted babies. I donate fabrics to them also. I usually make a quilt and then give it away. Sometimes I know who to give it to right away and sometimes I just wait and it “comes to me”. 🙂 I never know if they genuinely like them though so it is good to know about your brothers reaction. Thanks for sharing.
Bobbi
bobbi dougherty says
I would also like to thank you for all the great book and movie referrals! I have been tearing the library up!
Holly says
My local library has knot and crochet groups that meet weekly and offer lessons at the class if anyone wants to learn, so check with your local library for resources also. Theye may also have some learn to crochet books.
Janice says
I’ve been waiting to see what you and your mom came up with for your first donation. It’s perfect!!! I know you will both get as much out of your donations as you give. It is rewarding and addictive – I know from experience. Keep up the good work!
Kate says
Hi Mavis, didn’t your daughter give crocheted gifts for cams a few years ago? Surely she could teach you.
Kate says
Sorry, damn you autocorrect, *xmas* not cams.
Delores says
I lost 3 pounds. But, I am battling a stomach bug… I hope I lost the weight and din’t just misplace it! 😉 Anyway, down 4 total so far.
I canned cranberry mustard (one down, 11 to go).
I started vegetable and herb seeds.
I kept up with routines that I wanted… for the most part. We had horrible plumbing issues this week and a vehicle that didn’t work, so I admit that I didn’t do everything on my habit list that I am working on. But, I did most of them and I am not going to beat myself up for life beyond my control.
I am loving these posts! You are an inspiration, Mavis!
tia in boise says
1. Start each day with purpose. (I meant for this to be a workday goal.) I got way-laid by a bunch of Snow Days. I DID get right up and do calisthenics the 2 days we did have school. But I forgot to to keep a positive attitude (not that I had a negative one….) I need to work on going to bed earlier to get enough sleep so I wake up refreshed.
2. Be more social. The intent is to get together with friends once a month. We’ve got 2 more weeks! 🙂
3. Start each school week with all papers graded and entered. School’s out tomorrow, and I will be done with the few papers I have by then, and report cards will be started.
4. Exercise each day. Oops. Well, 3 days out of 7 is better than 0, right?
5. 52 house projects in 52 weeks: this week I addressed and stamped and put in the mail some very old paperwork that has been sitting on my kitchen counter. What a weight off my shoulders! 2 weeks=2 projects done! (I am loving this goal!) baby steps…
Linda says
Mavis,
I hate to tell you this but the pink crocheted square you posted was sitting wrong side up. Turn it over and it will be even prettier. If you ever come through Ohio on I-70, feel free to stop by and I’ll teach you how to crochet. Really!
Gertrude Ezell says
If you can’t find a person to teach you crochet, try this book,
Stitch ‘N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker Paperback by Debbie Stoller
I used her Knitting book to teach myself to knit, its great!
Amy says
You could always see if there is a finer arts guild in you area. A nice grandma from my local guild taught me to knit and crotchet . And it was free!!!
Amy says
Fiber art guild *** stupid auto correct
Melissa M. says
I did not know your brother had passed away. I’m sorry.
Mary says
In Canada, there is an organization of wonderful quilters who also donate to cancer patients. It is called, I am pretty sure, Victorian Quilts– you contact them, give them the name and address of the cancer patient and they send a quilt. Both my brother and sister in law have benefited from their kindness. Pretty awesome!
Amy says
Hello Mavis, I agree, the older I get the less I want and the more I realize the little amount of things I actually need!
I joined the local charity quilting club the week after my mother passed from her cancers and it really helped me heal, as quilting was her favourite pastime (other than enjoying the grandchildren and visiting Mexico, ha ha!) The neat thing is that we donated a lot of her stash and it’s been awesome to recognize some of the materials even a year later.
Have a great week and thank you again for your inspiration! 🙂
Lisa says
I am so sorry about your brother, but I am glad the lighthouse quilt brought him so much joy. I am a quilter and it so inspiring to hear how the donation quilts really comfort the recipients. I have been so busy in the last 6-8 months with our move and my husband’s open heart surgery, that I haven’t been sewing much. I finally got back into my sewing room this weekend. I am going to make it a priority and work on some donation quilts, too!
Emily says
Have you checked your area for any crochet/knitting meetup groups? I’ve joined a knitting group in each of the last several places I’ve lived (lots of moves for school and work). In addition to being a great way to meet new people there is usually someone who is happy to teach you for free.
Sara L says
I love love your rugs…. but what are the small ones for? To hang on the wall? Decorate a table? Help a decorating-challenged person out – ha. Thanks! What a precious story about your brother – thank you for sharing.
tia in boise says
i asked the same question a few months back–she had been talking about rugs, and then i noticed that they were not “wipe your feet” rug-size. they are ornamental–frame, hang, set on table…
Lynn says
Mavis, are you left-handed? It is trickier to learn crochet if you are a lefty. I have been crocheting on and off since I was 7 y.o. (you probably did not want to hear that). I was so blessed to have both a grandmother and great-aunt who took a great interest in teaching me to crochet. We crocheted around a campfire by the lake at my grandmother’s cottage.
I believe you can get a free trial with creativebug.com. I have been using their site to learn new skills such as watercolors. I have been extremely pleased with the tutorials and they have several for learning to crochet (and no, I am not a spammer–just found them useful and wanted to pass it on). I have found their tutorials easier than YouTube videos and am hoping to tackle quilting next!
Rosalind says
Mavis, my church has a prayer shawl ministry and they will teach you how to crochet. They donate the shawls to the ill. The recreation department in my area also has adult leisure classes and they offer crochet classes. Each 2 hour class is a different project. One of the library branches used to have a crochet and wine group. Maybe there are some groups like these in your area. Good luck with the granny square it was the first afghan I made years ago as a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law. I just finished another one but since it had been years I had to look for directions that made sense to me. I have found that some of the videos on the yarn companies sites are very easy to understand.
Can’t wait to see your finished afghan.
Sandra says
Mavis, I had no idea your brother had passed! Somehow I missed that post. I’m so sorry and please extend condolences to your family.
I would be happy to teach you to crochet if you are ever in the Portland area. I’ve been crocheting since I’ve been five and, ahem, I’m much older than that now. I think it would be hard to teach yourself by video if you don’t know how to actually hold the hook and yarn and learn tension. That’s almost something someone has to show you.
I also quilt and I’m touched to hear how a quilt made your brother so happy. I love making them, but I love giving them away even more. Right now, as I type, I’m washing fabric to start a new quilt. This one is going to be for me though!
Julie says
Try your local library. Sometimes they offer crochet classes periodically.
Debbie says
Hi
I crochet and remember that my mom had me practice crochet stitches before starting a project. First just chaining stitches then single crochet then double crochet and so on. Once the stitches continued to be uniform it was time to begin a project. I was 12 then I am now retired and have been making hats to donate to cancer centers . I use you tube videos to learn new stitches.
Good luck with your granny squares D
Lynn says
Debbie’s tip is a simple but excellent tip. I do remember my grandmother starting me off with mastering the basics first and then she moved me on to the granny square. Even starting off with a Granny Stripe afghan after mastering the chain, single, and double crochet might help master the basics first while learning what works for you with tension.
Carole says
this was a very popular post apparently. Our local library also has a Sit and Stitch group that meets weekly. They teach, help and just have fun doing all kinds of needle work. Good place to look for help including your favorite word FREE
Stacie says
Mavis, you’ve made some great progress on your goals so far! Quilts from the Heart sounds like a wonderful and deserving charity! My goals are moving along, I worked out 3 times this past week at the gym and went to the second day of the Wilton One Course this Saturday. I learned a lot of great tips so far, like how to smooth out the buttercream frosting on the cake to make it look as smooth as fondant, how to make rosettes, zig zag borders and stars. This week we baked a two layer cake at home, brought it to class, leveled it, filled it and decorated it. I’ve picked up a lot of great tips; as someone who has been baking awhile some of it were things I already knew like how to fill an icing bag, how to make stars and never use a cake mix, but I’ve definitely picked up knew knowledge and improved my skills with each class. I’ll keep you upated!
Marcia says
Goals are moving along. I have sleep goals, water goals, fitness goals (the rain is making my “bike to work” goals hard…nothing so far this year).
Robin says
I lost my brother at about the same time you lost yours. My brother died in a terrible car accident. He broke his neck and back and was essentially on life support from the moment he went to the hospital. I know what you mean about hand made items. My brother was an organ donor, and so once all the test results were back we arranged for whatever possible to be used to help others. They put a quilt (not homemade) on my brother in the bed, they had taken his hand print and put it on one of the plan squares on the quilt. They also had some ceramic homemade hearts to hold in our hands and we prayed for him before they took him off of life support. In a world full of sterile things in a hospital, anything that represents home, is so comforting. What a great ministry to support in your brother’s honor.
Martha says
Mavis.. I am learning to crochet as well. I live in the country and there are no yarn shops or craft groups here for help. I am learning on my own and found a new free 2017 crochet along for a granny square blanket. Information is on creativecrochetworkshop.com. Every week you crochet a different nine inch block and finish the blanket in late August. They have groups on both facebook and Ravelry.com which is a database of all things knitting and crocheting. Everyone is working on the same pattern for a block at the same time so there will be lots of virtual teachers available when a pattern doesn’t make sense. I am joining and look forward to making a granny square blanket and new friends as well. New crochet alongs (CAL) happen periodically and you can find them by searching on google or Pinterest. Many produce beautiful products but are too advanced for a newbie like me. Thank you for your positive blog and hope this information helps you as well. Martha
Tammy says
I’m sorry for the passing of your brother. The fabric is a lovely thing to give in his memory. My grandma had cancer and she was given a small lap quilt by a group such as this. Even though she was an expert seamstress, she loved that quilt and it brought her a lot of joy also.
Em says
Mavis, I did not expect this “goals” post to make me cry, but it did. Good thing that I’m working from home today.
It’s neat that your brother made lighthouses, and I’m so glad he enjoyed the quilt!
You’ve received a lot of good tips on crochet! I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for sharing your (and Mrs HB’s) goals with us.