My goals for 2017
Get 7- 8 Hours of Sleep Each Night
Lucy and I snuggled yesterday morning until 8:30 am and then spent the rest of the day playing in the yard and cleaning out the garage with The Girl. Sleep is cool. Especially when you know you can sleep in and not have to go anywhere the next day.
Make Saving a Priority, Not an Idea
So this is kind of funny. Apparently last night there was a big fight on tv and people were paying $100 to watch it on cable. The HH was invited over to a co-workers house to watch it but didn’t go. Since we don’t have cable {and HELLO, would have no interest in paying $100 to watch a fight on tv} he popped on youtube to “watch” it for free. Well, kind of.
Apparently there was a you tube channel with a bunch of guys watching the fight on tv and doing a live stream of them watching the fight and giving commentary {think old school and having to listen to the radio type of thing}. Anywho, about halfway through that someone streamed themselves watching the fight on their tv {so the fight was actually live on you tube} but it got shut down after a few minutes. Whateva. After it was over I asked the HH if he was glad he didn’t spend $100 to watch the fight and he said yes. 😉
So see, cable…. who needs it?
Other things I’ve done this month to save money:
- Reduced our energy bill over last years by 20% thanks in part to not turning on the A/C
- Booked airline tickets for the kids using a Buy 1 Get 1 for $99 Companion fare ticket on Alaska Airlines
- We decided to stay in and make dinner instead of going out for our anniversary
- Re-stained patio furniture to make it last longer.
- The HH and I gave each other haircuts
- I used gift cards to buy groceries
- Paid an extra 4 {really, closer to 5} principal payments on the mortgage for August
- I called Comcast out on overcharging me on my internet bill and ended up getting my bill reduced by $15 a month.
- Ate yummy stuff out of the garden instead of buying produce at the grocery store.
- I redeemed 2200 Swagbucks for a $25 gift card to Amazon.
- Listened to audiobooks via the HooplaDigital app {free through my local library}
- I’ve been staying home more {lot’s more actually} and in turn have reduced the amount of money I spend on every day stuff, as well as gasoline and wear and tear on my good clothes and shoes.
Live a little
I bought 2 new bras. Yee- Haw! If that’s not living, I don’t know what is.
Visit 52 REAL Bakeries
The Girl and I are thinking about driving down to Crater Lake. Anyone know of any good bakeries between Olympia, Wa and Crater Lake National Park in Oregon?
Have 1 “no spend” week each month
My no spend week for August was the second week of the month when I used all those gift cards.
Start a Line of Rug Hooking Patterns
I have 8 rug hooking patterns listed in my Etsy shop, 5 more completed rugs that I need to get patterns printed up for so I can get them listed, and 3 more drawn out but not completed. I’ll get them done, sooner or later.
Turn My Wool Stash into $2,500.
It was another fruitful week and I ended up I selling $184.48 worth of goodness in my Etsy shop and Ebay store which brings my total to $6564.80 for the year. I’ve been crazy busy around here with other projects so I haven’t been able to devote as much time as I would have liked to rug hooking this summer. But hey, I’m over my goal for the year and seriously, $6500 isn’t too shabby.
Purge 250 Items Including Selling Larger Items We No Longer Feel We Need Mission Accomplished
Finally!!! I was able to knock this goal off my list this past week. Yesterday The Girl and I cleaned out the garage and found a few more things to donate. Those items brought our total to 262 items purged this year and let me tell you Bob, it feels good to be done. I’m telling you, LESS is MORE. It feels good to be down to just the necessities.
Learn to Crochet Mission Accomplished
Dote on My Husband Even More Than I Do Now.
23 years ago the HH and I were married on this very day! If you tack on the two years we dated that means we’ve spent more than half of our lives together. How crazy is that? 8 moves, 2 kids, 25+ chickens and 1 dog later we’re still here. Seriously, I think it’s crazy cool. Marriage is hard people, so much give and take, but I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else. We’re a good team, the HH and I, and I’m sooooo looking forward to the next chapter of our story together. SO. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. 😉
Lose the Muffin Top. {again} Mission Accomplished
See ya later… Sista.
Wear out {most of} the clothing I already own.
I only left the neighborhood once this week {to go grocery shopping} so it was pretty much old painting clothes and running shorts this past week.
Try 52 New Recipes
I posted a recipe for Naan Bread earlier this week and today we are going to try and make flat bread. I spied a recipe in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living and it looked pretty tasty so I’m going to give it a try. I like the idea of the smaller portion size and the flatbread having less cheese than a pizza. Have you made flatbread before? Any tips?
Read 52 Books Mission Accomplished
Last night I started Full Steam Ahead: How The Railways Made Britain by Peter Ginn and Ruth Goodman. I liked Ruth’s book How To Be a Tudor: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Tudor Life and am now on a all things British kick.
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.
April – Donated again to my daughter’s mentor who was in a horrible car accident.
May – $100 Tip to a waitress on Mother’s day.
June – Started collecting men’s shirts to donate this winter.
July – Chew Dog Rescue
And then, there’s those top secret goals we’re not talking about yet.
Secret Goal #1Sell East Coast House Mission AccomplishedSecret Goal #2Chickens! Mission Accomplished- 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.
Julie says
For the bakery on the way, Baron Patisserie (16500 SE 15th st) in Vancouver, WA!! Best bakery in the PNW for sure!! They are open until 2pm tho so check on that, but he learned from his uncle that is French, he makes a bunch of different amazing pastries. You guys HAVE to stop there, you will LOVE it for sure!!! No comparison with Chuck’s Produce that has a lot of amazing things but pastries are really not their strengths, and Petite Provence is… really “American”, if you want to stop by Portland to get good French cakes St Honoré Bakery would be the great place to go but not Petite Provence. Being French helps to spot the great pastry places haha.
Teri says
There are lots of wildfires in Oregon this year. They need rain badly.
Jess says
I love just about everything you post, but I find these goal updates my favorite! I find them so motivating, even though they have nothing to do about me…haha!
Kaliegh says
Petite Provence in Portland on Alberta or Division. It is a French restraunt and bakery. Very popular! The macaroons are tasty!
Jessica says
Mavis, you HAVE to stop at Chuck’s Produce in Vancouver, WA! They are a super cool store that sells produce at awesome prices and they have the best scratch bakery and a delicious deli! They are locally owned and have two locations now (traveling down I-5 the Salmon Creek location would be convenient). They are closed every Saturday for Family Day as the owners are Seventh Day.
Chuck’s Produce would be totally up your and The Girl’s alley! Local, huge selection of produce, great prices, scratch bakery, awesome deli, I mean it’d be a crime for you guys to miss out on stopping there! Seriously I can’t recommend it enough!
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks!!
Caitlin says
I positively love anything Ruth Goodman does. The different series she has made with the BBC are a favorite. My husband and I often mumble to ourselves “what would Ruth do?”
Brianna says
Happy Anniversary! I wish you all the best as you grow really really old together. I use to live outside of Crater Lake, but that was 12+ years ago and I’m sure a lot has changed and a lot of my favorite places are probably no longer in existence.
It feels so good to get rid of stuff! As I’ve been unpacking all of my moving boxes I have been going through stuff and packing the stuff we no longer need away into labeled boxes to donate or sell in the spring, depending on how long it takes me. It is just my 3 little kids and I, so it is a very slow process. It seems easier to make decisions without the hubby around and when I haven’t seen the stuff in a few months. I had our movers put everything into the garage so I can slowly move it into the house if I desire to keep it. This is my 16th move since 2000 and hopefully we are in our forever home as it was purchased and not rented. I’m tired of moving, but it is almost second nature to me.
Nicole says
My husband was able to watch the fight on Instagram. Same idea there…someone with their phone up to the tv screen videoing and sharing the live feed. Never got shut down…he was able to watch the entire fight and didn’t have to pay anything or drive anywhere and didn’t feel like he was missing out. Awesome.
Lisa L says
Someone did a Facebook Live of the fight and we watched it there. NO WAY we are paying $100 to watch it!
There are three bakeries I have in mind:
Kyra’s bake shop is in Lake Oswego. Everything is gluten free but you would never know it. She has won cupcake wars every time she has been on it. Just down the street (literally) from her is NOLA donuts. They use croissant dough to make donuts and they also do beignets.
In downtown Vancouver, WA there’sa tiny place called Treat. The do everything in very small batches. Homemade cookies, ding dongs, bars, galettes and the best soft serve/ice cream you will ever ever eat.
Shannon says
You would love Sweet Life Patisserie in Blair Alley in Eugene!
Ellen in Claclkamas says
Spiffy’s restaurant and bakery, just south of Chehalis off I5. These best pies….marionberry….yummmmm
Patricia says
Please wait until fall to come to Crater Lake or at least after the fires have died down. We were just there and the smoke has covered the lake. The beauty is not there at all. At times you cannot even see Wizard Island.
Nineandahalffingers says
You are so totally my hero. I laughed my bum off when you told us about your two new bras, it is living indeed. I admire all your achievements and love reading about them.
Martha says
Sweet Life Patisserie
755 Monroe St
Eugene, Oregon, OR 97402
Kari says
We were invited to a friend’s house for the fight. We would have never ordered and paid for it on our own, but decided to offer the hosts $20 towards it since we enjoyed it with them. We figured it was only fair.
The purse for Maywether was something like $200 million, which almost seems criminal. It is hard for me to not think about how many hungry people that could feed.
Kari says
Happy Anniversary, BTW!!!
Kirsten says
Another vote for a sweet life in Eugene….
Kirsten G. says
Happy Anniversary! Marriage is hard. My husband and I are celebrating our 14th anniversary in September. We dated for 4 years in university and got married after grad. 2 moves, 4 kids, and a major job change, we’re still going strong.
Once the kids go back to school September, I’m going to set up some goals for the fall.
Helen in Meridian says
Happy Anniversary sweet girl. Tues was our 44th, my favorite number. We were ending an Eclipse Weekend camping in the mini mansion in Weiser. We were at Crater Lake on a 12 day trip last month with Good Sam friends. They had had 14 ft of snow. There was just one road open and you could only go to the right to the Lodge and no farther. Still lots and lots of snow. Bring your boots and while your car is idling while the road craters are finishing the road, please have a snowball fight with the
Girl.
Conni says
HAPPY ANNI‼️ Thank you for including the picture of your WAY cute HH and yourself! My hubs and I are a month away from our 45th. Secret: shared faith and MUCH humor while raising six ‘next gens’. Your mission of ‘doting’ is great!
Sallie Borrink says
Have you watched these? They are really good!
Michèle says
Another vote for SWEET LIFE IN EUGENE!!! Hope you can find parking ♥️
Julie says
Hi Mavis, I live in Southern Oregon and I’d advise you to wait to visit Crater Lake. It is very smoky here due to the wildfires. They also just issued a Level 1 Evacuation Notification for Mazama Village. (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/5503/39182/). You can check out the webcams to view the lake and as of this afternoon you could barely see the lake due to the smoke. The lake and surrounding area is beautiful! It is worth the drive and the wait so that you can see her in her glory! When you do come, Beckie’s Cafe has great pies! Beckie’s is located in Union Creek, along the drive to Crater Lake. Natural Bridge is also a neat place to stop and walk around. The Rogue River disappears underground into a 250-foot lava tube. It is quite magical.
lynne says
Happy Anniversary!! We are just ahead of you at 25 1/2. 5 moves (the latest being 2 weeks ago), no kids, 2 dogs (kids that never grow up), and still madly in love with him. May you have many, many years together! Blessings! LynneinWI.
amy in Oregon says
Happy anniversary!!! There is a fun& funky bakery in Philomath Oregon called Nutcakes and it is yummy yummy!!!
Nancy says
Happy Anniversary Mavis and HH! I was married for 41 years and wish you the best.
Torry says
Happy anniversary! DH and I will be married 46 years in October and two wonderful children, a wonderful daughter in law and a wonderful son in law, and two perfect grandchildren later, I am still in love with him! And, yes, marriage is hard!
Linda says
Happy anniversary, Mavis and HH!
My hub and I have been married 6 years in Nov. We both lost our former spouses, mine to cancer, his to ALS . There aren’t words to describe that pain.
We were lucky to find each other way across the country. Marriage is hard in your twenties, and its hard in our sixties, when we’ve both had different lives and each have a few ideas (not necessarily the same) about how life should be. But having someone here who loves me and who knows how lonely life can be, is still worth making any necessary attitude adjustments.
May the two of you “live long and prosper!”
Rhonda says
Want cake? So many cakes available at this amazing little bakery. I highly suggest it and have a goal to try every cake available. Gerry Frank’s Konditorei is located in Salem.
http://m.gerryfrankskonditorei.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgerryfrankskonditorei.com%2F&utm_referrer=#2665
Mama Cook says
So this is off in left field, but Adirondack chairs? Any good suggestions for purchasing them? I was thinking to purchase two for our anniversary that is in a couple of weeks. ☺️
Mavis Butterfield says
I found ours at a garage sale two years ago {plus a table} for $40. I would check out your local garden center though. They seem to have them on clearance this time of year and you might be able to get a deal.
E in Upstate NY says
While I lust for Adirondack chairs, they are a royal pain for my husband who has really bad knees and hips to get in and out of. Thought you would want to know if you or your hubby has knee issues.
Also there is a design modification that allows the chairs to kinda fold up for storage. Around here in snowy Upstate NY, that’s a big plus.
And Happy Anniversary Mama Cook and Mavis!
Em says
Happy anniversary, Mavis and HH! Thanks for sharing the picture.