My goals for 2017
Get 7- 8 Hours of Sleep Each Night
I hardly got any sleep last week. In fact, I think averaged about 5 hours every night. And I was cranky too. Bad Mavis! It’s taking longer for the sun to come up these days and there isn’t enough daylight in the evenings to work on my rug hooking projects which, means I have to TURN ON A LIGHT if I want to work on one. And for some reason, paying for light makes me grumpy.
In other news, I found a FREE kiddie pool next to someone’s trash can in Anacortes on our way to the ferry dock on Wednesday. So that’s a plus. I wanted to get one for Lucy earlier this summer when we were having all that hot weather, but never got around to buying one. See, if you just wait long enough, and keep your eyes peeled on garbage day, your frugal dreams may just come true. Woo Hoo!
It also helps if your daughter is driving the car. If the HH would have been driving there is NO WAY ON EARTH he would have stopped. In his mind everything alongside the road is trash and everything sold in thrift stores is from dead people. As in they died reading that book, while in that chair, wearing those pants, using that plate… and so on. It’s absurd.
He’d rather have new. I’d rather have free. How we are still together is beyond me.
Make Saving a Priority, Not an Idea
What does this say about us a county? Really? Soda is cheaper than water?
Things we’ve done this month that saved us money:
- Made an additional 5 principal payments towards the mortgage
- Gave each other haircuts
- Didn’t buy any groceries
- Painted a used coffee table instead of paying big bucks for a new one
- Recycled instead of paying for trash service
- Watched tv shoes and movies on Netflix or AmazonPrime instead of paying for cable
- Payed bills online instead of using stamps to mail them in
Live a little
I found a set of Pottery Barn 96″ linen curtains at the thrift store and just had to have them. The quality of their curtains are top notch and plus they were lined. These retail for around $100+ each {not that I would ever pay that much for them} and I was able to get the set for $8. That’s like a savings of $192 to all the crazy people out there who pay retail. Bananas. Just bananas.
Anywho, I am still on the fence on whether or not I should buy a really long curtain rod off Amazon and hang curtains along the back wall. Currently we have 25 year old stained {and broken} honeycomb blinds up in the back windows. They are horrible and coming down soon. After I remove the blinds I plan to put a fresh coat of paint on the patio doors and trim work, but I still cannot decide what to do after that. {You can see more pictures of our back wall HERE}
Part of me says remove the junky blinds, paint and do nothing else. But the other part of me thinks I should buy the curtain rod and hang up a curtain panel on each end to have a more finished look.
Since we are not staying here forever, I have NO interest in buying new blinds or anything else to cover the back windows.
So. Spend $100 and buy the extra long rod and hang the curtains, or pack the curtains away and save them for the next place? What do you think?
Visit 52 REAL Bakeries
The best stuff is homemade. But you already knew that didn’t you. 😉
Have 1 “no spend” week each month
I am to saving my “no spend week” for the end of the month.
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. Mission Accomplished
I didn’t sell a single thing in my Etsy shop and Ebay store this week. I’m not sure if pumpkin buying season is over {August was a good month for me} or what, but so far this year I have sold $7,957.01 worth of goodies. I have one more pumpkin runner I want to finish and then if no fall or pumpkin items sell this week, I’ll probably pack up my fall stuff and get started on my Christmas items. I won’t be doing too many of them this year, but still, I’d rather get them done sooner rather than later. Then, I can finally get all those patterns finished and up for sale.
Purge 250 Items Including Selling Larger Items We No Longer Feel We Need Mission Accomplished
Learn to Crochet Mission Accomplished
Dote on My Husband Even More Than I Do Now.
The HH has some vacation time coming up and so I’ve been working hard at trying to map out what his vacation week will look like. 😉 A new bakery {or two} a small house project, SLEEPING in and a few adventures. I can’t remember a time when he took time off and we didn’t have a to-do list. I wonder if that day will ever come? Do the project slow down as you get older or do we just slow down and the projects take longer?
Lose the Muffin Top. {again} Mission Accomplished.
Wear out {most of} the clothing I already own.
Does anyone know when Costco usually puts their merino wool socks on sale? Because seriously, a girl can only mend holes in them so many times. I LOVE how lightweight the socks are, but man, they only last about 2 winters. 🙁
Try 52 New Recipes
I have like 10 recipes I need to share with you. Hopefully I can get them on the blog soon.
Read 52 Books
I just started listening to Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good on Hoopla Digital. So far so good. But then again, I love real stories about families.
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 – Donated to the Chew Dog Rescue
August – Donated to the Houston Flood Relief Fund
September – $100 Tip to our amazing server at The Grey House and bought a tin of caramel corn from a Boy Scout
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.
Em says
Do you have a Habitat Re-Store near you? The one near me has brand new window blinds as well as new and used curtain rods, for great prices.
Elise says
I LOVE this goals series! I know it’s work for you, but SO fun to follow your progress (and speculate about your secret goals!!!)
Costco near me in Northern California has had this year’s purple and black wool socks for a while. I don’t LOVE the color combination (the green accent color is beyond ugly), but I needed them 🙂 I LOVE the blue set that they had a few years ago!
And I love the idea of the Re-Store! And didn’t you have a post recently (in the last 2-3 months) about a thrift store that had TONS of home fixtures? try that.
UpstateNYer says
I love that you could find a pool ! If it had a crack in it, it would certainly be great for using it as a flower bed somewhere in the yard. Spray painting the outside a different color would look nice too.
UpstateNYer says
For the curtains: Why not use PVC pipe or metal pipe or a long wood dowel for a curtain rod? You could spray paint it any color or a metal shade would disguise it. Add a pretty finial and no one will know!
suzanne says
Agreed. I had almost 20′ to cover. I bought 2 10′ sections of metal conduit and they cut 6″s of each piece for me. I then joined the two pieces together in the middle with a small dowel slipped inside both pieces for rigidity. Bought some pipe hangers to install them and hot glued some old knobs on for finials. Painted the thing bronze. It looked custom made for way under $15
Kristin says
That’s what I did. went to my local big box hardware store. I actually bought an extra long closet rod, a few wood brackets & some finials. Stained them all to match. It looks great & saved a ton of money.
Stacie says
I vote for removing the blinds, re painting and not hanging anything. I love bright open windows. Natural light in a house is the way to go!
Sarah says
Agreed. High end staging company here in Portland removes window coverings–especially ready-made panels.
I also believe a curtain rod and panels will only distract from buyers’ eyes seeing your wonderful back yard.
Aunt G says
I would take the blinds down, paint and leave it simply bare.
Leanna says
I love your weekly goal post. Hard to believe there’s only 12 more weeks in the year.
Lynne says
I’m with you, Leanna! I love these weekly posts, especially the way Mavis charts the progress of the year. It’s always sobering to realize how fast a year is going.
Mel says
One of my goals was to grow all our vegetables from seed. I did all our spring and summer veggies earlier this year, and in the past two weeks, I planted about 100 fall veggies that were started under lights in our basement. So, that goal is done. It was cheaper and not too hard, and I like trying out different veggies, but it’s nice not to have to remember the lights every day and deal with potting soil.
I completed my goal of learning to sew a few months ago, and I’m moving on to using that goal to make Christmas gifts (another goal). I was originally planning to knit socks for gifts, and I did learn how, but sewing is just faster and more versatile. At the moment, I’m planning to sew hooded scarves and headbands. I have a few other miscellaneous diy gifts in mind (painted guitar strap and seaglass collages) that don’t require sewing as well.
Tammy says
Take the blinds down and leave the windows as is. I think they look nice without anything on them. The curtains that you bought are very nice but not really long enough for those windows.
Lilli says
I can feed my kids a box of noodles for less than a dollar but the Avacado I bought was 3.00. Worse yet, the lettuce and spinach for that same salad was 3.00 a piece. Definitely a garden coming next year.
Linda says
I also like the windows uncovered, unless it’s a matter of privacy.
I’m sorry to tell you that the “to do” list never ends, and you’re absolutely correct when you suggest it just takes longer – quite a bit longer. Still have the same number of hours in a day, and the amount of days in a week, but I never get the same amount done I used to. So, I take it one day at a time and cross off my accomplishments with gratitude that I’m still able to do it at all.
Athena says
If you decide to hang the curtains Ikea actually has inexpensive, nice looking, very long curtain rods. That’s what we have in our living room. We have a very long span of windows to the back porch and the extra long rod from Ikea did the trick (the previous owners stuffed 2 normal sized rods into each other, looked a little odd when up). You can screw any finial into the end or get little plugs for them right at Ikea.
Amy says
Yes, Ikea has some pretty sweet curtain options, I’m using curtains and a rod from there instead of the front entrance closet doors, we’ve already broken a set of doors and don’t want to buy another set until the children are much older.
I favour no curtains on windows myself, I’m with the others who recommend nothing to distract from the view. Unless you like to dance around in the nude- then you should get some curtains, ha ha!
Nan says
Awesome on those goals and I love your rugs. I take it you go to bed late and get up early. I would like to stay up later myself but I get too sleepy so my schedule is asleep by 9 PM and up around 4 AM. I’d like to sleep until 5 but I wake up wide awake.
MEM says
Even though I don’t have a lot of privacy around my house (densely populated), unlike your neighborhood, I avoided drapes wherever I could. Where I had to use drapes I stuck with plain white. I also vote for taking down the old yucky blinds, painting the trim and saving the thrifted drapes for your next home.
Peg says
Skip hanging the curtains, take down the old blinds, and paint the trim. Sad state of affairs when water costs more than pop. I do agree with the suggestions to check out a local Habitat for Humanity Restore. Or for making your own curtain rods. Have done both. It’d be different if this is your forever home.
Mary says
My only goal is to pass my 1st college class, Algebra. After 40 years of graduating HS. I must be nuts.
Amy says
No, you’re awesome! Kepp up the hard work!
Amy says
*keep* Hahaha!
MAry says
Thanks! I’m getting lots tutoring, hoping that helps me
Pam says
We have used pipes for curtain rods many times. Some we have even pulled from peoples trash! (we too love a good freebie on the side of the road)!
Tracy says
The curtains you’re showing are too short for the window….nothing worse than “flood curtains”. So, there’s that.
Julia says
I also curb surf fee items. Just this week I got a wooden captains chair, two decorative short columns for to use as plant stands , and a mini southwestern strawberry pot. I wouldn’t hang any curtains on the windows either. And the price of water is ridiculous. As George Carlin used to say, “When did we get so thirsty?”
E in Upstate NY says
My brother and wife stopped to pull out a “find” from the trash, and the local police stopped, gave them a ticket! Did allow them to keep the find. Their city requires trash pickers to have a license. Apparently so many people come into their city to pick that a mess is made that the trash haulers have to clean up. Don’t you love big city living? Oh and yes, this is in Ohio.
Rebekah U says
Mavis –
Take down the blinds, pant, and leave the windows for all to see (unless a neighbor can look directly into your windows). But if you must, I agree with purchasing pipe and painting it and making it a really neat DIY project to save the cost of the rod. When we shop for a house, I love clean spaces, and window coverings always make me think about dust…
Love your posts! Your rugs are beautiful!
Shanade says
I say don’t hang anything. It’s so nice to have beautiful trimmed out windows with nothing in the way of your view. And who doesn’t love natural lighting.
Kaylee says
I love reading about your weekly progress. It reminds me to keep track of my goals and restart if I’ve fallen behind.
Ann says
Find GREAT prices for curtain rods at Big Lots. Several stores near you: http://local.biglots.com/search/wa/gig+harbor?q=gig+harbor%2C+WA