My 14 Goals for 2020
Goal #1 – Take Full Advantage of Having My Husband Home 24/7
On the honey do list for this week:
- Hang bunting on the front of the house
- Glaze 1 garage window, scrape the goo off the other one
- Till up side fence area
The HH cut my hair yesterday. I asked him to cut an inch off the back but I think he cut off more like three or four inches. It will grow back though, right? And hey, the price was right so who am I to complain.
Goal #2 – Take Better Care of Myself.
Lot’s of walks on the beach this week and I even found a broken clam shell that looks like a lobster claw.
Also, Lucy found her favorite beach treat, although I have no idea what it’s called {maybe you know?} Basically, whatever the thing is, it’s like a beachy flavored chew stick and she gets so excited when she finds them.
Goal #3 – Get Organized
The plan for June is to:
- Re-glaze and paint 2 garage windows
- Paint double dutch door in kitchen
- Paint wall in guest bedroom {we patched up some small holes and now the entire wall needs to be painted. Grrr.}
- Go on 3 mini adventures {1 down 2 to go}
- Collect mussel shells {I have a project in mind}
Trim tulip bulb stalks back{done}- Dig up area long side fence for future flower border
- Work on staining the fence {the side fence for June} {painted 3 panels}
Goal #4 – Get Proper Window Coverings on All Our Windows.
All that’s left is window coverings for the sunroom. Which I’ll probably finish this fall because right now, we are enjoying the sunshine that streams through the windows all day everyday.
Goal #5 – Master Bedroom Make Over {almost done!}
Miss Lucy and I were on one of our beach walks the other day and passed by a yard sale where we found a set of two nice black frames for $5. I haven’t decided if I’ll hang the frames in our bedroom, or the living room yet but I do plan on taking out the old photos and replacing them with ones I’ve taken of skiffs or some sort of colorful beach scenes. Five bucks! What a deal.
Still left to do:
Paint Writing Desk a Glossy Black- Paint the Creamy Closet Doors White
- Refinish the Floors {late summer project because I don’t have the supplies and the windows will need to be open all day because of the fumes}.
Goal #6 – Kitchen Update
I had planned on painting the double dutch door this week but worked on outside projects {again} instead. But hey, what do you think of this combination… hosta and blue lupine? I spotted in in someone’s yard while out on a walk.
We have a row of hostas planted along the back of the yard {in the lasagna garden} and after seeing how great this looks, I think I want to try it. I checked and Botanical Interests has the seeds for the blue variety.
Goal #7 – Install Vegetable Garden Done!
The vegetable garden has been installed and so now the next project is a hosta border alongside the driveway and then it’s on to the large section along the side yard.
Goal #8 – Explore More of Maine
On the radar for exploring Maine in June:
Bar Harbor, MaineLincolnville Center General Store in Lincolnville, Maine- Wallace’s Market in Friendship, Maine
Alewives Fabric Store in Nobleboro, Maine- Harpswell, Maine and Bailey Island
- Camden, Maine
Red’s Eats for Lobster Rolls
Goal #9 – Host Some Sort of Get Together
Does a yard sale count? We are planning on having a yard sale in a few weeks with the neighbors. That totally counts as a get together, right? 🙂
Goal #10 – Read/Listen to 12 Books
No new audiobooks this past week but my neighbor who is an antique and primitives lover like myself gave me a boatload of old auction catalogs and some magazines for inspiration. She was going to toss them out, but thought of me and now we have a date for tea next week. 🙂
So far I have read/listened to:
- Olive Kitteridge #3
- Olive, Again
- Birdseye: The Adventures of a Curious Man
- Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites
- Natural Color: Vibrant Plant Dye Projects for Your Home and Wardrobe
- The New Bungalow Kitchen
- Container Gardening by Stephanie Donaldson
- The Nightingale #1
- A Piece of the World #2
- The War I Finally Won
- Vertical Gardening
- Front Yard Gardens
- The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook
- Beach House Style
Goal #11 – Learn A New Skill or Craft
Not yet. Thinking seriously about buying a glass kiln though {and so is my neighbor} because we all know I need another hobby to fill my time.
Goal #12 – Visit 12 Museums, Historical Homes or Botanical Gardens {and bakeries too!}
This past week we visited Wiscasset as well as found a super cute honey stand in Kennebunkport.
January
- Maine Maritime Museum
- Maine Mineral and Gem Museum
- The Island Market
- Cafe DiCocoa
- Hungry Hollow Country Store
February
- Two Fat Cats Bakery
- Portland Museum of Art
- Speckled Ax
- Atlantic Baking Company
- Rockland, St. George, Cushing and Port Clyde Maine
March
- Bar Harbor and Desert Island Adventures Day One, Day Two and the Summer Cottage Rental Tour.
- Tinder Hearth Bakery in Brooksville, Maine
May
- Puzzle Mountain Bakery Pie Stand in Newry, Maine
June
- Red’s Eats in Wiscasset, Maine
- The Bees Knees Honey Stand in Kennebunkport, Maine
- Rococo Ice Cream Kennebunkport, Maine
Goal # 13 – Reach 5,000 Etsy Sales by the End of The Year
As of this morning, I have made 4210 sales on Etsy. That’s up from 2804 on January 1st! Only 790 more sales to go before I hit my goal.
This past week I added a new rug hooking kit, Old Fashioned Tall Tulip to my Etsy shop and worked on a few pumpkins for a collection of finished pieces I plan to offer on August 7th and September 4th. Carving out the time to work on hooked rugs this spring and summer has been difficult because we’ve been spending so much time in the yard and working on indoor projects as well.
I have a gut feeling that this winter is going to be a very creative one though because most of our big projects will have been completed, and I am very much looking forward to the slower pace the cold weather brings.
Goal #14 – Once a Month Menu Planning {for 2}
The HH’s meal plan for the month, and maybe even the summer is BBQ. Works for me! 🙂
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Have YOU made any goals for this year? If so, DO TELL! We all want to hear about them.
Have a great Sunday everyone, enjoy the sunshine.
~Mavis
Daria says
Lucy’s chewing on a kelp stem.
Kim says
I picked 57 tomatoes this week here in TX. I think we are going to have an epic crop. Mavis could you run down and help me process all of these,
around early July?
I would really appreciate it!
Mavis Butterfield says
57 already! Way to go Kim!!
Diane says
I’m curious about how many tomato plants do you have. And is this all for your family’s personal use? I can’t even imagine hw much you’ll end up with by season’s end.
Mel says
I’m keeping the general categories of my original goals, but I keep changing up the specific tasks along the way due to everything happening this year. My priorities changed when I started working from home and then again when I was off for the summer but still home, so I’m trying to roll with that. Here’s what I worked on this week:
SEWING: I have been working on seasonal/holiday napkins to replace our old ones. I got all the remaining fabric washed and dried this week, so I just need to cut and sew them, but I had to take a break because I got another face mask request. I’m hoping I can get all the cutting done today so that I can clean up my sewing space and just sew all the squares.
HOUSEWORK: I’m continuing to set aside stuff to donate, and I am trying to settle into a more regimented cleaning schedule (hoping I won’t have to deep clean as often if I set up a better maintenance cleaning routine). I’m still planning on reupholstering our ottoman, but being home so much has also really highlighted how poorly suited some of our furniture is to our house. We basically repurposed items from our apartment when we moved in years ago, and some of those pieces are just not cutting it these days, so I ordered new items and will work on swapping everything out and reorganizing once everything arrives. My storage bins did arrive, so I may finally get to organize holiday stuff this week.
DIGITAL STUFF: I was originally going to organize all my photos, but I don’t really feel like sorting through all that while home all day already, so I settled for updating the photos in our digital photo frame. I’m also working on setting up gallery walls in our stairwells, so that will also utilize some more photos.
Susan says
Did you read this article about sheep shearing on an island in Maine? Goals!!
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/08/travel/lens-sheep-island-maine.html
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes, thank you. 🙂
Terri says
I love anything with blue flowers!
Mavis Butterfield says
Me too!
Nora says
Lupins are a natural fertilizer but are poisonous as well. Something to maybe keep in mind with the puggle princess?
Nancy says
LUPINES!!!! We love lupines in Northern Wisconsini!!! So many colors, spread naturally, so beautiful!
Mable says
Husband and I used to get our hair cut/trimmed every six weeks, to the tune of 60 to 80 dollars every eight weeks. About ten years ago, we started cutting each other’s hair. The first few times the results were not perfect, but hair grows back and in a decade we have saved, at minimum, $3,600. Totally worth it. I’d rather be spending that three thousand eating fish and chips in London.
Sandra G. says
Hi I have one suggestion and that is if you are going to make the curtain consider locating the fabric now since getting things from places has become more complicated sometimes involving long wait times. You might also be able to score a sale someplace and get them for a fair price.
Mavis Butterfield says
Luckily I have all the supplies. I was worried about the store not having enough so when I placed my order I made sure to get everything I needed just in case. I’m so glad because the fabric is no longer available.
Cecile says
I’ve been told men are very poor judges of measurement without a ruler! lol
Diane says
Hi Mavis-have you ever thought of beekeeping? That may be a goal for my goals for next year—ill read up on it this winter. One of my goals for the summer is to can this soup mix my Mom and Granny and i used to can: tomatoes, lima beans, pole beans and corn—used it as a soup base all winter. Get your canning jars now ladies- i have a feeling they may be scarce by summers end. I love that tulip rug kit…hmmmm…. that may be a winter goal!
Mavis Butterfield says
No nee keeping for me, I am allergic to them. 🙁
Anita Morton says
Hi Mavis, would the HH ever consider showing us how he glazes a window, with a few pictures? I am going to attempt the same project this summer and would love to see how he does it! Thanks, Anita
Mavis Butterfield says
I’ll ask him to take pictures.