My 14 Goals for 2020
Goal #1 – Take Full Advantage of Having My Husband Home 24/7
My new laptop arrived yesterday and so the HH has been working on setting it up for me. We must be getting old because we’re both totally annoyed that you have to go in and disable the microphone and the camera {I always put a sticky dot over mine anyway} and about 10 million other things before getting to actually use the computer. No, I don’t want to sign up for this, or register for that, I just want a basic machine where I can get my emails, write my blog and search the internet. I don’t need anything else.
Goal #2 – Take Better Care of Myself.
My sleep schedule is totally off and I don’t know how to get back to normal. I’ve been waking up between 3:30 – 4 am for the last week or so, but the weird thing is, I feel totally rested when I get up… so I get up and start my day. What happened to sleeping in until 6 am?
Not everyone is happy about it either. Lucy especially.
Goal #3 – Get Organized
September Goals
- Finish all Christmas ornaments {about 1/2 way done}
- Finish at least 1 rug {nearly halfway done!}
- Pull everything together for turkey rug {drawing out the pattern today}
Goal #4 – Get Proper Window Coverings on All Our Windows. Done!
This is the tutorial I used in case anyone is interested. I decided not to make any shades for the sunroom windows. All that sunlight…. it’s too beautiful to cover up.
Goal #5 – Master Bedroom Make Over
This year I’ve painted both closets, removed wallpaper, painted walls and trim, painted my writing desk, installed a new light fixture, plus added new curtains and rods. Whew! I think I’m done.
Goal #6 – Kitchen Update
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE a clean {and bare} counter top. 🙂
Goal #7 – Install Vegetable Garden Done!
Yesterday I cleaned up the garden beds a bit by pulling up the spent green green plants, thinning the basil seedlings {I’m hoping I planted round 3 early enough} and pruning the tomato plants. I also planted a patch of lettuce and a row of radishes.
I was thinking about planting a packet of sugar snap peas but I think I may have missed the window of opportunity on those as they take 62-75 days until harvest. I think it was around mid to late October when we got our first killing frost last year… so I decided not to chance it and will plant my packet of peas next year instead.
Goal #8 – Explore More of Maine
For the last 8 days the only time I have left the house was to wander over to the neighbor’s place or to walk Lucy on the beach. There have been multiple pajama days and it has been lovely.
Goal #9 – Host Some Sort of Get Together Done!
We had dinner with our neighbors! 🙂 And had a yard sale. And I think that will be the extent of my social calendar for the year.
Goal #10 – Read/Listen to 12 Books
Last week I listened to Evvie Drake Starts Over on audiobook and I enjoyed it.
Currently waiting to read:
- The Dutch House {6 weeks to go}
- Educated {it will be my second time listening to the book}
So far this year I have read/listened to:
- Olive Kitteridge #3
- Olive, Again
- Evvie Drake Starts Over #4
- Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers #5
- 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
My neighbor got his new glass kiln {you can see the pictures here} and attempted his first ornament last week {a Christmas tree}. The timing was off so the tree separated, but he is still in the experimenting stage {the hardest and most expensive stage if you ask me} but I know he’ll get there and once he does, I’ll get to go over there are play with glass. I am super excited!!! I already know what I want my first project is going to be.
Goal #12 – Visit 12 Museums, Historical Homes or Botanical Gardens {and bakeries too!}
The year started off great… we were visiting a lot of new places adn then things just sort of fizzled out. And well, now fall is nearly here and all I want to do is stay home and hook rugs. 😉
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
- Beech Hill Farm Hopkinton, NH
July
- Wallingford Farm in Kennebunk, Maine
- Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde, Maine
- The Gnome Lady, Thomaston, Maine
Goal # 13 – Reach 5,000 Etsy Sales by the End of The Year
As of this morning, I have made 4827 sales on Etsy. That’s up from 2804 on January 1st! Only 173 sales to go before I hit my goal. It was yet another insanely crafty week. I made a bunch of redware ornaments, listed some new wool bundles on Etsy and put a few kits together.
I don’t know about you, but I am counting down the days until it’s too cold to play outside and I get to stay in all winter. Yee-Haw!
Goal #14 – Once a Month Menu Planning {for 2}
- The HH’s meal plan for the month: Snacking & BBQ {out of charcoal, boo hoo}
- My meal plan for the month: Ice Cream, Pie, Salads and Pickety Bits
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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
Kim says
Do you still plan to refinish the bedroom floors and paint the kit when cabinets white?
Would you believe that here in TX we will actually have a couple cool days this week? I have been so jealous of your Maine forecast.
Mavis Butterfield says
I think I’m done with projects for the rest of the year. I’m ready to settle in and start rug hooking. 🙂
Mel says
I used to put a sticky over the camera, but since I have to use Zoom for work now, I got these special stickers that have a little plastic slider piece. So, it’s stuck to the screen, but you can slide it open or closed if you want to use the camera.
I didn’t sew any masks this week, but I need to reach out to a group of students I work with and see if they need some. I’m slowly working my way through everyone I work with on the mask front. I also promised a friend I’d paint her a house ornament for Christmas, so I need to get on that.
One of my original goals had to do with housework, and I did a major deep clean over Spring Break, but our house needed another semi-deep clean since I’ve been working such long hours, so I did that yesterday. I still have one more room, but it already feels so much better, and it will be much easier to decorate for fall.
Peg says
Would you please consider writing an all-you-need-to-know piece about tomatoes? This is the first time I’ve ever planted a tomato in the ground (always used to plant in pots), and boy do I have a hot mess! It’s been the hottest driest summer ever where I live, and the heat, combined with ample hand watering, has yielded a little shop of horrors in the backyard. I always plant either grape or cherry tomatoes because I’m the only one who’ll eat them.
Margo says
Wishing for winter. Much of fall here is hot and when we have wildfire danger. (ONE burning about 15 miles from here). It will be 105 degrees here today and hoping what’s left of my garden survives. Have a small portion of my fall winter garden planted, but it’s shaded pretty well and I’ll give everything a second watering later today. Where you craft in winter, I will be quilting in the Air conditioning during days like this. Keeping the smoke from the fire out and staying cool. Hopefully we won’t have any other problems other than smoke today, but we keep ourselves well informed. Love the northeast coast, sort of wishing for a nice walk on the Maine shore on days like this!
Alli Aplet says
Margo,
We must live near each other! We are in Mendocino County in northern California and are in the same boat. 109 here today is the forecast and it is so smokey it’s crazy and has been for quite a while now. We are praying for the communities around us where the active fires are, we have been in that situation many times. Can’t wait for substantial rain, only then are we safely through the fire season.
Margo says
I’m a little southeast of San Diego. Stay safe and cool!
Karen says
Keep up the good work, Mavis. Remember you don’t live in high maintenance suburbia anymore! Will you get chickens again?
Kelli says
Do you know that Tara Westover’s mom just put a book out called Educating? I’m sure she’s just trying to one-up her daughter on Educated.
Jill says
Hu, interesting! Thanks for the heads up!
Sydelle says
Opening picture of Lucy is THE BEST. So much on her mind. 🙂
Terena says
Mavis, I completely agree with your comment about the laptop. Just give me the basics, pleeeease!
tia in boise says
I actually really like that somewhat-abstract tree! (except for that hole…) I’m wondering how your neighbor had originally planned to hang it.
I have not shared how my goals for the year (20 for ’20) have been going for several weeks because I’m so miffed at a backslide on the financial goal: we spent over $300 to replace a couple air conditioner parts, but ended up having to replace the whole stupid thing (15 years old–the house is 15 years old…we replaced fridge last September and garage door opener and the roof was re-shingled in the winter–EVERYTHING is falling apart at the same time.) The stupid AC was $5,000, so I will not meet my goal of paying down a credit card by 20%. (sad and mad)–but glad that I had worked on it so we had the credit to pay for it, I guess….
And I’ve lost 16 of 20 pounds, so that’s good. Maybe next week I’ll be less bitter and feeling like reporting on all 20…
Jodi in WA says
Mavis, looking at your Libby hold list…it looks like you have the ebook on hold, not the audio for Educated. You said this would be your second time listening to it, so just wanted to point that out in case you were really wanting the audio version.
Love your blog!
Mavis Butterfield says
Well that stinks! 🙁
Katie says
My main goal right now is to finish crocheting a blanket for baby #4 due at the end of October. I’ve started it, but have not touched it in a month or so. Other than that, if I can still manage to keep my kids alive and not get overtired between now and baby I’m doing good lol.
We were supposed to have a cold front this week bringing the highs down into the upper 80’s, but on my way into work I heard on the radio that that’s not happening anymore and we’re still in the 90’s. 🙁
Gigi says
I’ve been thinking about your post a few weeks back, did you ever solve your dilemma about not having enough (or finding them) audio books through the app?
Our local community college has a library that is free open to indistrict residents. Well they also have access to Overdrive and Hoopla. Check into your area offerings. They may have additional licenses and/or books available. Registration has probably died down, and it’d be a good time to call.
Mavis Butterfield says
I called the library and they suggested I try Cloud Library, as it has more options because most Maine libraries feed into it. Apparently our library picks the amount {and the type of audiobooks} they make available to patrons via the Libby/Overdrive app and that is why the selection is so limited {both in quantity and topics}.