My 14 Goals For 2024 – Week 28 of 52

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Remember a few weeks ago when I told you about our trip to Maxwell’s U-Pick Strawberry Farm? Well as it turns out, this was their last season. 🙁 I am so disappointed. I had big plans on returning next summer. We need more farms like this!

Visit 24 {new} Bakeries / Coffee Shops

I didn’t visit any new bakeries or coffee shops this past week but I think I’ll whip up a batch of those delicious scones I learned to make at the King Arthur Baking School in Vermont this week. 

I’ve been hard at work compiling a list of all the tea shops we’ll be visiting on our trip to England at the end of summer and let’s just say… Tea and pastries will be the major food group of our adventure.

New Bakeries / Coffee Shops I’ve Been To This Year {That I liked}

• The Cookie Jar Pastry Shop
• Ritual Bakehouse and Patisserie
• Caramel Patisserie
• Standard Baking Co. 
• Saltwater Farm Cafe
• Coffee Roasters of the Kennebunks
• Farine Bakery and Cafe
• Night Moves Bread
• Cape Porpoise Kitchen

Go On An Adventure

So far I have added Highgrove Gardens and Highclere Castle to our itinerary and booked our accommodations. 

I know a trip to Kew Gardens is a must and I’m looking into other gardens to visit as well. {The last time I was there was 2014.} I LOVE planning trips! 

Several of you have asked about how I go about planning for trips and once I get our itinerary down, I’ll do an in depth post on the planning process. 

Contribute to 12 Free Little Libraries. {6 town down, 6 to go}

I didn’t donate to any Free Little Libraries this past week but am planning on donating again soon. The next batch will probably be in the UK.

Towns I’ve donated books to:

• Gardiner, Maine
• Nobleboro, Maine
• Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, Maine
• Cape Elizabeth, Maine
• Raymond, Maine
• Bellevue, Washington

Spend More Time At The Beach

This past week went by without a single trip to the beach. I can’t believe it. I guess we were too busy dealing with new house stuff that I just forgot. Poor Lucy!

Read or Listen to 24 Books {7 down, 17 to go}

I didn’t make it to the library this past week to sign up for my new library card but will pop by in the next day or two. I did pick up 2 new audiobooks {for free} though and have added those to my stack of winter books to listen to while I hook rugs. 

I don’t know about you, but I prefer audiobooks as I am able to keep my hands busy while I’m listening.

Books I’ve Read or Listened To This Year: 

• Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service by Gary Sinise. 10/10
• Elizabeth The Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith 9/10
• Wait Till Next Year by Dorris Kearns Goodwin 8/10
• George VI and Elizabet:by Sally Bedell Smith 9/10
• Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson 9/10
• These Precious Days by Ann Pachett 9.5/10
• Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Paint 

I just got the word that our new bedroom furniture {not mattress, but bed frame and dresser} will be delivered next week so now the rush is on to get our teeny tiny bedroom painted before the furniture gets in place. 

Because the bed frame is a Navy blue color {!!} I’ve decided to paint our bedroom walls white. I promised the HH that it will be the ONLY white room in the house. Fingers crossed I can stick to the plan {as I do love WHITE WHITE walls}.

So far I’ve finished:

• Portrait of Joseph Roulin 
• Red Boats at Argenteuil
• Regattas at Argenteuil
• Vase with Cornflowers and Poppies 
• Sunflowers
• Garden Path with Chickens
• Goldfish

Hook 6 “Big” Rugs.

Absolutely ZERO wool strips were pulled this week… But I did make up a few kits. 😉 There is just SO MUCH going on right now it’s hard to find any time to hook. 

Large Rugs I’ve Hooked This Year

• Three Roosters
• Hidden In The Garden 
• Yankee Doodle
• Double Nantucket Whale Runner with the American flag

Visit 6 Greenhouses {1 down 5 to go}

I didn’t go to a greenhouse this past week but I did cut some gorgeous blue hydrangea stems from the yard and bring them inside. 

I LOVE hydrangeas!! Don’t you?

Grow Baby Grow

I finally got a flat of chive seeds planted! I love using chives as a border in the garden and by planting them now, they’ll be ready to go in the ground next spring. 

Donate to 12 Different Organizations in Maine

So Far This Year I’ve Donated To:

• Cleaning Up My Local Beach
• New Hope MidCoast {50 pairs of new socks}
• Humane Society {180 trays of cat food}
• Travis Mills Foundation
• Camp Sunshine
• Honor Flight Maine

So how are YOUR goals for 2024 coming along? I’d love to hear about them. 

~Mavis

Goals I’ve Already Completed This Year

In Stock and Ready to Ship by March 15th/ March 30th Now April 15th DONE!

I finally finished up all the major wool dyeing and pattern/kit making I had hoped too. All the “extra” wool is tucked away in bins so if I run out of wool in my Etsy shop I can whip up some more bundles in a jiffy. A summer off from dyeing wool… It’s going to be pretty rad.

Tidy Up / Clean Out / Purge DONE

We cleaned the whole house, inside and out. And then we sold it. Yee-Haw!

• Barn
• Garage
• Closets 
• Dresser drawers
• Kitchen 
• Sideboard
• DVD collection