“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
My goals for 2018
Goal #1 – Write Like No One is Reading.
“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” ~ Barbara Kingsolver
Goal #2 – Slow Down
I don’t think I could be more excited for fall weather if I tried. The crisp mornings, fires in the wood stove, evening walks, and now the leaves are beginning to change colors. The whole thing makes me giddy.
Goal #3 – Shop Small
Hot dog! I hit the jackpot at the recycle center this week. Two smelly candles {caramel cinnamon roll and raspberry} a brand spankin’ new kimchi kit and an owl lamp for the craft room. All for FREE thanks to the people in our community who would rather offer up their cast offs to their neighbors rather than drop them off at a thrift store or simply toss them in the garbage.
Trash day is truly my favorite day of the week. And, if searching for free treasures wasn’t exciting enough, I hear there is a community clothing shop in town where locals can donate all their unwanted clothing for others in the community to enjoy. For free. Neighbors gifting their unwanted stuff to other neighbors… Does it get any better than that? Reduce, reuse, recycle. You gotta love it.
Goal # 4 – Have a Designated Meal Prep Day
The HH starts his new {work from home} job on Monday, so we are going to give it a go.
Goal #5 – Install a Vegetable Garden Done!
The vegetable garden has long been installed and now our gardening efforts are turning to weeding the GIANT bed in the lower garden before the ground freezes. Once the {awful} orange day-lilies started blooming and the weeds took hold of this area, I sort of gave up on weeding. The goal is to dig up the day-lilies and weeds over the next few weeks and then next spring, lay thick layers of newspaper down {to prevent the weeds from coming back} and then mulch the area for a more park like setting.
Because let me tell you, picking blueberries with a bunch of tall grass and leafy plants nearby {HELLO ticks!} is just too much for me. 😉 I learned A LOT of lessons this summer, and let me tell you Bob, knowledge is power, and next summer, I’m going to rock it. All those ticks, wasps and mosquitoes better stay the heck out of my way. And that’s all I’m going to say about that. For now anyway.
Goal #6 – Clear Land for a Chicken Coop and Future Raised Garden Bed Area
And then there were 3… Layers. Yee-Haw. It’s about time, don’t you think? Our seven little chicks arrived way back in early April and they are just now beginning to lay eggs. Each day we go outside to check the nesting boxes and it feels a little like Christmas morning when we see a new egg in the box.
And the coop the HH started building way back when? He promises that he will get the run finished TODAY {roosting bars included}. But first, he has to watch a formula one race this morning. Sounds fair, right?
Goal #7 – Grow 500 Pounds of Vegetables
I harvested a few potatoes this morning…. And am now in the 400 pounds of produce grown range. 😉 Maybe I WILL hit 500 pounds of homegrown goodness after all. Wouldn’t that be a hoot! You can read my latest garden report HERE.
Goal #8 – Hook 100 Rugs
I finished a pillow this week and am currently working on a turkey rug but other than that, this hooker has been busy dyeing wool all week. 😉 I didn’t add anything new to my Etsy shop but hopefully I’ll have a few items to add for my next shop update on October, 6th. Only 6 rugs to go and I’ll be able to check this baby off my list.
Goal #9 – Make a Set of Dolls
I’ll work on a set this winter.
Goal #10 – Make a Sampler, Frame it and Hang it on the Wall Done!
Goal #11 – Visit 22 Bakeries
I have found the BEST gingerbread muffin on the planet in Wakefield, Massachusetts. In case you missed it, I wrote all about it HERE.
Goal #12 – Start a Collection
No goodies this week but I did spy one of Mrs. HB’s favorite things. 🙂
Goal #13 – Read {or listen to} 26 Books
I picked up a copy of Martha’s Vineyard, Isle of Dreams from the library last week but so far, I’ve only read to page 55. Not because I don’t want to read the story, but it seems like I’ve been up late every night this week and by the time I crawl into bed, I can only manage a few pages before my eyes start feeling heavy and I fall asleep.
Goal #14 – Try 12 New Canning Recipes
I still haven’t got around to canning applesauce! Things have been a little nuts around here lately but it is on my list. And, if I’m going to be able to check this goal off my list by the end of the year, I better get crackin’. 😉
So far this year I’ve canned:
- Apple Cider Butter
- Tomato Sauce
- Carrot Cake Jam
- Spiced Peach {Crazy good!!!}
- Blueberry Jam {without the mint}
- Pickled Beets {without the funky spices}
- Cherry Almond Jam {freakin’ AWESOME}
- Susan’s Lilac Blossom Jelly
Goal #15 – Secret {for now} Holiday Project
Less than a week to go until the big reveal!!! It seems like I’ve been working on this project FOREVER and not only am I excited to show you what I’ve been up to all summer, but I’m so excited to tell you how the whole thing came about and has evolved over the past few months into something I hadn’t intended on. I’ll tell you all about it on October 6th,
How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2018? How are they coming along?
~Mavis
Read About My 2018 Goals HERE.
Kara says
Is it sad that the most exciting part of my Sunday morning is seeing what you found at the recycling center?!? Love it!
Mavis Butterfield says
Only if it’s sad that my favorite part of trash day is LOOKING for treasures at the recycling center. 🙂 I never know what I’m going to find!!! It’s so much fun I practically skip back to the car each time I find something.
Kirsten Stern says
Experiencing Fall in New England is what makes it all worth living here. It’s my mantra all summer and when it arrives, it never disappoints. I’ve already made two soups and bread.
Have a great week!
Mrs. HB says
You are the only person I know who stays so true to herself and her goals ! Mavis you are a gem ! I do love those plastic tooth picks though and I always have excellent dental checkups ! 🙂 I have wonderful gum health , they are not receding , bleeding or sore . Plus my fingers don’t loose blood flow , turn purple and throb with that string mess. That’s all I got to say about that ! 🙂
Julie says
AMEN!!!
Tami Mitchell says
Sundays are my absolute favorite days. I may have said this before, LOL. Thank you for sharing your goals, and it inspires me to work on mine. It also demonstrates that there is consistency in keeping yourself accountable and no shame in realizing something just doesn’t work for you. I appreciate your honesty and candor.
AND YOU ARE KILLING ME! DYING OF ANTICIPATION OVER HERE! LOL, come on October 6th!!
Linda says
Yes, I am dying to see what your project is too. I love all your projects and yrly goals. I had goals when we were home schooling, but since retirement and dh illness not so much.
Robin says
That caramel cinnamon roll candle is from Walmart. It’s my favorite fall candle.
Stacey says
I totally agree with you about fall being such a wonderful time of year out here. Of course, maybe you will like the winter more! I have to break my silence on the orange daylilies, though. I love them because they are colorful, hardy, practical, and bloom where they are planted, which is pretty much the way I see New Englanders. I am okay with agreeing to disagree on this one.
I am very excited to see what your holiday project is. You can be such a tease!
Leanna says
Countdown. Excited to view more than your weekly highlights on Saturday.
Emily says
I love all of your different egg colors! They are Easter ready right out of the hen!
Mary says
When I think of “shop small” I think of buying from locally-owned (not franchised) stores. Your recycle center finds are wonderful, but they don’t put money into the local economy. Just a thought about definitions.
Elizabeth says
I have loved all of your yearly goal postings as well (I have been a faithful reader for 5 years) They inspired me to start a blog and publicly list all of my goals also. I haven’t missed a week this year and it is fun to see the progress I have made on my New Year’s goals for 2018. I have started picking out my goals for next year, which include writing a mystery novel and learn how to play the piano…I am not sure which will be harder!! So thank you for all of your inspiration, it has been life changing:)
Marybeth says
I can’t wait to find out what the mystery project is.
Sandy says
I had several 2018 goals:
1. Declutter my house by getting rid of at least one thing a day. I’ve made HUGE progress on this one.
2. Declutter and clean my garage so only the car and necessary items are in there. I would say I’m 75% there. Still more to go but I think I might make it.
3. Exercise 4 days a week and lose 10 lbs. Well, I’ve mostly done the exercise goal but not lost much weight. Good news is I haven’t gained any weight.
4. Paint the inside of the house. Hasn’t happened and probably won’t this year. Can’t win them all
5. Take off every Friday in December. I took a vacation day every Friday in December last year and loved it so much I planned to do it again this year. Just scheduled them off. Check this one off the list!
You’ve inspired me, Mavis, to write the goals down, keep them in a place where I can see them daily, and plug away at them. I’m not exactly where I want to be, but I’ve got three months to go to make progress on that garage!
Em says
Sandy, great job!
Carrie Council says
My trash to treasure for the week is a Earth Machine compost bin! A neighbor down the road had it by the curb. I saw it and was thinking on it and figured someone would pick it up but it was still there 5 days later! It retails for ~$160!!!! I have been using a heavy duty Rubbermaid tub but rats had chewed through the drainage holes. If the Earth Machine set up doesn’t work I think I will try a tumbler next.