Here’s my big list of things I want to accomplish in 2022:
Remodel The Kitchen
We’re still looking for just the right pantry wall solution for the kitchen and I think the HH has found the refrigerator and dishwasher he wants {totally his department, not mine} so were on the right track.
Sell Enough Rugs to Buy an AGA Stove {$4764.45 of $22,000 earned so far}
It was another VERY GOOD week for selling finished rugs {and pillows}. 🙂
I am only counting new pieces {rugs, pillows, flowers etc.} that I list and sell this year in my Etsy shop to my AGA fund. Anything I listed last year doesn’t count towards my goal because I’m weird and like that and I tend to thrive on a good, solid challenge.
This month I’m working on an “in the garden” type theme along with a few whale pillows and will be listing a new batch of finished pieces on February, 6th at 6pm.
I’ve found that creating projects in various sizes helps to keep my creative juices flowing and keeps the momentum going when I have some sort of craft type challenge.
Fill the Canning Cupboard {This is where the canning cupboard will go}
The cupboard isn’t supposed to arrive until spring, but that’s not going to keep me for working on filling it. Jams I’ve made to fill my canning cupboard so far: Ginger Pear Jam and Spiced Christmas Jam.
Earn Enough Money Selling {?????} To Pay For Our 2022 Grocery Tab By The End Of The Year.
I haven’t actually listed them yet, but I plan on selling rocks, shells, driftwood and a few other found treasures to pay for my groceries this year. I think it will be fun to see not only what sells, but see where the people buying the beach treasures are from.
Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
I did a good job this week eating my fruits and veggies. 🙂
Keep The Crafts… In The Craft Room!
I was able to keep the crafts out of the craft room 4 out of 7 days last week. 🙂
Tap Our 2 Maple Trees and Make Maple Syrup
No tapping going on this month… but it’s like 2 degrees outside right now so that’s a good thing… for the trees at least. Ha!
Make a Quilt Top
I ordered a few more pieces of fabric, a ruler and a quilting square and now all I think I need is some thread. My goal is to have all the squares cut out by the end of the month.
I found a nice little postage stamp tutorial online and while I’m not looking forward to cutting out all those tiny littel squares, I am looking forward to the finished quilt. And that’s what I’m going to focus on.
Be More Intentional With My Time
I just realized I have not left the house in 10 days. Hmmm… maybe I need to add leave the house to my list this week.
1 Craft / Blog Free Day
The HH and I came up with a plan… Basically check out early on Saturdays and then take Sunday’s off from any sort of household or craft type work projects. So far it’s going well. I do hop online for an hour or so in the morning on Sundays to update my goals list, but other than that, I’ve been doing really good with this goal.
Keep My Husband Busy
With temps below freezing this week his projects have been for mostly super lame things like bringing in the paint from the garage so it doesn’t freeze, keeping the walkways de-iced and researching appliances.
The HH’s Honey Do List {so far} for 2022
- Take over cooking {I’ll still do the baking and canning}
- Cut down the cluster of trees in the backyard
- Build a new set of stairs down to the water.
- Fill the field {with soil}
- Remodel 1 bathroom
- Build window boxes for the front of the house
- Build an arbor for the wisteria
- Order 4 cords of firewood by the end of May and stack them in an artful way {like they did in the book Norwegian Wood}.
I think the only home related project I did this week was sort through my huge cookie cutter collection and pull out a few that I’m done with. I plan on photographing them and listing them on Etsy later this week for someone else to enjoy.
My House Projects For This Year {so far}
- Finish painting the outside of the house
- Finish painting the inside of the house
- Make something to hang above our new console table
- Make it look like people actually live here HA HA HA
- New window treatment for the kitchen window
Try 24 New Recipes
Last week we enjoyed Mrs. C’s Slow Cooker Pot Roast {three times!} and now I want to make another one.
Other recipes I’ve tried this year:
Listen to 12 Audiobooks
I am currently listening to Night Road by Kristen Hannah on Audiobook.
Get a Fishing License and Catch a Fish
The HH is in charge of procuring all the fishing gear. So you know, there’s research to be done first. 😉
I am currently in the hole $27.94 for this years garden {for the seeds above}.
I placed an order for asparagus, raspberries and rhubarb plants but I don’t pay for those until they ship in April. The True Corn variety, have you tried it? I checked the reviews from several sites online and it’s supposed to be a winner.
My List of Garden Projects For This Year I want to Accomplish
- Map out this year’s garden by April 1st
- Plant apple or pear trees
- Plant raspberry and blueberry bushes
- Plant asparagus and rhubarb
- Grow 500 pounds of food
- Expand the lasagna garden
- Finish clearing the front of the property
- Get some garden pots for the front an back patio/porches
Create 12 New Rug Hooking Patterns and/or Kits
The plan is to create at least 1 new pattern each month. In January, I added 3 new patterns/kits to my Etsy shop:
Have All My 2022 Ornaments Finished by April 1st.
This week I worked on red birds with heart cutouts.
52 Walks
Last week the HH and I walked on the beach in Lincolnville but it’s been SO COLD this week… that we didn’t get out for our walk. I love getting outside for our little adventures, but I draw the line when it gets below freezing.
Visit 12 Towns in Maine That I Haven’t Been to Before
So far we have visited the town of Hope Maine and checked out the General Store there. 🙂
How about YOU? How did you do with working towards your goals for 2022?
~Mavis
Kim says
Mavis, I enjoy your blog for a number of reasons. I think it is because you and the HH are doers. You do stuff and lots of it. Yesterday, a YouTube suggestion appeared. It is called Country Life Vlog. It is about a couple who tend their home and property in Azerbaijani. Just the artfully wood-stacking alone made me think of HH. They are both worker bees……..sort of another version of y’all. You might enjoy taking a look.
Thanks again for sharing your domestic life!
Jane says
Love the goals list as always. We lived in Maine for 35 years, I vote to plant Bosc pear trees. They were the most delicious fruit and grew very well.
Margery says
I have been working on my goals, but the household has gotten sick so this up coming week may not be as productive. This weekend we had quite the list planned to finish the kitchen project that was started last year in April. But the weekend list has been reduced to rest, board game, and kitchen.
Sharon says
Hello Mavis
Please say you know the color of that blue cabinet. It is the exact color we having been trying to find.
Linda says
Bravo to you for wanting to tackle a postage stamp quilt the “old fashioned way”. Just the thought of cutting out a zillion little squares would prevent me from ever trying it. Wouldn’t it be easier to cut several 1 1/2″ strips of fabric and sew them together? Then cut those strips into 1 1/2″ pieces. Since the quilt is so busy, you can then piece those new strips together in a random fashion and no one would ever know! Just my two cents. Good luck!
Rita says
I was going to suggest the same idea!
Karen says
I agree. If you have never quilted before, that postage stamp size will be tons of painfully picky work and take tons of your time.
Good Luck.
Sandy says
Quilter here chiming in with unsolicited advice: you may want to find a you tube tutorial on strip piecing.
Beth says
Mavis, I love your goals this year and you are making significant progress to that lovely stove…you may have that goal in the bag by the end of March at the pace you’re currently working on- that’s awesome!
I’m doing pretty well on some of my 2022 goals- reading 30 minutes per day (blogs and FB don’t count- has to be a book), exercising 30 minutes per day, planning meals and tracking food waste weekly, tracking weekly spending, decluttering 15 minutes per day 5x per week but I have been skipping my daily yoga mat time and journaling 5x per week so I need to work on that. My husband started a very disruptive home improvement project (redoing flooring and painting master bedroom) so my current goal is trying to manage how I feel with chaos in my house and controlling what I can control…guess I need to get on that yoga mat after all….ughhh
tia in boise says
Can I make a request? If it’s not too intrusive, could you ask your found beach goodies buyers what they are using the items for? That’s what I’d really be interested in!
Also, I think there might be a good reason for crafting in the….(dining? room)–maybe warmer/more light?….What if you got a good-sized basket and brought the crafts over and immediately returned them to the craft room when finished working? Then you are keeping the area tidy when not working but get the benefit of working in that room?
tia in boise says
My goals for the year:
Participate in Great Polar Bear Challenge–benefits Make a Wish–dip in icy lake on January 1–will need to revisit this come November
Complete both Library and District reading challenges (each are 50)–have registered for both and set up both reading logs–thankfully, I see lots of overlap! About to finish 3rd book (for both) this morning
Create house cleaning plan and implement–the one goal I am dreading the most…probably why it’s needed the most? Have done nothing–BUT…I did find the tentative plan I created last summer, so not completely reinventing the wheel!
Get schoolwork done 7:00-4:00–been bringing less home!
Bed at 10:00; up at 6:00–This one has been tough–the first week after break–and my “old” body not sleeping when I tell it to–maybe this week will be better…
Morning stretches and core work–I have loved this! Gets me awake, feeling strong, happy start to the day–only taking about 10 minutes. One day I was in a rush and didn’t do core, but still did stretches. Good timing as I jacked up my back, and the stretches are really helping with morning stiffness.
Floss nightly–yup! Doing a great job on this–still doing because I HAVE to, not because it’s a habit yet. But I can tell a big difference. The dentist/hygienist had BETTER say something next time I’m in!!!
Eat more veggies; drink more water–guess I’ll actually have to BUY the veggies in order to eat them? Did save a small part of cauliflower head after ricing the rest last week–will make a tiny appetizer with it (went over well this summer) for tonight. Have had water bottle with me at work all week–didn’t drink much–but at least one swig…
Get down to 165 pounds–Have lost a total of 1 pound. I’ll take it. Realized last night that I ate only bread yesterday: coffee and scone for breakfast, small handful of fritos for lunch, pre-dinner snack of homemade Lobster Bay biscuit, Little Caesars cheesey bread and crazy bread for dinner. (seriously?)
Spend 15 minutes cleaning house each day–oops! forgot this was a goal. Well, I did clear out and then clean under the kitchen sink (ICK) because we had to replace sink–so that’s a fair exchange, I think… Good to review the goals each week!
Decrease credit card debt by 1/3–haven’t made first month’s payment yet–but getting excited because each month the interest will continue to go down as I pay more off!
Work at “keeping the fun”–I forgot to have fun this week….I did take time to relax and watch TV, couple movies, did some reading–but didn’t sing/dance/meet up with anyone….
Run/walk 1,000 miles–I’ve only taken one day off in 15 days (getting out today at 11)–and that day off was a good choice! I’ve walked about 1/6 of this week’s mileage. I figured out how many miles I should average per day/week/month and written that down. I am right there. Looks like I’ll do fewer miles on school nights and make up those miles on weekends. I thought it would be hard to get out after school, but it helps that DH does dinner M-Th; also helpful when I lay out all my gear so I can immediately change when I get home (about 35 degrees here, so lots of pieces/accessories!)
Delete emails; delete phone photos/create folders–have worked a bit on work emails
Lift weights–need to get DH to show me A FEW (like 4) things to do and get going on this….I might wait until February once I’ve got all other routines set.
Jennifer says
I am failing on the 2 mochas a week front, I really do enjoy them and am thinking I need to give up something else instead.
I did transfer $300 to our new car savings account. Daughter 21 received a $3200 grant for her unpaid internship for the semester. This means I won’t have to support her while she is in DC. I can put that money into the college accounts I have going. Also, she found someone to sublet her apartment so that’s $500 a month for 4 months. Yay!
As for losing weight – We hiked twice this weekend in under 20 degree temps. I am doing my back exercises more so that should help and adding in some light arm strength stuff.
I am making a dent in our freezer and pantry and have only spent $160 at the store this month. Hoping to keep the rest of the month under $40 as $200 was my goal.
Nancy D says
Congratulations!
Lyra says
I’m currently reading Hannah’s “The Four Winds” myself, -so good-. Keep up the great work, always fun to read!
Mudie says
Although I am a lurker (for many years) I want to thank you and your family for your wisdom and positivity in this insane world we currently inhabit. I take what I need and share your blog with others. And We Know.
I thank you very much!
A Canadian, living and thriving in the southern Us of A (eh… lol). for over 20 years, and I/we couldn’t be happier with my/our choices. WE ROCK, right?!
Cecile says
Why don’t you use those cookie cutters for making your ornaments for your Etsy shop? If the hen is too big for an ornament you could stamp something on the middle of it like, kitchen, or home whatever and put a hanger on the back so you can hang it as a wall decoration in the kitchen!
Bonnie Schmidt says
Hope you are heavily researching an Aga purchase. We did and decided against it. They must be on all of the time and keep your home very warm, even in summer. The gas bills are very high. There is also a steep learning curve for baking, etc. I lived in Europe for 7 years and really wanted one. My practical side won out!
J says
Totally agree! It’s like craving a fancy sports car when that’s really not the car for you- or eating only chocolate and wine, when what you need is protein and water.
Lori says
Hey Mavis,
Just a suggestion about your fruit trees. We planted a peach tree, a pear tree, and a plum tree. They were all dwarf varieties. After 5 years with no fruit I went back to the nursery and brought the tags that were on the trees with me. The man at the nursery said I needed two trees of each variety if there is no neighbors with fruit trees. Something about they need to pollinate each other. So we bought one more of each variety. In one year we had fruit! Lots of it too. Check with the nursery you buy them from.
Laura says
Mavis – I am so inspired by your goals! We have loads of driftwood we’ve picked up on beaches here on Kaua’i; I never thought about selling it on Etsy. I wish I had a way to send it to you for to sell – I’d be happy to pass it along if there was a reasonable way to get it done.
My husband and I have also been inspired by the life you’ve created in Maine. It’s near the top of our list whenever we get around to settling down. Your experiences have shown us how two oldsters like us can survive the winters there. Thank you!
And, I have been a big AGA fan for years – you’ll love owning one.
Tammy says
One of my goals is to read 100 books this year. I’ve read 3 so far this year, and have a 4th almost finished. I need to read 8 books on average per month, in order to finish this goal, so I need to read a little faster if I’m going to do this!
Erica says
Saw this video of crafting with driftwood and thought of you https://pin.it/5oaCCgB
Mavis Butterfield says
That’s so cool!
Suzanne says
I have a suggestion for your “visit new towns” in Maine goal. My husband and I are researching moving to Maine and stumbled upon a you-tube video series called Maine Life by Maine Life Media out of Portland, ME. They visit towns in Maine, eat at local restaurants, visit unique places in Maine, etc.
We are ready to retire, but are struggling with the health insurance part of the retirement/moving to Maine puzzle… as we are too young for Medicare. I guess that is a good problem to have 😉 Researching the towns has been fun, though. Any thoughts from younger retirees living in Maine would be appreciated. 🙂
Patricia K Mayhew says
Just wanted to say I enjoy your blog and look foreward to reading it.
Wanted you to know that rhubarb doesn’t like to get it’s feet wet. I planted it twice before someone told me that. I now mound up the dirt or put them in a raised bed. They did great after that.
Good luck with your garden!