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12 Goals for the New Year

My Big List of Things I’m Going to Do in 2021 – Week 26 of 52

By Mavis Butterfield on - 27 Comments

Stay Healthy! 

When your skin looks like a topographic map… you know it’s summer in New England. 

Yep. Lucy apparently got into some poison ivy, oak or sumac and then snuggled up next to me. GOOD TIMES! 

Weigh What I Weighed When We Got Married  {128 pounds}

Weigh-ins are the first Sunday of each month.

  • My June 6th weigh in was 129.6
  • My May 2nd weigh in was 131.0
  • My April 18th weigh in was 129.9 {after 18 days of being on the low iodine diet}
  • My April 4th weigh in was 133.4 {a few days into the low iodine diet}
  • My March 7th weigh in was 135.6
  • My February 7th weigh in was 137.3
  • My January 3rd weigh in was 140.7

Keep My Husband Busy 

In addition to his normal chores, I had the HH remove the crusty old light fixture that hung above our front door. This week we’ll hunt for a new one. Home improvements… they never seem to end.

The HH’s Honey Do List {so far} for 2021 

  • Build a new set of stairs down to the water. The old set… it’s not exactly useable.
  • Build a firepit near the edge of the property. {DONE!}
  • Build a picnic table near the birch trees for summer lunches {Done!}
  • Build 4 or 6 garden boxes for his little lady {we did raised beds this year instead}}
  • Build a boatload of birdhouses for the {soon to be} bird sanctuary 
  • Create a garden path/walkway for the front garden {DONE!}
  • Remodel the bathroom in the hallway {DONE!}
  • Install some sort of driveway border
  • Install a workspace for me in the basement for dying wool
  • Install a fence in the front for Lucy {DONE!}
  • Build a set of 3 bookshelves in the dining room for me {DONE!}
  • Install a trailer hitch on the car {DONE!}

The seeds I ordered from the Botanical Interests Summer sale arrived yesterday, but other than that, no new purchases. I’d really like to get going on the new washer and dryer set… but we have so many other projects going on right now, I think we’ll wait until the fall.

Things We’d Like to Buy

  • A dinghy 
  • Archery Set {every camp should have archery!} 
  • Kitchen table and chairs 
  • Sideboard 
  • Bench for the entryway 
  • A full size washer and dryer set {the house came with a small stackable w/d set} 
  • Deck chairs and a patio table set {Going the picnic table route instead}
  • A set of 4 Adirondack chairs for the fire pit area  {I LOVE these chairs!}
  • BBQ {He bought a Blackstone Griddle instead!}
  • 2 More Kayaks

Unplug As Much As Possible {but still keep the blog, FB and Instagram}

Hey! I broke up with Facebook a few days ago. I deleted the app from my phone and deleted my online account and I couldn’t be happier.  I could write a whole post about why I did it… but instead of wasting my energy on that, I’d rather spend time in the garden. 🙂 

Unplugging is cool…. getting your life back is even better! 

  • Goodbye Amazon Prime {Done!} $119 a year
  • Goodbye Hulu {Done!} $54.99 a month *
  • Goodbye Netflix {Done!} $7.99 a month
  • Goodbye PicMonkey {Done!} $50 a year
  • Goodbye keeping my cell phone in my back pocket and checking it constantly {so far so good}
  • Limit time online to 3 hours a day {for writing, working, and Etsy} 

* Hulu is actually now $64.99 a month for the live tv version {live sports, live news}. You can get it for $5.99 a month but all that does is play tv shows and old movies {with ads}.

Try 24 New Recipes {and remember to link them here} {16 down, 8 to go!}

I made strawberry jam last week! Wahoooo. 

New recipes I’ve made this year:

 

Read {or Listen to} 12 New Books about Maine {or written by Maine Authors}

No new books or audiobooks this week but I have plans to go to the library next week and check out their audiobook selection. 

Books about Maine {or written by Maine authors} I’ve read this year:

  1. Christina Olson Her World Beyond the Canvas. 
  2. Finding Freedom
  3. Maine’s Favorite Birds
  4. At First Light: Two Centuries of Maine Artists, Their Homes and Studios
  5. Bernard Langlais at the Colby College Museum of Art
  6. The 3,000 Mile Garden
  7. Becoming Teddy Roosevelt 

Audiobooks I’ve listened to {or attempted to listen to} this year: 

Get 24 Stories Off My Phone and onto the Blog  ** SEE NEW GOAL BELOW **

Try Everything That Head Tide Oven Offers This Summer

Head Tide Oven is located in the small town of Damariscotta, Maine and is only open a few months out of the year… so I will have to be super diligent if I’m going to try everything before the bakery closes shop at the end of summer.

This week the HH picked up a blueberry pie, a flat white sourdough, a baguette, a ginger cookie and some sort of delicious Swedish cookie that tasted sort of like a cookie, and sort of like shortbread. Everything was excellent! 

So Far I’ve tried the following items from Head Tide Oven in Damariscotta, Maine:

  • Sourdough Bread 
  • Flat Sourdough Bread
  • Baguette 
  • Ginger Cookie x2
  • Swedish Cookie
  • Lemon Thyme Pie 
  • Blueberry Pie

Get the Photos on My Phone Down to Less Than 1,000 {started the year with 2863 photos}

Currently at 2,236 photos… but I’ve got to the end of the year, right? 

Clean Out My Closet

This is a totally boring goal, I know, but I still haven’t worn about 50% of the clothing in my closet this year which is kind of surprising. I mean, I know I pretty  much wear the same thing everyday… but still.

My House Projects For This Year

The entire {new} craft room has been painted out white and all my supplies have been moved in and for the most part, I’m ready to get back to making stuff. 

My next big project though, is to paint the outside of the house. I suspect it will take up the entire month of July, but as long as I get it finished by the fall, I’ll be happy. The HH is in charge of prepping the siding and running to the hardware store for paint. Team work. It’s all about the team work. Ha! 🙂 

  • Figure out new window treatments for the back of the house
  • Come up with a game plan for the kitchen remodel {for 2022} 
  • Paint the family room walls and trim {DONE!}
  • Paint the entryway trim and doors {DONE!}
  • Paint the dining room walls and trim {DONE!}
  • Paint the master bedroom walls and trim {DONE!}
  • Paint the barn and add a new fixture 
  • Paint the hallway bathroom {DONE!}

My List of Garden Projects For This Year I want to Accomplish

I think I’m all set on garden improvement projects until fall. So for now, all I need to do is keep the garden weeded and start a few seeds for fall {cabbage, broccoli and beets}. 

Still left on the list:

  • Install a simple flower bed border in front of the house {Done}
  • Install a boatload of birdhouses/feeders in the side yard {re-thinking this one}
  • Transplant evergreen saplings to the side of property for a privacy border 
  • Clean up and prune the area that faces the road
  • Install a vegetable garden {Done}
  • Install a sunflower patch {decided for a row along the side of the barn instead}
  • Plant 2,500 flower bulbs in the fall {Why 2,500? It seemed like a good number to start with}

Reach 10,000 Sales on Etsy {as of this morning I’ve made 7756 sales on Etsy}. Only 2224 to go! 

I added a few more wool bundles to my Etsy shop on Friday and will be working on more wool bundles this week. 

Create 12 New Rug Hooking Patterns or Kits {5 down 7 to go}

New Rug Hooking Kits I’ve Created This Year:

Create 12 New Ornaments for 2021

2021 Ornaments I’ve Made So Far

2021 Garlands I’ve Made So Far

Discover 12 Made in Maine Products and Share Them on the Blog

Made in Maine Products I’ve Discovered in 2021:

Visit 6 Lighthouses in Maine

2 down, 4 to go! 

Lighthouse adventures have been put on hold until the fall {when tourist season is over} and that’s fine by me. 🙂 

Lighthouses We’ve Visited So Far This Year:

Lighthouses I’ve Been to in Maine Before 2021:

Other places in Maine We’ve Been to This Year Are:

So that’s it. That’s my progress report for this past week. How about YOU? Did you make any goals for 2021? Have you checked any of them off your list yet? 

Have a great one, 

~Mavis

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Comments

  1. Diana says

    I’m happy to hear you left FB. I think you should share why.
    I left FB, deleted my account, a couple of months ago and haven’t missed it too much. I still have your blog and can still see what you’re up to and am GLAD for it! If you ever get to missing that type of interaction, check out MeWe or GAB. I’m on both of them and find them preferable to FB.
    Here’s to FREEDOM and privacy. ❤
    I’m surprised to hear that you’re already starting your fall brassicas. Here in GA, the season is so long – and we can grow them in the winter – that I won’t start mine until late August… interesting…
    Hope your weekend is wonderful!

    Reply

  4. OregonGuest says

    I kicked FB to the curb 6months ago, no need to get into why. My only irritation is that this is the Only way some businesses communicate…frustrating when it’s the primary way our school district pushes out information! But, I suspect a lot of business owners would appreciate getting back to their actual business instead of feeling like they have to continually post inane fluff on social media (because you have to post on all of them, really). My husband always says he’s in FB jail, because he posts something that FB censors, so what’s the point….Mavis, I enjoy your blog and never looked at your FB page anyway (I like to see what you post, not a FB-sanitized version).

    Reply

  5. Pj Truman says

    My husband deleted FB during the election cycle, because he discovered things about people that he really didn’t want to know and it made him angry. I changed my FB to follow things of peace, love and happiness and not people. This puts goodness through my feed, rather than pettiness.

    I hope you find something to help soothe the poison ivy, et al outbreak. That looks itchy and painful. Hope it’s short lived.

    Reply

  6. Heidi P says

    Your goal are always inspiring! I too am about to start painting the outside of our house. Not exactly what I’d like to be doing but a necessary evil and the final result will be very gratifying:)

    You got me again. I couldn’t pass up on ordering those sweet little mittens. Might keep them or give them as a gift. Haven’t decided. I ordered the cross last week. I’ve got a decent collection of “Mavis Butterfield collectable art” going and I love it!

    Keep up your awesomeness!

    Reply

  7. Kathy Peterson says

    I wondered where you went to! Been looking on Facebook for 2 days. Lol. Glad you are still posting.

    Reply

  8. Jamie says

    Survived my youngest graduating high school last weekend and family reunion. Such a fun memorable week after a no fun covid year.

    Now I need to plan our trip to Boston and the New England coast. We leave in a week and a half and I haven’t had time to plan. I would love suggestions or resources to go search to find out what to do! We fly into Boston and have 6.5 days. Anyone want to share? Thanks!

    Reply

    • MEM says

      I’ve lived in Boston for the past 36 years although I am not a native. To get started I suggest The Old Town Trolley tour – or a duck boat tour. Then you can decide what you want to see more of. You will want to walk The Freedom Trail. Check out Boston’s Public Garden and ride the swan boats. I think they are running now? I’ve been WFH since March 2020 and haven’t been into the City since then. If you have a car, maybe check out Salem and/or Gloucester on the North Shore. I suggest Trip Advisor to get started. There is so much to do!

      Reply

      • S says

        Great ideas, MEM. I live on the North Shore and would say that Salem, Gloucester, Newburyport or Rockport are all great day trips — each with very different vibes. (accessible by commuter rail from North Station, but you need to be ready to walk!). For sure, in Boston, the Freedom Trail is the best way to walk the city and see some major landmarks. Most people enjoy spending some time in the North End (it’s along the Freedom Trail) and of course there are lots of great museums if that’s your cup of tea.

        If you’re into beaches, the best ones of the North Shore are probably Good Harbor and Cranes (and the Crane Estate — Castle Hill — next to Cranes Beach is lovely) — just be prepared to pay $20+ to park.

        We go to Cape Cod often, but it’s quite crowded right now and traffic can be a bear getting there and while there — just be prepared for that.

        Reply

  9. Eileen says

    Sorry to hear about the poison ivy, sumac, or oak. I was the kid painted in calamine lotion a time or two many years ago–not fun. Hope you feel better soon.

    Wow! Your HH is kickin’ that ‘to do’ list! Nice job!

    I was checking books in at our library this past week when I saw a one entitled The Northern Farm: a glorious year on a small Maine farm by Henry Beston. Don’t know if you’ve read it but I thought I’d pass it along.

    Love this year’s list of “TIGTD” We’re in the process of a huge declutter/downsizing/why do we have all this #*&^!! project here at our house. You have inspired me to come up with my own list for the second half of the year. And for sure I’m going to copy the idea about turning my hangers around. I’d love to try the one about weighing what I did when I got married but that would take waaaaay more than 26 weeks!

    Oh, and thank you for the lobster mac & cheese recipe. It looked so good, I checked out the cookbook you mentioned!

    Have a good week! Feel better!

    Reply

  10. Rosaleen says

    Did you try the homeopathic Rhus Tox preparation for PI? It helped me. If you need some, I’ll see if that seller that you left has it. I still have my membership.

    Reply

  11. Kim says

    Are you rolling on the paint or spraying if? I’ll bet it’s going to be BEAUTIFUL!!

    I am 65 years old and never got on FB. I could be wrong, but I think I am having a rich and full life despite that.

    Part of the rich and fullness includes reading this hilarious, delightful, simple blog full of everyday, ordinary projects and activities.

    Most sincere!

    Reply

  12. Wendy M says

    I can understand why you left Facebook, have thought about it myself but due to not having a tv and being a cooped up caregiver, it gives me some news about the outside world. I tried to do Instagram and just couldn’t get into it and gave up on Twitter ages ago. Thankfully, I subscribe to your email updates!

    Reply

  13. HollyG says

    We’re just hunkering down inside between trips to the henhouse with frozen treats, new cool water, or to adjust the mister and sprinklers. So far the tips HDAM readers gave me have kept the garden in pretty good shape. Tomorrow should be the last day of extreme heat (113˚ today and 115˚ forecast tomorrow) so we’re going to get back to a normal-unseasonal heat wave rather than this crazy-unseasonal one. I hope Ms. Hillbilly is keeping cool, I think that area is pretty hot too.

    Reply

    • Mavis Butterfield says

      She has a/c indoors so they’re fine but she did set up a fan for the chickens and bought them watermelons to snack on to stay cool.

      Reply

  14. Brenda says

    My friends think I am crazy when I say Layla the chihuahua gave me poison ivy. I know I have not been squatting in my underpants in the backyard. I always seem to get it on the back of my thighs, where she snuggles up! I avoid that stuff like the plague!

    Reply

  15. Margo says

    Grew up in Jersey, got poison ivy every year. Had to wash everything, including me, in lye soap. Horrible! No poison ivy here in SoCal that is near me, but I have cactus….brush by one of those, especially the ones with the hairy spines, and oh my, I look just like your picture.

    Reply

  16. Jennifer says

    We were in Lowes today getting a bathroom faucet and noticed tons of signs for huge appliance sales for July 4th. I would look now because you might get a good deal and with the shortage it might take awhile to order.

    And yes there is always a home improvement project to work on. We are finally replacing the tiny vanity in our downstairs bathroom. I have looked for several years now to find something the right size and that is real wood. Finally found it. I was inspired to search again after the faucet leaked all over the bathroom yet again and we were forced to remove everything to clean it up. The faucet isn’t fixable – or should I say not worth fixing. So finally I’m getting new. We need to paint the door that we replaced over the winter (it smelled really good like fresh pine so I waited to paint) then we are done!

    Reply

  17. Katie says

    I have long thought about giving up facebook. I joined in high school (15 years ago) when it was by invitation only. My oh my, I did not know how it would come to rule the world and how much social media would impact everything. At the time it was just a fun and silly way to interact with friends. I spent maybe 15 to 20min a day on it. There were no business pages or people or blogs to follow. I just posted pictures of trips and my activities and would write goofy things on my friends’ walls. But now it is such a time suck. I think my inner me is trying to talk myself into deleting it. There are a few friends that are not local to me that I like to keep up with. The main thing I use it for now is keeping up with local information in groups and on business pages. That’s really the main way they all seem to communicate.

    I gave up instagram several months ago. I miss it every once in a while. I actually preferred that user experience to facebook. But not enough to make me go back.

    Reply

  18. Dianne says

    Thank you for the book recommendations; I chose to put on hold the first 2 at my local library. I understand the FB thing. I went off FB for 2 years! I loved it. However, when I really got into my hobby after I retired, so much if it was on FB. Now, I’m thankful many are using other social media, along with You Tube. I just keep to my hobby and family on FB. Such mind numbing content! Good for you!

    Reply

  19. Ashley Bananas says

    I gave up Facebook for about 3 months around elections. Too many mean things being said and floated. I felt like a prisoner to my phone. I got back on though. When I deleted it I felt an extreme vacancy. I also use it to connect with a lot of friends and promote my local non profit. It seems like a no win situation to leave it or stay.

    Reply

  20. TR says

    I just realized today that I hadnt seen any of your posts for a while. FB has changed so much since I joined in 2007 but if I hadnt had it for the years i’ve been on disability, I’d have gone literally crazy. I’ve made some good friends from around the world and enjoy the various groups for my hobbies, etc. I use a Chrome extension on my computer called FBpurity that lets you filter out any particular things you want (for me its anything US politics) making for a much better experience.
    I remember when you actually did the budget 100 dollars a month and wrote about interesting things like eating ration packs but things change for us all.
    I’ll have to pop in here every now and again if I remember.

    Reply

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