Stay Healthy!
Clearly, I’m back to normal because yesterday the HH was off on an adventure with The Girl all day and when he got home not only had I cleaned the entire house, washed all the laundry and made dinner, but I also stole his office. It was a bit of a hostile takeover that he didn’t see coming, but HEY, guess who has a new craft room? ME! 🙂 And check out the view! Not a bad space to craft in!
Anyways, who needs a big room if the only furniture they have in it is a desk and a chair, right? Sure his windows may be a little smaller, but hey, use it or lose it baby. Bahahahaha!
Weigh What I Weighed When We Got Married {128 pounds}
Weigh ins will be on the first Sunday of the month. My January 3rd weigh in was 140.7. Basically, the goal is to lose a pound a month.
Keep My Husband Busy
It was a slow week on the nagging housewife front. He bought a piece of wood {a transition strip I think it’s called} for the entry way and helped me cut wool. I’ll try harder next week.
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. {He’s handy, he’ll figure it out}
- Build a picnic table near the birch trees for summer lunches
- Build 4 or 6 garden boxes for his little lady
- Build a boatload of birdhouses for the {soon to be} bird sanctuary
- Remodel the bathroom in the hallway
- Install some sort of driveway border
- Install a workspace for me in the basement for dying wool.
Things We’d Like to Buy
- A dingy for zipping around the nearby islands and for summer ice cream runs
- 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
- A set of 4 Adirondack chairs for the fire pit area {we can’t decided if we want to get red or white chairs}
- BBQ {Sayonara smoker?}
Unplug As Much As Possible {but still keep the blog, FB and Instagram}
Ring Ring HELLO? My phone is still on silent mode. And I’m loving it. 🙂
This year I plan to step back more and cut the noise.
- Goodbye Amazon Prime {Done!}
- Goodbye Hulu {Done!}
- Goodbye Netflix {Done!}
- 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} {so far so good}
Try 24 New Recipes {and remember to link them here}
Hey! Check it out. I have a new recipe index! All you have to do is hit the recipe tab in the navigation bar and it will take you there.
I’m still working on getting all the recipes reconfigured and into the right categories {for example, muffins, clearly I have more than 8 muffin recipes on the blog} but so far I really like the layout. Apparently there are over 1,400 recipes on the blog {who knew?}. The plan is to have all the recipes in the right spot by mid-February.
This new format makes printing recipes a snap too and I like that you have the option to double or even triple the recipe when you go to print it out too. Neat-O if you ask me.
New Recipes I’ve Made This Year
Read {or Listen to} 12 New Books about Maine {or written by Maine Authors}
- Christina Olson Her World Beyond the Canvas. {Excellent!}
Currently on hold:
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- Wintering by Katherine May
Neither of which are from Maine and I have no idea if either of them will be good. But I did like the narrators voice on the 5 minute sample so that’s a good start. 🙂
Get 24 Stories Off My Phone and onto the Blog
Last week I told you about Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine. 1 down 23 to go.
Get the Photos on My Phone Down to Less Than 1,000 {started the year with 2863 photos}
There are currently 2640 photos on my phone.
Clean Out My Closet
I turned all the hangers around in my closet and so far 92% of them are still backwards. I suspect though that will change once spring and summer arrive and I’m wearing other things than pajamas, jeans and long sleeved shirts.
My House Projects For This Year
Well, I have a new craft room, so that counts even though it wasn’t on the list, right? 😉
- 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
- Paint the entryway trim and doors
- Paint the dining room walls and trim
- Paint the master bedroom walls and trim
- Paint the barn and add a new fixture {okay, so the HH will be adding the fixture}
Have I ever told you how much I like to paint? 🙂
My Garden Projects For This Year
I ordered my seeds from Botanical Interests and Johnny’s and both have arrived and I’m ready to go once it warms up around this joint.
I did make a small mistake and accidently ordered 500 sunflower seeds instead of a packet of 50 {whoops!} but that’s alright, I can share the seeds with my friend Jenn {who I haven’t actually met in real life yet} and mail some to Mrs. HB. I’m sure her chickens would love it if she grew some giant sunflowers so they could snack on the seeds.
- Install a simple flower bed border in front of the house
- Install a boatload of birdhouses/feeders in the side yard
- 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
- Install a sunflower patch
- Plant 2,500 flower bulbs {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 6104 sales on Etsy}
Only 3,896 to go!
I dyed oodles of wool this week so the plan is to get everything into bundles today and listed in my Etsy shop by dinner.
Create 12 New Rug Hooking Patterns or Kits
I’ve started my first new design of 2021 and with a little luck, I should have it finished by the end of the week and listed as a kit and a pattern by the end of the month. I figure if I create one new design a month {even during the summer} I’ll be able to stay on track.
Create 12 New Ornaments for 2021
In addition to the ladybug heart ornaments I also added a few Valentine garlands to my Etsy shop.
2021 Ornament #1 ♥ Ladybug Heart ♥
Discover 12 Made in Maine Products and Share Them on the Blog
I am working on a list of shops/people to visit and am VERY EXCITED about this goal!
Visit 6 Lighthouses in Maine
Well we didn’t check out any lighthouses this past week but we did check out an outdoor museum of sorts and it was pretty darn cool. I’ll share those pictures soon. 🙂
Lighthouses I’ve Been to in Maine So Far:
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
Cathy Lynch says
Thank you for sharing your goals it helps me.
One little thought on your loosing weight goal. After your surgery your body needs a little adjustment time. But the positive is your good at being realistic on Goals ,
Positive thoughts for 2021 !
Jenn from MA says
Sunflowers- can you really have too many? I guess so 😉 I wonder if Johnny’s thought you were starting a sunflower farm- wouldn’t that make a happy landscape 🙂
Kathy says
Do you know about Pinetree Garden Seeds (superseeds.com)? They are family run business there in Maine. I’ve been ordering seeds from them since the 1980’s. They have smaller seed packets at a smaller cost, so I can try/grow more varieties at a smaller cost to me.
Robin says
I don’t know, it just feels like all those birdhouses and sunflowers were meant to go together, lol . But seriously 500! That is a lot of sunflowers
You would draw in every seed eating critter in the area!
Glad you are feeling so much better ☺
Gayle says
I love this blog. I hooked a rug back in the 70’s and now I’m almost 70 and would like to try on of your pillows. I want to purchase the correct “hooker”..please advice what I need and can I purchase with your kit? Any other suggestions are appreciated.
Mavis Butterfield says
Hi Gayle,
I just sent you an email. 🙂
Holly says
Hi Mavis! You seem to have your energy back, glad to hear it ❤️ I was wondering if you would share more about your weight loss strategy. One pound a month sounds totally reasonable, usually you hear about a pound a week! I imagine you aren’t doing any expensive meal kits, fad diets, etc. Mind sharing what you plan to do (or not to do) to reach your goal? I have a similar goal – I just want my jeans to fit again and not pinch . Sending ❤️ ~ Holly
Mavis Butterfield says
So, most people are not going to like this, because it’s really really simple. But here goes. The best way to lose weight is to eat less. It’s that simple. I also usually eat within a 10 hour window every day.
I’m not into fad diets, or meal kits, or counting calories or exercising more than normal {I think I do enough in my day to day routine for it to count as exercise}. A totally boring answer, I know. But it’s the only one I have.
Kippy says
My Mom asked her doctor how to lose weight once. He said the best weight loss exercise was pushing yourself away from the dining table
Carol says
I like the new recipe finder and print format. I made your Cheeseburger soup this week and loved it. I shared the recipe with a nephew who loves mashed potatoes. Yum yum.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks for the input Carol.
Leanna says
Get two red and two white Adirondack chairs.
Mavis Butterfield says
I couldn’t handle two of each. It would make me nuts. 🙂
Kim says
Might be easier to keep red ones clean?
Mel says
That’s too funny about stealing the office! My husband has come home to rearranged furniture many a time.
I’ve been doing pretty well with all my goals, but I’m considering adjusting my savings goal to accommodate more house projects. Working from home means I have the chance to get more done, so it might make more sense to use some of the money I planned to save on those projects in order to knock them out while I have the chance.
This week, I’ve mostly been focused on using up freezer meals, decluttering, and sticking with my cleaning schedule. I’m making good progress on using up freezer meals, we’ve unloaded tons of stuff to local thrift stores while decluttering, and I love love love my cleaning schedule, which is the clear winner for my favorite 2021 goal.
Pauline in Upstate NY says
Mel, would you share your cleaning schedule that is working so well for you? (Or do you have your own blog where you’ve discussed it?)
Mel says
I don’t have a blog, but someone here asked about it after I commented on last week’s goal post, so I described it in my reply. Here’s that comment:
It’s a free app called Tody. You enter all the areas/rooms in your house, and then you enter all the tasks associated with each room or area (this took a good bit of time to set up, but it was worth it, and it’s a one-time thing). When you enter a task, you enter the frequency it needs to be done (e.g., daily, every other day, once a month–whatever) and tell it what the current status of the task is (how close you are to needing to do it again). It then creates your daily task list based on that information, and you check things off the list in the app as you do them. So, you don’t have to prioritize all the tasks, remember when you last did them, etc.
If something pops up on your task list that doesn’t need to be done yet (or that you don’t have time to do), you can pause it until the date of your choice, and then it will continue the original frequency you set for it. You can also see ahead to task lists for other days, so you can work ahead if you have extra time (I’m nearly done this weekend’s tasks because I want to spend Monday sewing) or if you notice a disproportionate number of tasks will come due the same day. And if something needs cleaning before it’s scheduled to be cleaned (like if you spill something on the rug and have to wash it), you can “force” it to be due early and then it will revert to the original frequency you set from there on out. You can also set seasonal chores. So, come April, it will start reminding me to do things like clean the picnic table, but it removes that task from the list in winter.
The key for me was making all the tasks very small. So, for example, instead of dusting the whole house, I have it set to remind me to dust each room separately. Certain rooms get dusty faster because they see more traffic, so it makes sense to dust them at shorter intervals. And I only need to set aside 5 minutes or so to dust one room instead of 30-40 minutes to do the whole house, so it’s easier to keep up with.
Teckla says
Here’s a thought for those who aren’t into technology. The book Sidetracked Home Executives by Pam Young and Peggy Jones (ISBN. O-446-97884 or 0-446-37085) is basically the same approach, but uses an index card file. Works beautifully and also has the kind of flexibility you mentioned, plus it talks about how to track birthdays, manage/organize holidays, etc. And they are funny and can laugh at themselves. The only problem is that it is from the 70’s/early 80’s, so it might be a little hard to find. Maybe online used bookstores like Thriftbooks. Anyway, for what it’s worth for the non techies, like me.
Mel says
The app is pretty user-friendly, so I don’t think you have to be too tech savvy to use it if you wanted to try it, but it’s probably not the best option for people who want to unplug more. I’m tethered to my phone all the time now for work, so this was the best option for me. I also like having the list everywhere I go, having a log of what was done, and only having to check off when things are done. I am picky about apps, but I like this one, and I also have one that I use for grocery lists, one to organize Christmas gifts, and one for hydration reminders. I use Google calendar for birthdays.
Kathy says
That was ME last week. I am trying the Tody app and I think it will work for me. I like that it is so flexible and I like the customizable intervals for each area/thing. It seems to be a novel approach to the otherwise strict setups I’ve seen in other apps. Thank you!
Mel says
Yes, it was you! I’m glad the app seems promising. I definitely needed something more flexible because our work schedules change without warning, so that might be why this has finally worked for me and other systems have not.
Pauline in Upstate NY says
Thanks, Mel! I’ll take a look at the Tody app – sounds promising. I’ve been on the FlyLady wagon a couple of times through the years, and that has its good points, but I’m intrigued with your approach as well. Yes, keeping the tasks small is critical!
Pauline in Upstate NY says
Really?? AGAIN?? You stole the HH’s office AGAIN?? Where is the poor man supposed to keep his leg lamp? (Or did you finally concede that he could leave it in a prominent place to welcome the ships back to port?)
Mavis Butterfield says
I know, I do it every single time. 🙂 There are 3 outlets in his new space… he can use the leg lamp in there. Ha!
Marcia says
What, no pictures of the craft room? I want pictures! I’m so going to have a craft room when the boys move out. Well, it will probably be guest room/ office/ craft room. And the little one is only 8 so…
Mavis Butterfield says
Next week. 🙂 It was too dark last night {and this morning} to snap pictures.
bonnie baine says
hi mavis, glad you’re back to your old self again. some of the goals i’m planning on for this year are to revamp my garden with 3 new raised beds and i am going to try straw bale gardening for the first time. also i want to put together 3 quilts to work on while camping this year. we didn’t go camping at all last year, hope we can make up for it this year. it is january but i am ready for spring. i like to work in the yard too,
Linda says
I put my tomatoes in straw bales. It keeps the splash from the soil from starting diesease on my plants. I have been growing in the same in ground garden for a long time and there are disease spores that over winter in the soil. I don’t have room to move the garden and rotate plants.
Carol says
Pollenless sunflowers are great for cutting, but they do no produce any seed, since they’re sterile.
Krissy M - Vancouver, WA says
Glad your starting to feel back to yourself Mavis! I’d go with red for the chairs. White would be a more beachy, coastal feel. Red has more of a camp feel. Red and white mixed would look like a peppermint candy, which is okay I guess… if you’re’ into peppermint.
Lori SA says
I sure understand the taking over of your HH’s office. My husband retired this year and I have noticed that he likes to use the living room/ dining room for an office, nap space, activity area, exercise space, etc., whereas I have completely taken over the office room and changed it into my own craft room. I love it! And I also love that I have an “away space” for myself 🙂
About the chairs: although I have a very high tolerance for untidiness, outdoor white chairs just seem to always be dirty looking. I think red, even graying, would stay nicer.
Randini says
use the extra sunflower seeds to make seed bombs, then toss the completed seed bombs into vacant lots, abandoned parking strips etc. careful not to place them on anyones private property.
We did this as a rainy day craft one year, it was fun to see the flowers blooming around town in the springtime.
Earlene says
2 things I want to ask you or tell you, first one is I want to learn rug hooking like you do, where to start? What do I need? I have nothing, I knit and crochet.
Second one is a recommended book I read and now listening too. I laugh out loud, but I know it might not be for everyone, “ The Ladies Room” by Carolyn Brown. It’s just a fun book
tia in boise says
Mind
Say what you mean; mean what you say–nothing to report
Read 50 books–have read 4 books–just started The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks–super-interesting already! Had to return American Dirt because was too busy to finish before someone wanted it…
Spirit
Plan one fun outing a month–Will probably be taking a masked walk with a friend.
Have one date a month with DH–did it! Planning a bonus date of take-out and Netflix double feature this weekend!
Work
Work 1 hour/day to plan, prep, grade–Doing a great job not staying at work late and not working too much at night/on weekends.
Home
Put away the thing–NOW–doing okay here.
Complete 1 cleaning/organizing project/month–oops–forgot about this goal…guess I still have a week.
Create and implement cleaning schedule–eventually…
Try out 1 new recipe/month–did it for January–NOTHING to write home about.
Decrease credit card debt (1) by 33.3%–no payments made yet this year.
Health
Lose 20 pounds–Wasn’t allowed to walk or run for 3 weeks due to procedure on foot. I think I gained a couple. ugh….Went for a short walk yesterday and slightly longer one today–looking forward to getting my run back on starting next weekend!
Always have water–Well, I’ve HAD water…haven’t always drunk it–tricky when you have to take your mask off or move it to get that drink….but an effort is being made!
Run a 5k, 10k, half, and marathon–5k down–hoping to check off 10k end of February.
Track daily exercise–Did well at start of month and stopped doing “bed calisthenics” last few days, so need to get calendar back out.
Track desserts–doing pretty well!
Debi says
We had white Adirondack chairs and they looked nice when we first got them but after a while they always looked dirty and we were hosing them down every time we wanted to use them. I painted them green, which was better than the white but not fun. For the past five years we’ve had red and I love them, they don’t look yucky and red is fun! Portland Head is one of our favorite lighthouses to visit… we go there every time we go to Maine.
Terena says
I’d go with the red chairs, Mavis. I live in Saskatchewan, lots of snow for 8 months of the year (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration!), and whenever I catch sight of my cheerful red chairs they make me smile. I know you don’t have the snowfall, but the red chairs would also work for overcast or rainy days too. Stay well.
Loy Moore says
I, too, want to thank you for the recipe index and the new recipe card format. I have used PrintFriendly for years and really appreciate it, but the new format makes printing and saving a recipe much easier. I am glad you are doing well and are nearly back to your old self.
Christa H says
hmm. I would choose white chairs because if you ever want to add more, they will always match. Also, I want to see dirt before I sit in it and stain my pants and I would know when to clean them.
Linda T says
Mavis, I finally read (audio) The Nightingale, and enjoyed it immensely. I ordered after seeing you rated it highly. My only complaint is that it is very hard for me to get through a 17 hour book in 14 days. I can do it when I am on a sewing binge, but on regular days I can’t stay in one place that long. I’m now reading Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam. So far it is very good-I’m 51% in.
I made your Cheeseburger soup two nights ago. It was great! We had it with some French bread, and my husband loved it, too. We’ve had several soups since winter started, including your 10 can Taco Soup. Soups are so easy and we usually get two nights of meals out of a recipe. I change up the side dish and it doesn’t feel like leftovers
Thank you so much for both.
I’m so happy that you are doing well.
Sandy says
I found our Maine Island house-what ya think? A bit pricey, but compared to CA, its a steal. Go check it out for me on your adventures. Report in if we should open a summer camp for just us “One hundred dollars a month” subscribers…sounds like a good plan…cheers
https://www.captivatinghouses.com/2021/01/24/1924-cottage-on-16-acre-island-for-sale-in-southport-maine/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1924_cottage_on_16_acre_island_for_sale_in_southport_maine&utm_term=2021-01-24
Lori K says
I made the meatballs and gravy recipe for dinner tonight and it was great! Such a manly meal – meat and potatoes, my husband and son were in heaven (me as well)! Its a keeper.
Julia Park Tracey says
I’m staying on track in week 4. Practicing my French, keeping fresh flowers in the house, submitting work to be published — all going well. I completed my one goal of taking a class already. Slowly working on setting up my new office — I bought clear plastic tubs to replace the banker’s boxes I have been using. I can never tell what’s in them and have to open each one. Trying this new system.
I agree with red chairs. Although if they are plastic, the sun rots them — ours were broken within two years. Invest in real redwood. Stain them every few years. That’s my 2 cents.
Wendy Steele says
Red chairs-cheerful & easier to keep clean!
Amy says
Hubby’s office air looks super comfy!