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

My last goal post of 2021!!! 

Stay Healthy! 

This year I did all the things I was supposed to do that were in my control. I went to all the appointments, did all the check ups, and went to the vampire’s office every 6 weeks for blood draws.

I got poked and prodded and have been taking my levothyroxine everyday since they stole my thyroid.  And even though my TSH levels still are not where they’re supposed to be and we haven’t gotten my dosage dialed in yet, {100, 125, 112, 100, 88, 88/100, on alternating days, 100 and now at 112} I’m hopeful it will get sorted soon.

What can I say? You can only control the things you can. And the sooner you accept that, the calmer and more easy life becomes. 

Oh, and I got back to my fighting weight too. How cool is that? 🙂

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

Weigh-ins are the first Sunday of each month.

• My December 31st weigh in was 127.6
• My December 5th weigh in was 129.9
• My November 7th weigh in was 130.7
• My October 3rd weigh in was 131.5
• My September 5th weigh in was 131.4
• My August 1st weight in was 131.4
• My July 4th weigh in was 129.0
• 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 
• 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 

It was a very successful year in the keeping the HH busy department this year. My list of honey do projects was pretty big, and my favorite thing he tackled {other than putting up with me} was the hall bathroom. 

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

He didn’t get to the stairs {but we’ll put that on the list for next year} and we decided to hold off on installing a border around the driveway until we finish the landscaping out front. 

We also decided to nix the whole turn the basement into a wool dyeing studio because well, we sort of ran out of room with all the wool and rug hooking supplies and the shipping area that’s already down there.

Basically, we need a new plan. And so rather than do something we’d probably be un-doing in a year or two, we are going to have to re-think the whole “studio space” idea. 

This year’s honey do list:

• Build a new set of stairs down to the water. The old set… it’s not exactly useable. 
• Pull up floating dock and ramp {Done!}
• 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 {Done!}
• 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!}

Things We’d Like to Buy

The most exciting thing we bought in 2021 was the dinghy. 

We used it this past summer on ice cream and mail runs, for afternoon cruises and to buy lobsters off the dock from the locals. 

Plus, we were able to explore a ton of new areas, places we would have never been able to see from the road. It was a fun purchase and worth every penny in it’s entertainment value. 

I think the only thing I was a little disappointed that we didn’t buy, was a new washer and dryer set. Ours still works fine, and even though it’s insanely small I suppose waiting a little while longer until we find exactly what we’re looking for isn’t going to really matter in the long run.

• A dinghy 
• Clothesline
• Archery Set {We tried archery, and decided it wasn’t something we wanted to invest in after all}
• 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} DONE!

Another big accomplishment this year was unplugging.

I ditched Facebook {a total time suck} and getting rid of Amazon Prime was not only a HUGE money saver {I only made a handful of purchases from Amazon this year and almost all were business related} but a time saver as well.

When you’re not constantly looking for deals {or buying stuff} it’s amazing how quickly you realize you DIDN’T REALLY NEED IT in the first place. 

• Goodbye Facebook {Done!}
• 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 $69.99 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} DONE!

I’ve shared 37 new recipes this year, including one for hearty cheeseburger soup. It was way more than I had planned on trying, but with so many places opening up late or closing early this year, it was a great year to try new recipes. 

New recipes I’ve made this year:

• Steak and Potato Soup
• Cinnamon Peach Crisp
• The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Rocky Road Brownies
• Smooth and Creamy Peanut Butter Cookies
• Ham and Potato Puff Pastry Tart
• Peaches and Cream Cheese Puff Pastry
• Cranberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Chicken Noodle Soup made with Costco Canned Chicken
• Pickled Red Onions
• Savory Tomato Jam
• Chicken Enchiladas with Costco Canned Chicken
• Baked Potato Casserole with Bacon and Chives
• Easy Zucchini Puff Pastry Tart
• Meatballs and Brown Gravy
• Savory Bacon Cheese and Onion Scones
• Banoffee Pie
• Chicken Salad with Costco Canned Chicken
• Chicken and Roasted Butternut Casserole
• Classic Strawberry Jam Recipe
• Lobster Mac and Cheese Recipe
• Rhubarb Pineapple Pie
• Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
• Chicken and Green Bean Casserole 
• Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookies
• Lemon Meringue Pie
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples
• White Beans and Ham
• Colcannon
• Tuna Wiggle 
• Roasted Potatoes with Sausage
• Grilled Steak Tips with Garlic Butter
• Seville Orange Marmalade
• Jalapeno Cheddar No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
• Hearty Cheeseburger Soup
• Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

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

My favorite book of the year was The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. 

Books I’ve Enjoyed This Year:

• American Country South by Mary Emmerling
• Remodelista by Julie Carlson
• The New England Colonial 
• Living the Country Life by Better Homes and Gardens

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

1. Christina Olson Her World Beyond the Canvas
2. Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life
3. Finding Freedom
4. Maine’s Favorite Birds
5. At First Light: Two Centuries of Maine Artists, Their Homes and Studios
6. Bernard Langlais at the Colby College Museum of Art
7. The 3,000 Mile Garden
8. Becoming Teddy Roosevelt 
9. Here On The Island
10. The Lobster Coast 
11. A Small Farm in Maine
12. Christina’s World

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

• The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah {I give it a 10/10}
• The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy {9.5/10}
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig {I’d give it a 7/10}
• Wintering by Katherine May {Hit the return button after 7 minutes}
• The King’s Speech by Mark Logue

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 closed for the season but my adventures there were fun while they lasted. 

Items I’ve Tried From Head Tide Oven in Damariscotta, Maine this summer:

Breads

• Dark Rye Sourdough Bread
• Light Rye Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Kalamata Olive Bread
• Sourdough Green Olive Bread
• Sourdough Bread 
• Flat Sourdough Bread
• Baguette 
• Walnut Raisin Sourdough Bread
• Vollkornbrot Sourdough Bread

Cookies/Bars

• Raspberry Jam Bar
• Ginger Cookie x2
• Swedish Cookie
• Almond Bar 
• Anise Sesame Biscotti
• Pan Forte x2

Pies and Cakes

• Chocolate Cake with a chocolate ganache 
• Peach Pie
• Lemon Thyme Pie x2
• Blueberry Pie
• Cherry Pie
• Cherry Rhubarb Pie
• Blueberry Hand Pie
• Lemon Hand Pie

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

I ended the year with just 897 photos on my phone and exactly ZERO that I felt the need to print out. 🙂 HA HA HA. And of those 897 remaining, I’d say 2/3rd of them are of Miss Lucy. 

Clean Out My Closet DONE!

This was probably the most boring goal on my list this year because I basically were the same clothes {dark jeans, GAP long sleeve t-shirt} every single day.

But, in the end I did get rid of 12 pieces of clothing that I no longer wore {mostly stripes and plaids and one ugly pullover that I didn’t really like to begin with} so it was a success. 

My House Projects For This Year

It was a great year in the house project department, even if I never did figure out a better solution than the dumb blinds we {still} have hanging on the back windows. Who knows, maybe it will come to me once we get the kitchen remodeled.  

I painted inside, I painted outside, I painted a barn, a picket fence, 3 sides of our house and more doors and trim work than I care to remember. 

And believe it or not… there are STILL rooms to paint! 😉

• Figure out new window treatments for the back of the house
• Come up with a game plan for the kitchen remodel {for 2022} {Done!}
• 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

Hands down the best garden project this year was installing the little kitchen garden in front of our house. I absolutely LOVE it’s size and that Lucy can roam freely around it. 

Still left on the list:

• Install a simple flower bed border in front of the house {Done}
• Start a lasagna garden
• Install Make a boatload of birdhouses/feeders in the side yard {I settled for 2, Done}
• Transplant evergreen saplings to the side of property for a privacy border {Done}
• Clean up and prune the area that faces the road {Done}
• 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 {Done}

Reach 10,000 Sales on Etsy {as of this morning I’ve made 9434 sales on Etsy}.

On January 1st of this year I had racked up 5918 of all time sales on Etsy and by the end of the year {this morning} I reached 9434 all time sales on Esty for a grand total of 3,516 sales this year. 

Not to shabby!

And while I didn’t meet my goal of 10,000 sales, I did increase my Etsy revenue by 20% year over year and so if you ask me, this past year was a HUGE success.

Create 12 New Rug Hooking Patterns or Kits {15 so far this year!} DONE!

I created 15 new rug hooking patterns and kits, and had a blast doing so! 

New Rug Hooking Kits or Patterns I’ve Created This Year:

• The Pumpkin Ladye & Her Deare Companion
• Olde Heritage Turkey
• October Stroll
• Double Olde Salem Cats Runner
• Olde Salem Cat
• Olde Winter Woodstock
• Betty’s Big Chicken
• Tulia and Thomas Turkey
• Spooky Pumpkin
• Cape Cod 1829 New England Whale and Sailboat
• Nantucket Whale
• 1820 Flower Basket
• Bunny Love
• Old Mr. Squirrel
• When Snowflakes Fall
• Winter Woodland Friends.

Create 12 New Ornaments for 2021 Done!

I was also able to add 15 new ornaments to the ornament section of my Etsy shop this year {the loon was my favorite}. 

2021 Ornaments I’ve Made So Far

• #1  Ladybug Heart 
• #2 Strawberry
• #3 Mr. Turkey
• #4 Whale Tails
• #5 Bee Skep
• #6 Loon
• #7 Simple White Cross
• #8 Miniature Candy Canes
• #9 Miniature Red Mittens
• #10 Sgraffito Owl
• #11 Penguin 
• #12 Pear
• #13 Brown Chicken
• #14 Angels
• #15 Simple White Trees

2021 Garlands I’ve Made So Far

• #1 Heart Garlands
• #2 Bunny Garlands
• #3 Strawberry Garlands
• #4 Whale Tail Garlands

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

Made in Maine Products I’ve Discovered in 2021: {My favorite was the little Dinghy from Ash Cove Pottery}

• Maine Made Wood Bowls Bags
• Casco Bay Soap Company
• Seawicks Candle Company
• Hearth and Harrow Tea Towels in Rockport, Maine
• Royal Rose Syrups in Newcastle, Maine
• Ash Cove Pottery in Harpswell, Maine
• Uncas Farms Pure Maple Syrup
• Maine Rope Mats
• Raye’s Mustard in Eastport, Maine
• Maine Grains 
• Port City Pretzels 
• Sew Fetch Dog Company

Visit 6 Lighthouses in Maine

4 down, 2 to go! DONE!

I still need to tell you about the 2 new lighthouses we visited! 

Lighthouses We’ve Visited So Far This Year:

• Dyce Head Lighthouse in Castine, Maine
• Fort Point Lighthouse in Stockton Springs, Maine
• Southern Island Light in Tenants Harbor, Maine
• Doubling Point Lighthouse in Arrowsic, Maine
• West Quoddy Lighthouse in Lubec, Maine
• Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol, Maine

Lighthouses I’ve Been to in Maine Before 2021:

• Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse
• Marshall Point Lighthouse
• Portland Head Light

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

• Moose Crossing Garden Center Waldoboro, Maine
• Lil’s Cafe
• The Farnsworth Art Museum 
• Moody’s Diner in Waldoboro, Maine
• Beth’s Farm Market
• Owl’s Head Transportation Museum 
• Owls Head General Store
• Hedgerow Market in Martinsville, Maine
• Longfellow’s Greenhouses and Nursery in Manchester, Maine
• Fresh Off The Farm in Rockport, Maine
• Wasses Hot Dogs in Rockland, Maine
• Langlais Sculpture Preserve – Cushing, Maine
• McLoons Lobster Shack

So that’s it. It was a great year for making goals and hitting targets.

How did YOU do this year? Did you accomplish all those goals you were were hoping to in 2021? Have some near misses? Ditch something a month into the New Year? 

And what will you be doing to keep yourself on track for next year? We want to know. 🙂

~Mavis