Go On A Solo Adventure.
For Christmas the HH and I decided to buy our own Christmas gifts. He bought himself a fancy espresso machine and I bought myself a plane ticket. Or rather several tickets {for 1 big adventure}. I’m nervous and excited and it should be interesting to say the least.
Take An Adult Education Class.
I need to get out of the house and learn something new. What exactly that is, I’m not sure yet.
Revisit An Old Friend.
This is something I’ve been meaning to do for a while now, but only now have the time to do properly. {More on this goal later.}
Send 52 Cards To 52 Different People.
I don’t think I even know 52 people, so this one might be a bit of a tough one. But I LOVE getting cards in the mail… It’s so personal. It takes time and forethought and makes you feel special when you pop open the mailbox and you see a card or letter from a friend.
Make 12 Totally British Recipes In The AGA.
This of course is if I actually get my AGA this year. 😉
Set Aside 200 Items For A Yard Sale
Stuff. It will creep up on you if you let it. Don’t let it. You don’t want your children to write to the producers of Hoarders and then have a team of people come into your house and clean it out for you. Or maybe you do?
Earn $1,493.04 {Last Year’s Grocery Expenses} Selling Totally Random Things Online
This is a carry over from last year’s goals. The only rule is, I cannot have paid a penny for whatever it is that I sell.
Go On a Staycation/Craftcation With The Girl
Holing up somewhere to work on crafts and ordering room service for a few days seems like a totally fun thing to strive for don’t you think? The only rule is, the hotel has to be free {presumably with credit card points.} And there will be matching flannel pajamas.
Turn The Craft Room Into a Proper Studio Space
- Rip out the old gross carpet and replace it with pine floors
- Fresh paint
- A Proper Light Fixture
- New Serger
- New Work Table
Hook 100 Rugs
Pretty self explanatory
Create 15 New Rug Hooking Patterns
I currently have 85 patterns so this would get me to 100.
Grow 1,000 Pounds of Vegetables In The Commune Sized Garden
Pretty self explanatory
Empty The Canning Cupboard / Fill The Canning Cupboard
And maybe not make so much jam this year 😉
Make $500 Selling Plants, Flowers or Vegetables
The Duck Lady said I could bring any plants, flowers or vegetables to her stand and sell them there this summer.
Buy 12 Handmade Items {From 12 Different Artists}
I think this will be a fun one.
Update Every Single Recipe On The Blog To A Printable Format
Ugh. This is my least favorite goal but it desperately needs to be done.
26 Official Date Days With My Handsome Husband
Because I love him and this is the best way to make sure we get out of the house and go somewhere new and different.
So there you have it. My checklist of 17 things I want to make happen in 2023.
How about YOU?
What are you going to get done this year?
~Mavis
Jamie says
Solo travel is awesome! I am excited to see where you go and hear about your adventures on the trip. My major goal is to complete two moderate sized wood working projects. I did a few small projects last year after my Dad sent me a bunch of his old tools and I really enjoyed them. These were all by-the-seat-of-my-pants projects and were more for fun and not well planned out. Now I would like learn some better skills and see if I can make us a much need storage bench for our bedroom and a cabinet for my gardening tools. Nice wood garden cabinets can run a few hundred dollars and I think I can do it for less than $150. Other goals is double the size of my vegetable garden, install a herbal tea garden, and give away 100 items.
Paula says
I have always wanted an herbal tea garden. What do you plan to plant?
Jamie says
Hi Paula! I am planting: Basil, Holy Kapoor Tulsi; Chamomile, German; Coneflower, Purple -Echinacea; Lemon Balm; Peppermint; Spearmint; Stinging Nettle; Lavender, Phenomenal; Wild Bergamot, Bee Balm; Lemon Verbena; Horehound; Calendula; and some sort of rose variety that produces large rose hips. I also have red raspberry bushes already established to pull leaves from. Except for the rose and lemon verbena, I am starting everything from seed doing a mixture of winter sowing and early starts inside my house.
Paula says
Thank you Jamie,
I just added another goal! I drink only herbal tea. Thank you for the inspiration! I can’t wait until spring!
Jamie says
Me too! I hope your planting and growing seasons go well this year.
Judy says
Hi there. Where do you order stinging nettle from?
Thanks
Jamie says
Hi Judy! https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/.
Judy says
Hi Jamie. Thank you very much for the information, so appreciated! Can’t wait to start ordering.
Tarah says
Be careful planting lemon balm in the ground as it is a relative of mint and will spread everywhere! I learned that one the hard way lol
Wendy C says
I love your goals. The progress you make each week is motivating. I am still working on my goals, hope to have them finalized by the end of the week. I do know a couple: 1) teach my son to drive-I have taught three, only one more to go 2) plant, maintain, harvest, and preserve our garden this summer-with help from the family of course 3) go on 26 walks with hubby 4) go on 20 hikes with hubby and biggest of all 5) my daughter is getting married in May. After the wedding I plan on collapsing and sitting and staring for at least a week 🙂
Paula says
I love your goals especially the solo adventure. What a lovely idea. I go by myself to a spa/resort for my birthday each year. I love it so much. I take classes, sit by the pool, and meet new friends. They offer classes on wellness, cooking, meditation, etc.
Here are some of my goals:
1. Go on 4 hikes.
2. Reduce sugar
3. Sponsor a sheep on the island of North Ronaldsay in Scotland (rare breed) I visited them last fall. Also, Join 100+ Women: Charity group: Each person donates $100 a quarter. Then they give out a $10,000 grant to a local charity/per quarter.
4. Travel to : Spa in Arizona, California (visit daughter), Shetland Island, and Hawaii.
5. Learn to play Canasta.
6. Have 12 thirty day challenges. Here are some of them: declutter, no spend, walk a 5K each day, meditate, no sugar, take a picture a day, etc. They should keep me on my toes.
7. Buy 12 handmade candles. Burn it each day for a month.
8. Eat a vegan meal 12 times/year
Thank you for your blog!!
Stacy says
I never comment (on anything, ever, on the internet), but your goals posts have been so inspirational that I wanted to share mine this one time (and then go back into hiding…).
I have some (boring) goals that I do every year like backing up files monthly and such. My new goals this year include: trying 6 new recipes, doing 36 random acts of kindness, learning 6 new skills, reading 12 classic/must read novels, making 36 cards, knitting 36 things and a monthly focus on a habit (eg. limit phone usage, doing physio daily etc). And yes, they are all multiples of 6 – I use an Excel spreadsheet to track them 😉 Thanks again for your blog – it’s always an inspiration!!
Ann says
I’ve really enjoyed reading your checklist and watching you update your progress. A few of my goals for this year:
1. Learn to speak conversational Spanish
2. Do our will/trust/medical documents
3. Visit 3 new cities in my state
4. Volunteer 4 days this year at a food pantry/charitable organization
5. Earn enough money from a side hustle to refill my travel account.
6. Various household projects – tiling backsplash and repainting the kitchen, updating our laundry room and removing the tile from our fireplace and installing brick.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Maureen says
Ann, I finally did my will and health documents during Covid as well as a special needs trust for my son. It was not fun but it has been such a relief to finally have that done. Good for you!
Maureen
Wendy says
We did the same thing! Autistic son.So relieved to have taken care of that!
Mona McGinnis says
Re: British recipes. I was gifted The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook by Annie Gray. Recipes like kedgeree, vegetable curry, syllabub, steamed treacle pudding, spotted dick, I’m only ~70 pages in; it’s a good read and fun.
Mel says
Our baby is almost 6 months old, but we’re still basically in survival mode with that since he still generally eats every hour around the clock, so I can’t do much else but feed him. He’ll outgrow that of course, but then I’ll be going back to work, so I’m still not expecting to have much time for anything extra. With that in mind, I think the only goal I’m setting for the year is to begin the process of turning our guest room into a play room. I won’t have time to paint or really decorate, but I think we can at least clear it out and set up a temporary play space.
Joely says
Your goals are very happy, positive and inspiring. Thank you for sharing them! Happy 2023.
Jennifer says
I love your travel alone goal. I took a trip to Canada last summer alone. Planned exactly 1 day in advance. It was amazing and so good for the soul.
My goals –
1 – accept my children for who they are – going through some major changes/challenges here
2 – get my health/back issues under control before I hit 50 in June
3 – take a trip overseas or at least have it planned and booked for the following year
4 – read more
5 – hike more
Laura says
Would you be willing to pay someone to turn your recipes into a printable format? If you showed me what you wanted, I could do it.
Diana says
The cards idea is something we started a couple months ago. My husband is a talented artist so he paints the card front and inside and I write the contents. We did all our Christmas cards this way and have started sending random cards to friends too. The funny thing is people are framing the cards instead of recycling them!
We have major goals this year! My new planner arrives tomorrow and then we are going to make our list together. I love to achieve goals and work hard, my husband loves to relax and have fun so we are a perfect fit to balance each other.
Diane says
Wishing all a wonderful New Year, filled with family, friends, fun and good health.
Lindsey says
When I did a similar resolution, to send out 52 notes or cards in a year, most of the people I wrote to were people from my past that I wanted to thank for how they contributed to the person I have become. One of them was a nun who ran my high school. She wrote back saying that she remembered me but had Alzheimers and would probably forget me soon. However, as she was going into the dark tunnel of dementia she was so very thankful to hear from a former pupil that her life had helped someone. I was so very, very glad taht I had taken the time to write to her.
Lindsey says
I forgot to add that this website, which also publishes a magazine, has lots of British recipes on it. You have to make some measurement conversions but there are lots of online charts that will do taht for you. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com Next tiem you go to the UK, pick up a copy of their monthly magazine; the photos will make you drool.
Jen says
This made my eyes tear up!
Amanda says
This made me tear up. That’s such a beautiful story and makes me want to thank others in my past now. May you have a blessed New Year.
Judy says
I just found your blog and was kinda hoping you were doing the $100 a month grocery challenge again this year.
Janice says
I love your new goals. They are definitely inspiring. With respect to sending out 52 cards.. perhaps reach out to a nursing home near you. There are many people who get no visitors and are quite lonely. Last year my friend, who works in a nursing home, organized a bunch of us to write Christmas cards with inspirational messages and she gave them to residents she new would really appreciate them. They were a huge hit!
Theresa Brooks says
Happy New Year! I enjoy you blog and I really like your 17 things…… I may copy some of them- thanks for the inspiration ♥️
Jules says
I was just thinking yesterday of printing out your recipes and making one each week. So if you put them all in book form I’ll buy one from you!
Jennifer Beyer says
Your list is great! I am determined to start using my written planner with all of the bells and whistles again. Once I’ve managed to restart that awesome habit, I will let the other projects flow (because I’ll be able to plan them out instead of just winging it).
Angelia says
I am just starting to gather my ideas for the year. Garden, I am starting to transition to perennial gardening ..I am planing on making quilts this year for gifts. I am making perfume this year, I am making purses for charity this year. Workout more regularly. Less internet/phone time. Be more intentional with time with husband. Eat better by meal prepping. I would like to make a few fun memories with our daughter. Must put together wills ect..And above all be kind to others..
Ashley says
One of mine is to finally send out birthday cards this year! The first couple days of each month I’m going to get them all out, that way I’m not trying to remember all month.
I’m actually taking a brush lettering class (virtually) with my favorite calligrapher in February. I’d love to exchange some fun cards after that if you are running short of your 52 people!
Pamela Sheppard says
I never make official goals or resolutions at the start of the new year. Yesterday, however, I decided I want to learn Spanish starting this year. How? I am not sure yet. But I am always curious how people can speak more than one language. I want to be one of those people.
Jayme says
Where are you going to sell your items( driftwood etc.) would you just add them to your Etsy site? One of my goal is to make and sell some of my crafts, that way I can use up my stash of supplies I keep collecting. Hopefully that will help me figure out what I love to make most and stop collecting new craft items I won’t use.
Tara Salladay says
Hi Mavis! I have followed your blog for years and I always look forward to your annual goals. I LOVE the traveling solo one this year.
I make handmade cards so I’m also a little partial to your mailing 52 cards goal. I do something similar- a mail-it Monday – the first Monday of each month I sent out cards to random people who have shared their address with me. If you would like help with your cards, I would love to get some to you!
Loretta says
For your British Baking goal: check out “How to be a Domestic Goddess” by Nigella Lawson. It is my go-to baking book. It has savoury as well as sweet recipes, and everything is delicious!
Bec says
Mavis, excited to see where your solo travels will take you! Sounds exciting!
I’m doing 23 goals for 2023. Top of the list is spending more quality time with my husband and other family members, putting together some sort of capsule wardrobe as my feet grew a size (among other things) during my pregnancies and I need new things, no library late fees, and earning enough money to pay for a backyard project. Your posts always motivate me so glad to follow along!
tia in boise says
My 23 for ’23:
Review goals weekly and last of each month
Participate in the Polar Bear Challenge 2024 (icy plunge in Jan. 1 to benefit Make-a-Wish)
Bed by 11:00/up by 6:15
Water every day
Floss every night
Stretch every morning
Core workout every morning
Leave work by 4:00
Track walks/runs–aim for every day
Run/walk 750 miles (My goal this year was 1,000 and I didn’t even make 500!) 🙁
Pay off credit card #1; Pay down 1/3 credit card #2
Read as many MY CHOICE books as I can! (I’m not doing a library challenge this year because the list of categories did not interest me at all–and I have over 70 books on my “to read later” list, and I’d love to see if I can get to all of them–and while many of them are my favorite Thriller genre, the list is still pretty diverse!
Complete one house task a month
Track money/items found (My yearly average is around $7–2021 I found a 20 and ended way above average; 2022 I found less than $4!)
Create house-cleaning plan before 3/1 and implement (This has been on my list for 3 years now–decided it needed a deadline!)
Lift weights
1+ fun activity a month
1 new veggie dish a month
Deal with it now: get rid of/take care of–home/work
Monthly massage
Keep track of presents purchased/label/wrap (My Christmas giving got a little messed up because I wasn’t organized–I buy gifts year-round, so I need to figure this out!)
Bless someone each week
Date DH 1+ a month
Many of these are continued goals–a couple I didn’t get to last year. Some are coming back from a previous year, and some are necessities!
Deb says
You inspired me last year, I followed Dave Ramsey’s categories:
Spiritual
Financial
Educational
Fitness
Social
Creative
I have put one personal goal under each category….I am excited to accomplish them..
Jothp says
Thank you for loving your husband, Mavis!
Allison says
Loved your thoughtful goals again, but the solo travel particularly resonated with me. I started traveling alone, sometimes for months at a time, in my mid-twenties and did so for another 10 years. In my experience other travelers and more importantly “natives”
tend to reach out to someone traveling alone, which enriches the experience greatly. But waking up every day and deciding what YOU and you only want to do with that gift of a day, being able to linger over a special experience instead of meeting anyone else’s schedule, is glorious. I miss that, and I think I’ll add to my goals for this year! Bon voyage!
Allison says
Oh, and coincidentally (maybe?) today’s newsletter from Travel and Leisure focuses on solo travel:
https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-08-08/10-trips-that-are-better-for-solo-travelers
Elephants in Thailand sounded phenomenal!
Jamie says
Mavis – can you do a blog post or series of posts on tips & tricks for selling online? Your favorite site….ebay, etsy & why. Down falls or hard parts of selling online and even how to figure out shipping and packaging? Thanks!!
Mel says
I thought I commented yesterday with my goal, but I either imagined it or it somehow didn’t post. In any case, last year’s goal was to set up a nursery for our baby, and this year we’ve decided to convert our other guest room into a guest room/playroom. We’re still very strapped for time due to a very hungry baby, so I won’t be able to paint or really decorate, but we’ll at least get the basics done so we have more play space available as our son grows. I feel like our house is in a transitional state overall (we need to replace a lot of furniture, we had a baby and now need more play space than hobby space, our elderly dog can now only access the main floor, etc), so a temporary playroom is a good start in that regard.
Also, if you need ways to use up jam in the canning cupboard, I highly recommend using it in cobbler, oatmeal jam bars, and homemade pop tarts. All those recipes use a jar or two in one shot.
KCB says
Just curious. If something should happen that makes the AGA unavailable, do you have another brand that you have in mind as a back up plan? Hopefully, the AGA will show up in fine shape & earlier than expected!
Mavis Butterfield says
Nope. I want an AGA. 🙂
KCB says
I have confidence that you will get it!
Tricia says
Your goal list always inspires me, Mavis, and helps me add to my own list. Thank you!
Patti says
I just read this on another page I follow and thought you might want to see it. I hope that you won’t have to up your goal to cover the operating cost of the AGA!!! https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2022/09/13/britons-rip-out-beloved-aga-cookers-due-to-soaring-energy-bills
Judy T says
My (and my husbands) favorite place to learn something is the John C Campbell Folkschool. http://Www.folkschool.org They have all kinds of classes, usually for 1 week. I have learned spinning, natural dyeing and fused glass. My husband has learned broom making, blacksmithing, natural dyeing and bird watching. It’s based on the Danish folkschool ideal of non-competitive learning.
Shelly says
For the 52 letters to 52 people: I get Ruralite magazine (it’s a free magazine from my utility company) and at the back they have a community section. There are always folks asking for special letters/cards for birthday milestones such as a 106th birthday. If you ever need ideas on who to send a note to, I suggest them! I’m happy to provide the latest names/addresses if needed 🙂
Ronda Jones says
That card sending goal is so fun, last year I did 2 cards or more every month which was a challenge for those months I didn’t know anyone with a birthday that month. Everyone who got one was so appreciative. I look forward to hearing the response you get from your friends and family.