YES. I have set new goals for 2016 and I will sharing those goals with you on Monday. There is pretty much only one word to describe them:
AHHH-SOME.
Seriously. I’m so excited to tell you about them I can hardly stand it. My goals are super secret and the HH doesn’t even know what they are. Let’s just say he is going to FLIP OUT when he reads about one in particular. 🙂
Personally, I think setting goals are a good thing and sharing your goals with someone holds you accountable and gives you the extra motivation to push through and accomplish what you set out to do in the first place.
So dream big. You can do it. I believe in YOU.
1. Get Organized.
If you were to ask me where something was in my house I’d be able to tell you exactly where it was, and that feels good. I feel like most all of the clutter is gone and everything is in it’s place.
2. Run, walk or crawl a Marathon, half marathon, 10k, and 5k race this year.
Talking about waiting to the last minute. 😉 The Girl and I finally checked the marathon off my list on Sunday and we had a blast. Another fun {no cost} race I did this year was the 10K race/walk around town in jeans with The Church Lady.
Then there was the 5k race I did halfway through my survival food challenge. I actually think that was the toughest one. The funnest one though was the half marathon I did in Orting after recovering from food poisoning. It was a real race and the course rocked! Bottom line… You can do anything you set your mind to do… as long as you don’t give up.
3. Remodel our Master Bathroom, Master Closet and Monkey Boy’s Bathroom.
We finished our remodeling projects in the spring and although I miss visiting with Chino and Cameron, I’m glad all the major projects are behind us.
4. Finish Every Room in Our House.
At the beginning of this year my hope was to have the entire house furnished and stuff hung on the walls. I did that. Now all that’s left are a few painting projects {which I had always planned on doing over the winter months}. Although not necessary, I am still on the lookout for a good, round dining room table and chairs.
5. Turn Spare Bedroom into a Cozy Home Office Space for myself.
I stole the HH’s office instead and gave the extra bedroom to Lucy. She loves it.
6. Create a Vegetable Garden.
I would love to build another 2 raised beds.
7. Build a Path into the Hillside for Easy Access to the Upper Garden.
We invested in a fence instead and let me tell you Bob… I’m so glad we did. Lucy LOVES being able to run around like a crazy in the backyard and I LOVE hiding from the lookey loo’s.
8. Limit my personal spending to $100 a month.
I was totally surprised when I tallied up my personal spending dollars for 2015 to find I had only spent a little over half {$702.62} of the $1,200 I had allocated for the year. Wowza! Most of the money was spent on garage sale/thrift store finds, wool and treats. I really thought limiting myself to $100 a month was going to be hard. But it wasn’t.
In December I spent $186.05
In November I spent $71.29
In October I Spent $128.19
In September I Spent $28.73
In August I Spent $27.29
In July I Spent $50.82
In June I Spent $6.00.
In May I Spent $26.50.
In April I Spent $18.46.
In March I Spent $42.44.
In February I Spent $32.52
In January I Spent $84.33
9. Purge… Weekly. Find 10 things each week to donate to the thrift store.
I went well over the 520 items I was hoping to get rid of this year either by donating them to the thrift store or selling items at our garage sale this year. Mission accomplished. I earned $473 at the sale for my efforts and was thrilled.
10. Read 1 book a week.
I lost count at 72 books. Some of my favorite books I read in 2015 were:
- A Fall of Marigolds – Heartbreaking yet sweet.
- Lifesaving Lessons – I’ve read all her books. I am a total stalker. 😉
- The Forgotten Seamstress – Loved, loved, loved this.
- The Homemade Pantry – The graham crackers are delicious.
- The Stuff That Never Happened – Kind of racy!
- Oranges and Sunshine – Terribly sad.
- A Fine Romance – What a life she’s led!
- Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune – Wowza!
11. Slow Down.
Even though I didn’t know it when I set this goal 12 months ago, slowing down to me this year meant picking up a rug hook and spending every ounce of my extra time at home, in the car or on an airplane hooking rugs big and small and then listing them on Etsy and Ebay. I don’t think I will ever fully understand how normal people relax. Like, literally doing nothing for extended periods of time. I just don’t think I’m wired that way.
12. Canning
Even though I didn’t can as much as I wanted to this year, I will still able to fill our pantry with my favorite jams and jellies.
Another year. Another 12 goals and all of them marked off.
Will you be setting any goals for next year? I’d love to hear about them.
~Mavis
Stephanie says
Hey Mavis!
Just wondered if you ever posted about the big secret project you were working on this year? Maybe I am daydreaming, but I thought you had mentioned it before.
Stephanie
Mavis Butterfield says
Sunday!!! I will be posting about it on Sunday. 🙂
Julie says
I am guessing that one of your goals involves moving. As a daily reader of your blog, that is the logical guess. I am also guessing that is the one that might catch your husband off guard. We will see if I am correct when you publish your goals. Have a happy new year Mavis!
Mandy says
Hi Mavis, I was just wondering the brand of the red pot you have in the canning photo. I’ve been looking for this type of pot and have found many in different price ranges but haven’t been sure which to pick. Do you like yours? Is there anything about it you don’t like?
I was also wondering if your handyman fellows know anything about draining. We have a draining issue in our yard and driveway which I wasn’t aware of when we bought our house and now I’m looking for some help correcting the issue. I live somewhat locally. If you have any ideas of who might be helpful I would really appreciate it!!! Thanks so much, and I love the website!!!
Mavis Butterfield says
Hi Mandy, it is a Le Creuset 5 quart pot. I’ve had it for 20 years and I LOVE it. Chino just does remodels, not landscaping. I’m sure you could ask at Watson’s Greenhouse in Puyallup and they could recommend someone though.
Teckla says
I suppose it sounds nosy, but I’m curious what you are going to do with all that money you made/saved this year. Travel? Moving? More hooking? You always have such creative ideas and goals, I couldn’t help but wonder! Really looking forward to following you through this next year! You teach us so much!
Mavis Butterfield says
I’ll tell you on Monday! 🙂
Tonya says
Hi Mavis. Thanks for listing your top reads of the year. I went straight to the library and checked out 3 of them. Super excited to read a good book. We moved from Idaho to New Mexico this year so life has been a little crazy :). Love your blog. Especially the marathon story. I was reading it to my family as we looked at Christmas lights. You are hilarious!!!!
Sharon says
Mavis- I really love that you had a LOT of goals, and worked on each of them a bit on an ongoing basis. Making only one or two gets too boring over the course of a year!
Mavis Butterfield says
I totally agree!
Sharon B. says
Thanks for sharing your goals. I haven’t made a list yet for the coming year but I really think I should get right on it! Way to go on finishing your marathon.
Thanks also for sharing the book recommendations. I’ve put on one hold through our digital library and will look for a couple more at the local library.
Just curious, what do you include in your annual personal spending budget? I assume it is for things you buy for yourself (and not the rest of your family). Is it for pleasure AND necessities. Clothing? Treating oneself to coffee or a facial? I could keep on, but if you don’t mind sharing an outline I’d appreciate it.
Mavis Butterfield says
Clothing, shoes, treats, yards sales, craft stuff… things I would buy for myself. The HH has his own spending money.
Heather says
Thanks for posting your top books and that it was all together since I took a photo with my smartphone. That way I have it with me the next time I am at the library.
Lacy says
So excited to see what 2016 brings you! Here’s to another year (going on 3 or 4 now) of keeping up with you! Love this blog and love living vicariously through you.
Sarah says
You and I must be on the same reading wave-length. I’ve read several books that you’ve suggested over the past year and have loved them all. This week I finished up Empty Mansions and the Forgotten Seamstress. Loved them both! Thanks for the recommendations! I look forward to more! 🙂
Mavis says
I’ll keep ’em coming! Glad you’ve liked them.