Stay Healthy!
Those last few pounds… Holy cow they are hard to shed! I only eat about 1500 calories a day {200 of which are tea with milk and sugar that I won’t give up and on days that I have a hot chocolate with whipped cream it’s another 200}.
And while I’m not one to really count calories or worry about what I eat, I am amazed at how much my metabolism has slowed down over the past few years and especially now since they stole my thyroid at the beginning of the year.
This getting old business… it sure is interesting.
Weigh What I Weighed When We Got Married {128 pounds}
Weigh-ins are the first Sunday of each month.
- 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
Today’s the day!! High tide is around 11 am this morning {11.8 feet} and so that means the HH is going to attempt to pull up the floating dock {and ramp too}.
Fingers crossed it all goes well.
The HH’s Honey Do List {so far} for 2021
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
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!}
Things We’d Like to Buy
The HH bought a fan for the woodstove and it has made a huge difference in pushing the warm air throughout the house. And as an extra bonus, there’s no noise.
A dinghyClothesline- Archery Set {every camp should have archery!}
Kitchen table and chairsSideboardBench 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}
This week on the Maine nature channel… Pink sunrises. 🙂
- 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 $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} DONE!
I have shared 34 new recipes this year, including this one for peaches and cream cheese puff pastry.
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
- 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
Read {or Listen to} 12 New Books about Maine {or written by Maine Authors}
I bought a copy of The Maple Sugar Book from our library and need to make the time to read it. There is so much going on this month though, it’s been hard to sit down long enough to read something.
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:
- Christina Olson Her World Beyond the Canvas
- Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life
- Finding Freedom
- Maine’s Favorite Birds
- At First Light: Two Centuries of Maine Artists, Their Homes and Studios
- Bernard Langlais at the Colby College Museum of Art
- The 3,000 Mile Garden
- Becoming Teddy Roosevelt
- Here On The Island
- The Lobster Coast
- A Small Farm in Maine
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}
Down to 1008 photos. I can’t stop taking pictures! Do you know anyone who would pay $4.50 for some old bottle caps!?
Clean Out My Closet
I didn’t get rid of anything in my closet this past week but my new winter/summer wardrobe has arrive. This season black, navy, grey and white are all the in colors. 🙂 {You know, kind of like every other year.}
My House Projects For This Year
Currently loving this plate rack. I could put bowls on the bottom shelf but where would I put all my Sue Tirrell mugs?
- Figure out new window treatments for the back of the house
- Come up with a game plan for the kitchen remodel {for 2022} {working on it!}
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 barnand add a new fixturePaint the hallway bathroom{DONE!}
My List of Garden Projects For This Year I want to Accomplish
The wood has been bought… I repeat the wood has been bought for the birdhouses the HH is suppose to make me. Now all I need to do is waste some time online and figure out what shapes I want him to make.
Still left on the list:
Install a simple flower bed border in front of the house{Done}Start a lasagna garden- 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{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 9145 sales on Etsy}.
Only 855 to go!
It was a good week in the shipping department and I am slowly but surely inching closer towards my goal each day. Here’s hoping there will be a lot of last minute shoppers wanting wool, ornaments and garden markers.
I also listed a few wool bundles last night on Etsy.
Create 12 New Rug Hooking Patterns or Kits {15 so far this year!} DONE!
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!
The ornament section of my Etsy shop is fully stocked and ready for the holiday rush. I just made a fresh batch of these little brown hens last night and they were so much fun to paint.
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
Discover 12 Made in Maine Products and Share Them on the Blog
Sew Fetch Dog Company makes custom collars for your pooch right here in the great state of Maine.
Made in Maine Products I’ve Discovered in 2021:
- 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
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:
- 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:
The HH and I stopped by Hussey’s General Store yesterday and SANTA will be there next Saturday in case you want to stop by and get your picture taken. You can also send him a letter and pop it in the red mail box too. 🙂
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. 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
Kim says
You really did buy a dozen shirts! You rock!
Love the bird house photo. It reminds me of the beautiful landscaping (as seen in the background) that you guys ALWAYS do to your property.
Curious about some gardening things sometime when you have time:
-are you composting?
-are you continuing to chip up tree trimmings? Do you store them in a compost pile?
-have your trees dropped all their leaves? Do you mow them up and put them on a compost pile?
Best wishes to HH getting the dock out of the water!
Hawaii Planner says
Great work maintaining & dropping a little. It’s incredibly difficult as we age, and consistent drops take a lot of work.
Elle says
Mug hooks underneath? Hang ’em so you can enjoy every one of them?
Congratulations on your weight loss and making decisions on what will NOT change. Life is short, enjoy your tea and hot choc/whip 🙂
Virginia says
Regarding the plate rack, I always ask myself how much upkeep/cleaning something will require. I’m not a fan of open kitchen cabinets in general, but with this particular cabinet, I don’t see how one would easily get between all those narrow slats to clean the dust/grime that will collect inside. Just something to think about. Great job on your Etsy sales — I hope you slide into home base before year’s end!
suzanne says
You could do a plate rack with 2 shelves and only 1 with the dowel things. They are a pain in the tush to clean and I’m pro open shelves. Your minimalist self is unlikely to own that many plates anyway.
The bottle caps are unused and home brewers use them. It’s been a few years but that price seams a little high.
Good luck with the ramp. Sounds a little scary.
Tamara says
I love my plate rack. It is just one rack with closed cabinets on either side. As far as cleaning goes, I use a small duster wand that easily slides between the dowels/plates. Once a week keeps it clean.
Great job on getting the weight off!
Rosemary Calhoun says
My original goal was to lose 10 lbs. this year – I only lost 3 lbs. I guess that is better than gaining it! The rest of the goals did not get done due to circumstances beyond my control – other things needed to take priority.
I did not start off the year with a goal for my Etsy shop – I might do that for next year (now that I have 2½ years of sales experience).
Here’s to 2022 goals!
tia in boise says
another thought on bottle caps: crafters use them. tiny pictures or dod-dads go inside and then they are filled up with (resin?)–they make cute necklaces.
Holley says
Cup hooks underneath! I have been waiting almost a whole year to see what birdhouses the HH builds!!! I’m so excited! Have fun picking out the shapes!
judy says
Congratulations!!! You met your goal, an inspiration to the rest of us who have a lot more to loose. Great job
Mimi says
I’ve seen some vintage style rustic signs using bottle caps to spell the words. I’ve even thought about making one but I’m not going to pay money for the caps.
I’m a bit older than you and oddly enough after a lifetime of obsessing about weight, it is slowly falling off without effort. I just feel better with smaller meals now and I focus on quality nutrition and pleasure – calories don’t figure into it at all.
Joan says
What brand fan did your HH buy? We have been thinking of getting one also?
Mavis Butterfield says
Voda. Here is the link to the one he bought: https://amzn.to/3pm3zSU
HollyG says
I love, love, love my open plate racks. I would recommend having them built in a way that allows you to remove the sets of dowels for cleaning. That’s the only thing I would change on mine. We have a set on either side of the sink – rack on the bottom and shelving for bowls above.
Deborah says
Mavis, when I got married 32 years ago, I was 5’5” and weighed 97 lbs. Today, I’m 5’3” and weigh 132. LOL I have hypothyroidism and had hyperparathyroidism. I had a parathyrodectomy and feel better. I was hypercalcemic and it was affecting my kidneys. Stage 3 kidney failure. Getting older is harder, but worth the effort!
Karen says
We have 2 of those fans and just love them! Unreal how much of a difference they make!
Mavis Butterfield says
Do you use both on 1 stove?
Lori H Bates says
Mavis, I’ve lost the link to your Christmas jam recipe. Could you please repost it or direct me to it? Next weekend is blocked off to make jam and cookies! Thank you so much!
GrannyB says
You can find Mavis and her recipes on Pinterest. Just search Christmas Jam One Hundred Dollars A Month. It will come up.
Mavis Butterfield says
Here is the recipe: https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/spiced-christmas-jam/
Lesley Parent says
Mavis, the Nearings (who wrote the maple sugar book in your photograph) have a book that is right up your alley called “The Good Life.” Highly recommend!
Linda Sand says
My favorite Santa Claus hands out postcards all year long so parents can read their child’s list before mailing it. It’s fun to see Santa in shorts at the Minnesota state fair in August handing out postcards and tiny candy canes.
Emily says
I had a plate rack like that in Italy. It was mounted over the sink with a grate on the bottom so it was both storage and drying rack in one. I loved the convenience.
Teri says
You’ve done fantastic with your weight loss goal! Seems like I have started gaining weight just looking at different food and goodies. Yes, getting old is interesting:)