Online Things
Things are moving right along in the “online things” department. Mostly I worked on patterns, kits and wool last week. I also made some pretty good progress on the giant whale rug I’ve been working on. The plan is to have it completed by the end of the month.
If I can stick to that time table, so I’ll be able to get a second large rug hooked before the end of winter.
I’ve been really good about staying offline and not picking my phone up as much as I used to as well.
I still detest the apple computer and I’m still having problems with editing/uploading photos, none of which comes naturally to me yet. It’s frustrating and I can only handle trying for so long before I hop on my old computer and do it there.
I have no interest in taking a class or watching 15 minute videos when I just need 30 seconds of the content. The whole thing makes me crazy.
I am doing a little more typing on the apple though. I finally figured out why I was having such a hard time with the keypad… The delete button and the squiggly line {next to the number 1 button} are aligned differently than on my old computer and I keep hitting the + button instead of the delete button and it’s super annoying.
At this rate I should be able to use the apple in another year or two.
- Reach 20,000 sales in Etsy shop MavisButterfield {I’m currently at 18,192}
- In Stock and Ready to Ship by March 31st
- Create 4 new patterns/kits
- Take all new pictures + videos for Etsy shop
- Get as much as humanly possible done online January – March of this year.
- Stop picking up my phone so much {I’m doing great with this!!}
- Spend less than 3 hours a day online {And this too!!}
- Tidy up the back end of the blog
House Things
I didn’t get any painting done but I did tape off the downstairs bathroom so I can start painting soon. I also ordered a new vanity for the upstairs bathroom. {We still haven’t found one for the downstairs bathroom.}
Choosing a blue vanity was totally out of character but I thought it was a little more exciting than white and it will be perfect for the nautical type look I’m going for.
- Paint The Inside Of The House {including closets!}
- Paint The Interior Window Trim
- Remodel Bathroom #1
- Freshen up Bathroom #2
- Put Stuff On The Walls
- Work on “new” Kitchen Game Plan
Garden Things
We got a fresh layer of snow yesterday {4 inches} so there’ll be no outside garden activity for a while. I also organized my seed packets and will probably be starting some onion and flower seeds soon.
On one hand I miss gardening, but on the other it’s kind of nice to have a bit of a break during the colder months.
- Grow 365 pounds of food in my teeny tiny backyard.
- Install a side yard {flower} garden
- Make a Potting Bench
- Make a Garden Cart to sell flowers/veggies out front
Kitchen Things
Absolutely nothing going on in the kitchen department. But in case you didn’t know, magazines are now $14.99!!! Holy smokes, I couldn’t believe it. I’d rather have 3 pastries than a magazine, wouldn’t you? Do you have any magazine subscriptions? Are they costing you a small fortune?
- Try 12 new recipes
- Fill the canning cupboard
Travel Things
We bought a one year membership to Historic New England. We had a membership the first year we moved to New England and were able to visit some really cool historic homes so we decided to do it again.
Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House in Gloucester, Massachusetts and Cogswell’s Grant Estate and American Folk Art Collection in Essex, Massachusetts were two of our favorites.
This time around we’re hoping to visit homes in Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut. At $72 for a dual membership {which includes admission to the properties} I think it’s a bargain.
- Explore more of the great state of Maine
- Go on a painting holiday
- Québec City
- Travel Overseas
- Send the HH on a vacation
Marriage Things
It’s been waaaay to cold and windy to go out walking around but if the weather predictions hold, we might be able to go for a nice walk on friday.
Hopefully to the beach. It’s been a while since we’ve been and I’m nearly out of lobster rope!! 😉 If that doesn’t pan out, our next date day might have to be a trip to Costco.
- Keep my husband busy
- Date days
- Walk more
Secret Projects
No progress on the secret projects.
How about YOU? Did you make any progress on your goals for 2025 this past week?
~Mavis
- Secret Project #1 {Hoping to reveal by April 30th}
- Secret Project #2 {Hoping to reveal towards the end of the year}
Paula says
I love the blue vanity. Get pick!!
I am still working on decluttering and cleaning closets. I try to at least one a day. I am still trying to finish up the details with a trip we are taking to Scotland in September.
Working with a contractor to make repairs to our house that happened during hurricane Helene. This is getting to be a very big project.
Holley says
WOW on the magazine price! That’s insane! And to think I used to have subscriptions to several! I’d have to take out a mortgage to have a subscription now! Most things these days can be found online thank goodness. Less paper that way too!
You may have to put “Learn How to Use Apple Computer” on your goals list for next year! LOL
Holley says
P.S. – I forgot about my goals because I was in so much shock from the price of the magazine.
I didn’t know that one of my goals this year was to make more cards to send to charity. But when they posted they needed cards for kids that have been affected by the California fires, I went to work. I managed to make 50 cards in three days and put them in the mail on Friday. I hope they bring smiles to those children’s faces!
Laura says
Would you (could you) please share the organization that needs cards? I have so much stuff to make cards and just inherited all my parents stuff to. This seems like a great way to use what I have for a good cause. I love making cards, but seldom send them.
Holley says
It’s called Creative Kindness Foundation. It’s a part of Scrapbook.com. The web address is creativekindness.org. They partner with over 100 organizations that they send the cards to. If you follow/like them on social media they will post when they have a specific need such as what happened with the fires in California. I love making cards too. But I especially love knowing they are going to a good cause! Hope you have many hours of joy creating and donating!
Laura says
Thank you so much for sharing! Really appreciate it!
Tamara says
I am an old woman. I do like looking things up quickly online, even ordering items that do not take “6 to 8 weeks for delivery” (the old way, for you youngsters ). For browsing and more in depth reading, though, nothing beats a journal or magazine. I just like to hold the book or magazine in my hands. My husband has three subscriptions, don’t know the price total. He is happy so I am. I take two subscriptions, one is $30.00 a year and we both read it. The Early American Life is a birthday gift from my son. We have taken these magazines for so many years I’m not sure what we would do without them. Plus, if we are on vacation or away for a few days we do not always have internet, but we have paper, which is sustainable.
Lynda Rees Kling says
My one subscription that I can’t do without is British Country Living…it’s my must-have. And even getting it sent to the US it’s not $14.99!!!
Diana says
I am working on going through things this year and doing a major overhaul of our garage. We have three cars and a camper and no room for any of them in the garage. My business takes up half the space and 2 rooms of the house, so I have been streamlining my process and reorganizing. Hoping to get a car in by June. Getting my husband to get rid of old tools and projects is hard! Also working in the yard doing one plant or tree every day, so weeding, fertilizing, trimming, and mulch. I also have been working out every day as we are going to Hawaii for a week! The first months of the year are always so busy!
Remy says
Magazine subscriptions can be very reasonable. But those special magazines that are almost a book about a particular topic are very expensive. I looked at one today that was a recipe edition of Copy Cat recipes from Better Homes and Gardens. it was $12.99 and I was taken aback.
Sue S. says
I borrow magazines from the library
The price has gotten outta control. Why pay $15 to read a bunch of ads, I say. Can’t wait for the whale rug reveal. Maybe I can add to your Etsy sales with that one.
Marlene Wurtzbacher says
The Sleeper House in Gloucester, MA has many hooked rugs on the floors. I went there many years ago with my rug hooking guild.
Em says
Hi Mavis,
Sorry you are experiencing problems with your computer, that can be so frustrating! Are you eligible to call apple tech support for help, think it may still be complimentary with your purchase? Perhaps they can answer some of your questions and make your life a bit easier~
From this person’s experience, special magazines that are quarterly, bi-monthly or special feature editions run that much. Monthly appear to be priced differently. Hopefully printed material will still be around in the future. Here we enjoy holding a printed copy of everything~
Keep up the good work~
J in OH-IO says
Brio magazine from Focus on the Family for daughters and Premier Guitar magazine for husband. I like to read Prevention magazine from the library.
Ramona says
I’ve had several magazine subscriptions over the years. Currently Southern Living, a two year subscription for $17. It has 13 issues per year. Country Living, $13. for one year, 12 issues. I’ve been getting Country Living since it first came out in 1978. There have been a few years I didn’t subscribe to Country Living. Mary Janes Farm, $20 one year, 6 issues.
Our library has a few magazines but they told me go online for a better selection. I don’t really care to look at magazines online.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks says
Mavis, the navy vanity is really pretty and the whale rug looks great. I look forward to your reveals!
I’m right there with you on the Apple computer. I’ve had an IMac about a year and am still not great with it.
I had an urgent, time sensitive task to complete on Thursday. I was having such a hard time, was so frustrated and spending so much time googling “How do I do ___ on an IMac ?? that I gave up! My old one was hacked so no help. I wound up going to the library to use a PC there. Got it done there in no time at all, much to my relief.
I started out on an Apple back in the dark ages, but used a PC most of my work life, so for me the transition to a Mac has been VERY difficult. I feel your pain! Maybe a class thru Apple should be a goal for me as well, as was suggested.
Carrie says
We have 2 subscriptions that get gifted to us every year from my inlaws. I think subscriptions are a great gift if you k ow it’s something they are actually reading and enjoying. Especially for kids. They don’t need more junk and getting something once a month is great. It can also give you something to talk with your grandchildren about, asking if they got that months edition yet, what was it about and such. A good way to connect.
My kids get several at the library (several on woodworking, building, National Geographic…).
Carol says
I subscribe to a variety of magazines through the Libby app online for free via my local library. All I needed was a library card. Highly recommend!
Judith says
I’m in Toronto Canada, our library system has just about every magazine imaginable available online…always available, you can “ keep” them as long as you want.
I used to subscribe to all the British home decorating magazines, now I view them online….Free!
Jam says
I’m a millenial and I’ve never had an adult magazine subscription. I had a lego subscription as a kid from sending in so many proof of purchases. But I have always thought magazines were pricey and also filled with ads.
But recently I started buying some at estate sales. It has been really interesting and fun to read them. At one estate sale I was able to buy the “gardening issue” of the Martha Stewart magazine for about 8 different years. It was really good content.
But then at another estate sale, I bought several Rachael Ray magazines and found out it’s not my cup of tea and won’t be reading through all of those.
They were all 25 cents each at the estate sales and from the early 2000’s. The gardening magazines were still very on point though for being 1-2 decades old 🙂
JulieP says
Magazine prices vary here in uk! Average £6 which is about $7.50 for say Good Housekeeping much better to have a subscription if you read them regularly. I had a subscription to Good Housekeeping for a lot of my early adult life and to She magazine but gave them up probably in the 00s as we couldn’t justify the expense.
I certainly wouldn’t pay £10!!! Definitely would prefer pastries 🙂
I love the vanity it will be a real statement piece!
No snow or cold weather for us we have moved considerably further south for three months in the RV. Our destress and chill time, good food, good books (hopefully) and just time to walk and be together with Bonnie the black lab.