One Hundred Dollars a Month

My 22 Goals for 2019

Goal #1 — Spend More Time Doing What I Love

To say that this past week was a bit of a hectic one, would be a HUGE understatement. I think I averaged about 5 hours a sleep each night. Luckily though, the days are getting shorter {or rather the sun is coming up later and setting earlier} which for me, does come with a sort of calming effect so that’s a plus. Sometimes, I really wish life came with a pause button.

Goal #2 — Garden, Garden, Garden

My number one favorite thing I grew this summer was the Lemon Queen Sunflower. That, and installing a nice sized herb garden just off the back patio.

Goal #3 — Plant an Orchard {Calling it Quits on this one.}

Goal #4 — Gussy Up the Potting Shed Done!

Goal #5 — Grow Enough Extra Vegetables, Eggs and Flowers to Earn $1500 at my little roadside vegetable stand.

The vegetable stand is officially closed for the season. What started out as a fantastic idea during the middle of winter to grow copious amounts of food and earn enough money to pay for all our our date days, was an epic failure this year. I think my grand total for the summer was $82. {Last summer I made over $500 without even really trying}.

This PNW girl was thrilled to have escaped the grey skies and overcast mornings… but the bugs here, I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to get used to them. I think I tried every spray on the market this summer, hauled fans out to the garden, I even gardened in snow pants and long sleeves in the wee morning hours and STILL got attacked! I think a container patio garden might be more my style.

Goal #6 — Finish Every Single Unfinished Rug Hooking Project in My Pattern Bin + 10 Things from back Issues of Magazines/Books I’ve Been Meaning to Make. 

I feel like I’ve been working on this turkey rug for weeks now and am SO hoping I can find the time to get it finished in the next 48 hours. I’m nearly there! After I finish Tom Turkey, I’ll have 37 more rugs to finish by the end of the year {which is totally do-able once the cooler temperatures hit and I can park myself on the couch}.

I do plan to update my Etsy shop on Friday night at 6pm with a new batch of freshly dyed wool bundles and maybe a finished piece or two.

• 73 rugs in my pattern bin {now down to 37}
• 183 hooked flowers {finished 133, now down to 51}
• 10 “things” from back issues of magazines {finished 0}

Goal #7 — Create 12 New Rug Hooking Patterns {with at least half of them being large ones} DONE!

So far this year I’ve added 12 new rug hooking patterns and 13 beginner rug hooking kits to my Etsy shop.

New rug hooking patterns I’ve created and added to My Etsy Shop this year:

• Tullia and Thomas Turkey
• Double Nantucket Whale Runner
• Miss Henny and Penny
• Miss Penny
• Simple Kitty
• Primitive Flowers
• 2 Fat Cats
• Annabell’s Big Day
• Old Fashioned Double Tulip
• Fat Brown Hen
• Busy Little Bee
• Queen Bee

Rug Hooking Kits

• Busy Little Bee {in 2 different colors}
• Folk Art Heart
• Small Nantucket Whale
• Primitive Crow
• Miss Robin {in 2 different colors}
• Simple Kitty
• Primitive Flowers
• Sunflowers
• A Basket of Spring Posies
• Fat Brown Hen
• Chicky’s Garden

Goal #8 — Split and Stack 2 Cords of Wood for Next Winter {Not going to happen}

Goal #9 — Do Something with the 5,002 Photos on My Phone

Current number of photos on phone 2881, but now that I’ve shared this photo with you I can delete it, right?

Goal #10 –Lose the Muffin Top

Pumpkin season is officially here. And it’s a good thing pumpkin {pie} has so many healthy things in it like… well, pumpkin of course and eggs and milk.

Goal #11 — Run, Walk or Crawl a 5k, 10k, Half Marathon and Marathon

I suppose now that the baby turtles are off on their own now I should start hunting around for a 5K and a half marathon to participate in. There are oodles of races around these parts in the fall so I shouldn’t have a problem.

Goal #12 — Read or Listen to 26 New Books {15 down, 9 to go}

I am about 60% of the way through Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and holy canolies people, the things our soldiers went through. A few people last week mentioned this book was made into a movie, and that the movie didn’t stand up to the book. And I totally believe it and I have zero plans to watch it.

Books I’ve Read or Listened to So Far This Year:

• Marilla of Green Gables #1 Still my favorite
• The Great Alone #2
• The Aviator’s Wife #3
• Before We Were Yours #4
• Secrets of a Charmed Life #5
• Where’d You Go, Bernadette #6
• Carnegie’s Maid #7
• The Gown #8
• The Alice Network #9
• The Shape of Mercy #10
• Will’s Red Coat #11
• Big Little Lies #12
• Bunny Mellon  {Doesn’t count because it was my second time}
• On Writing {Doesn’t count because it was my third time}
• Walden
• Finder’s Keepers
• Delicious!
• Following Atticus

Goal #13 — Try 52 New Recipes.

24 down, 30 recipes to go. OCTOBER. October is going to be my month for cooking!

Goal #14 — Clean Up 52 Old Recipes on the Blog

9 down, 44 to go. I’ll get crackin’ once fall {and cooler temps} come around.

Goal #15 — Fill 100 Canning Jars 48 down, 52 to go.

I won’t be able to get any canning done in the next few weeks but I am looking forward to doing some canning later this fall. So far, I think the peach jam has been my favorite thing this year to make.

So far this year I’ve I canned:

• 7 jars Peach Jam
• 7 jars of Strawberry Jam
• 15 jars of Carrot Cake Jam
• 15 jars of Spiced Pear Jam 
• 4 jars of Almond Pears.

Goal #16 — Finish Furnishing Our House

Zero treasures from the recycling center and in fact, we actually got rid of a few things last week. Purging and passing things on you don’t use anymore… it’s such a nice feeling.

Goal #17 – 52 Dates with the HH {27 down, 25 to go}

We did make it out to lunch this week. But that’s more of a story for tomorrow.

Goal #18 — Take One Adult Education Class Done {I’ve taken 3!}

1. I’m keeping the first class I took with my neighbor top secret for now
2. Spoon Carving Class with Heather.
3. Mini pottery lesson {I loved it! and now I want to sign up for a full class!}

Goal #19 — Secret {for now} Holiday Project

The big reveal will be on Friday, November 1st.

But…. one of the things I did attempt to do earlier this year was to make mugs. I thought it would be rather easy to create 100 mugs and decorate them with all sorts of wowie zowie glazes. It was a glorious failure to say the least. 😉 All the mugs were either too heavy, or lopsided or I didn’t like the way the colors turned out.

Oh well. I’m glad I tried. And I know now that I would like to take a proper pottery class at some point when things settle down a bit. Pottery is a super cool hobby, but like rug hooking, I think it takes time to get the hang of things.

Goal #20 — Create 12 Wowie Zowie Party Platters

4 down, 8 to go. Next Sunday people. Next Sunday. Prepare yourself now to be amazed. 😉

Goal #21 — Visit 12 General Stores

8 down 4 to go.

So far this year we’ve visited:

• Chase’s Daily {I think it should count}
• Squam Lake Marketplace
• Harrisville General Store
• Dodge’s Store in New Boston, New Hampshire
• Zeb’s General Store in North Conway, New Hampshire
• Dan and Whit’s in Norwich, Vermont
• Hussey’s General Store in Windsor, Maine

Goal #22 — Compete with Carole….. Get on My Front Door Game On

Thank goodness Mrs. HB sent us that spectacular Halloween wreath! Now October is covered. And to think I just just going to the have the HH cutout a pumpkin or something. 😉 She loves me.

Front Door Bling I’ve Made So Far This Year to Compete with Carole:

• Late January : Valentine Heart
• Late February : Shamrock
• Late March : Giant Carrot
• May: White wave petunia hanging basket
• June/July: Tin Star and Flag Bunting
• August : Sunflower

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How about YOU? What are your goals for 2019? If you told us about them HERE, check in! We want to know how you are doing. Because seriously, it’s so much easier to get those goals checked off your list when you have people rooting for you! 🙂

Have a great Sunday everyone, I’m headed back to bed.

♥ Mavis

You can read more about my 22 goals for 2019 HERE.

Have a Great Sunday!