One Hundred Dollars a Month

My 22 Goals for 2019

Goal #1 — Spend More Time Doing What I Love

Last weekend when I was up in Washington gas prices seemed a bit high to me so I made a point to look when I got back home. And I was right, gas around these parts is around $2.35 a gallon. Up near Mrs. HB they nearly a dollar more! How much are you paying for gasoline right now? Curious minds want to know.

Goal #2 — Garden, Garden, Garden

The only gardening I did last week was indoors. And it was quick. The paperwhites I planted a month ago began to bloom and then I suddenly remembered that I didn’t like the smell of paperwhites. Whoa Nellie they stink! Like REALLY bad, almost like a plastic antiseptic cleanser smell. So moved then out to the garage. 😉

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

Lemon baby number 3 is

Goal #4 — Gussy Up the Potting Shed Done!

I gussied up the potting shed at our old house, but I would like to add some sort of “potting station” to the backyard here somewhere, but I’m not sure where I would put it yet.

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

It was totally my intention to grow a ton of fruits and vegetables to sell at the farm-stand when I made my list of goals for 2019 last winter, but then we moved. So, that whole goal was sort of a bust.

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 finished one large pillow and four little mini pillows plus 2 make do’s this week but I still need to get them listed in my my Etsy shop. It’s been a busy last few months, and I am very much looking forward to working on my rug hooking projects again in earnest.

I have oodles of new patterns already drawn out, and so settling in for winter, and getting those hooked will be a welcome treat after such a busy summer and fall. Down time. We all need some. And I am so ready for mine.

• 73 rugs in my pattern bin {now down to 21}
• 183 hooked flowers {finished 150, now down to 33}
• 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 14 beginner rug hooking kits to my Etsy shop.I just added Santa and Rudy 1892 yesterday and am hoping to squeeze one more kit in before the end of the year.

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

• Santa and Rudy 1892
• 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 

All that firewood! We sold it. 😉 I do miss the smell of wood burning in the wood stove though, and I’m pretty sure Lucy misses her spot next to the fire. We do have a fireplace at the new place, but we haven’t lit a fire in there yet.

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

Currently at 2916. Will try to get to 2500 by the end of the week.

Goal #10 –-Lose the Muffin Top Done!

Sweet digity!

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

Well today’s not the day for the half marathon:

1. All the bakeries close early on Sundays
2. There is freezing rain in the forecast for the entire day

Goal #12 — Read or Listen to 26 New Books {21 down, 5 to go}

I was listening to My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry but the book was automatically returned because I didn’t finish it within the 7 day window and so now I am on the waiting list so I can finish it. But I did pick up Handcrafted in Maine and I absolutely love it. I am about half way through the book and the stories of how the various makers go to be where they’re at makes for a compelling read. 

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
• Unbroken #9
• Drama#10
• The Alice Network #11
• The Shape of Mercy #12
• Will’s Red Coat #13
• Big Little Lies #14
• Mr. Churchill’s Secretary
• Born to Run
• I Feel Bad About My Neck
• 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.

37 down, 15 recipes to go. Last week I shared a recipe for Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Coffee Cake and Spiced Pomegranate Jelly. Plus this week we tried a new biscotti recipe {which I’ll share next week}. I still have 15 recipes to try by the end of the year to meet this goal…. and I am looking forward to them.

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

9 down, 44 to go. Well I had plans to get a few knocked out this week but things didn’t exactly work out.

Goal #15 — Fill 100 Canning Jars 55 down, 45 to go.

A few days ago I made a batch of spiced pomegranate jelly and later this week I plan on making a batch of Christmas Jam to include in my neighbor bags. I also have another jelly recipe on my list to try but I don’t think I’ll make it to the grocery store until after Thanksgiving to get the needed ingredients.

So far this year I’ve I canned:

• 7 jars Spiced Pomegranate Jelly
• 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

Yesterday I managed to get the radiator in the family room painted and one of the two windows. Today I’ll finish the second window and then tomorrow I am going to try and make all 3 roman shades for the windows in that room at once. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful feeling to be able to hang all the blinds in the same room on the same afternoon?

Since the HH will be putting his leg lamp in the window of this room the day after Thanksgiving, I am sort of on a time crunch to get the room done.

I also picked up this canvas for 6 dollars at the store where they sell dead people’s things. Hopefully by this time next week it will have a lobster painted over it and the family room will be finished and I will be able to show you the room.

Also, I splurged and ordered a new set of dinner plates, not the blue and white set I showed you last week, but something else. They should arrive in a few days. It’s the first set of new plates I’ve bought in about 20 years. What a weird feeling that was. Not quite as bad as spending money on an appliance, but not as fun as candy either.

Goal #17 – 52 Dates with the HH {40 down, 12 to go}

There was a date day this past week. And it involved pancakes. I’m pretty sure you can all guess where it was.

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

1. Block Printing Class with my neighbor.
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 Holiday Project{s}

One of my secret holiday projects this year was block print towels and another was to make a few seed packet wreaths. The Tea Bag Trees weren’t really a secret, but more of pretty skippy idea I wanted to save for the holidays. I do have two more fun craft ideas to share with you in the coming weeks ahead. Both are probably good ones if you are looking for some sort of “filler” activity to do with peeps if you are having a big gathering.

Goal #20 — Create 12 Wowie Zowie Party Platters

7 down, 5 to go. It will be hard to beat Mrs. HB’s tray of pickety but goodness but with 5 more to go… December is going to be a delicious month.

Goal #21 — Visit 12 General Stores

9 down 3 to go.

• H.B. Provisions in Kennebunk, Maine
• 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

With just 4 more days to go until Thanksgiving my husband took our pumpkins off the porch last night and put the potted trees on the porch. I couldn’t’ believe it! He wanted to put red bulbs on the trees but I shouted a big fat NO and so now my porch looks dumb with Indian corn hanging on the door and 2 potted trees out front.

All of this of course is a big ploy to get the front of the house decorated for Christmas and the leg lamp in the window even before Thanksgiving is over and I will not have it. My husband. He makes me CRAZY.

P.S. What do I use to clean that brass kick plate on the door with? Anyone know?

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
• September: Indian corn and pumpkins
• October: Pumpkins and spinner do hickeys
• November: Indian corn and big pumpkins

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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 day everyone,

♥ Mavis

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

Have a Great Day!