My 15 Goals for 2018 : Week 35 of 52

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” ~ Oprah Winfrey 

My goals for 2018

Goal #1 – Write Like No One is Reading.

“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” ~  Barbara Kingsolver

Goal #2 – Slow Down

For two days in a row this past week it was 95 degrees outside and about 90% humidity. All I can say is thank goodness for Ken Burns documentaries. 😉 The are the best way to slow down and learn something at the same time.

Goal #3 – Shop Small

This week at our local recycling center I picked up 3 children books, 3 magazines and a wooden stand that’s missing a leg on the bottom. I think I’ll have the HH pop the legs off the bottom and attach them to the middle shelf and then the stand will be the prefect size to set jam on at our little vegetable stand at the end of our driveway.

Goal # 4 – Have a Designated Meal Prep Day

I think I’m going to try this out again and see if the HH and I can do this in October.

Goal #5 – Install a Vegetable Garden

The vegetable garden is in and doing well. The past few days the temps have been in the 70’s though so we’ve been out front working on cleaning up the end of our driveway by removing brush and repairing the rock wall. I think we worked outside for a solid 6 hours yesterday and it felt good. Although today, I’m pretty sore.

Goal #6 – Clear Land for a Chicken Coop and Future Raised Garden Bed Area 

Work on the chicken run has come to a halt. Shocking, I know. Maybe this week the HH will get a gate up? Maybe some wire if I’m lucky?

Goal #7 – Grow 500 Pounds of Vegetables

Our tomatoes are starting to taper off, but these bumble bee tomatoes I started from seed this spring keep on producing. If you have never tried them before, you may want to add them to your seed list for next year as they have become one of our new favorites.  In case you missed it, you can find the results of our last weigh in are HERE.

Goal #8 – Hook 100 Rugs

I only have 19 more rugs to hook before I can check this goal off my list! This past week I worked on another batch of sunflowers and another bee pillow that I should have ready for my next Etsy update on September 15th.

Last Saturday I updated my Etsy Shop with a bunch of new hooked rugs and an enormous stack of 1/4 cuts {bundles actually} of wool. I love selling on Etsy and I’m looking forward to being able to get more hooking time in this winter once the temps drop and the garden has been put to be for winter.

Goal #9 – Make a Set of Dolls

A few days ago LL Bean had their Women’s Soft Cotton Rugby tops on sale for $22 each {on clearance plus I used the additional 25% off coupon} and they came with an extra button. As soon as I spotted the extra buttons I immediate knew they’d make the PERFECT eyes for the one of the dolls I plan to make this winter. 😉

Goal #10 – Make a Sampler, Frame it and Hang it on the Wall Done!

Goal #11 – Visit 22 Bakeries

I’ve still got a few bakeries on my list I want to squeeze in but you can see all the bakeries we’ve been to HERE.

Goal #12 – Start a Collection

Nothing new to add to the collection this week.

Goal #13 – Read {or listen to} 26 Books

This past week I’ve been listing to Debbie Macomber’s book Cottage by the Sea on audiobook.

Goal #14 – Try 12 New Canning Recipes

This week we canned a few jars of tomato sauce and a batch of apple cider butter {I’l post the apple cider butter recipe on Tuesday}. Although my original goal was to try 12 new canning recipes, so far out of the 8 recipes we’ve canned this year, only 3 have been new ones. Funny how that happens.

• Tomato Sauce
• Carrot Cake Jam
• Spiced Peach {Crazy good!!!}
• Blueberry Jam {without the mint}
• Pickled Beets {without the funky spices}
• Cherry Almond Jam {freakin’ AWESOME}
• Susan’s Lilac Blossom Jelly

Goal #15 – Secret {for now} Holiday Project

I had a good week experimenting, and next week The Girl and I are going to make a special trip for yet a few more supplies. I had planned on sharing my “secret project” around mid-September but after 42 attempts, I’m still not quite there and well, I can be kind of a perfectionist sometimes. 😉 This is a holiday project after all, and I’ve still got a little time to work out the kinks.

How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2018? How are they coming along?

~Mavis

Read About My 2018 Goals HERE.