One Hundred Dollars a Month

“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

I don’t think I could be more excited for fall weather if I tried. The crisp mornings, fires in the wood stove, evening walks, and now the leaves are beginning to change colors. The whole thing makes me giddy.

Goal #3 – Shop Small

Hot dog! I hit the jackpot at the recycle center this week. Two smelly candles {caramel cinnamon roll and raspberry} a brand spankin’ new kimchi kit and an owl lamp for the craft room. All for FREE thanks to the people in our community who would rather offer up their cast offs to their neighbors rather than drop them off at a thrift store or simply toss them in the garbage.

Trash day is truly my favorite day of the week. And, if searching for free treasures wasn’t exciting enough, I hear there is a community clothing shop in town where locals can donate all their unwanted clothing for others in the community to enjoy. For free. Neighbors gifting their unwanted stuff to other neighbors… Does it get any better than that? Reduce, reuse, recycle. You gotta love it.

Goal # 4 – Have a Designated Meal Prep Day

The HH starts his new {work from home} job on Monday, so we are going to give it a go.

Goal #5 – Install a Vegetable Garden Done!

The vegetable garden has long been installed and now our gardening efforts are turning to weeding the GIANT bed in the lower garden before the ground freezes. Once the {awful} orange day-lilies started blooming and the weeds took hold of this area, I sort of gave up on weeding. The goal is to dig up the day-lilies and weeds over the next few weeks and then next spring, lay thick layers of newspaper down {to prevent the weeds from coming back} and then mulch the area for a more park like setting.

Because let me tell you, picking blueberries with a bunch of tall grass and leafy plants nearby {HELLO ticks!} is just too much for me. 😉 I learned A LOT of lessons this summer, and let me tell you Bob, knowledge is power, and next summer, I’m going to rock it. All those ticks, wasps and mosquitoes better stay the heck out of my way. And that’s all I’m going to say about that. For now anyway.

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

And then there were 3… Layers. Yee-Haw. It’s about time, don’t you think? Our seven little chicks arrived way back in early April and they are just now beginning to lay eggs. Each day we go outside to check the nesting boxes and it feels a little like Christmas morning when we see a new egg in the box.

And the coop the HH started building way back when?  He promises that he will get the run finished TODAY {roosting bars included}. But first, he has to watch a formula one race this morning. Sounds fair, right?

Goal #7 – Grow 500 Pounds of Vegetables

I harvested a few potatoes this morning…. And am now in the 400 pounds of produce grown range. 😉 Maybe I WILL hit 500 pounds of homegrown goodness after all. Wouldn’t that be a hoot! You can read my latest garden report HERE.

Goal #8 – Hook 100 Rugs

I finished a pillow this week and am currently working on a turkey rug but other than that, this hooker has been busy dyeing wool all week. 😉 I didn’t add anything new to my Etsy shop but hopefully I’ll have a few items to add for my next shop update on October, 6th. Only 6 rugs to go and I’ll be able to check this baby off my list.

Goal #9 – Make a Set of Dolls

I’ll work on a set this winter.

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

Goal #11 – Visit 22 Bakeries

I have found the BEST gingerbread muffin on the planet in Wakefield, Massachusetts. In case you missed it, I wrote all about it HERE.

Goal #12 – Start a Collection

No goodies this week but I did spy one of Mrs. HB’s favorite things. 🙂

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

I picked up a copy of Martha’s Vineyard, Isle of Dreams from the library last week but so far, I’ve only read to page 55. Not because I don’t want to read the story, but it seems like I’ve been up late every night this week and by the time I crawl into bed, I can only manage a few pages before my eyes start feeling heavy and I fall asleep.

Goal #14 – Try 12 New Canning Recipes

I still haven’t got around to canning applesauce! Things have been a little nuts around here lately but it is on my list. And, if I’m going to be able to check this goal off my list by the end of the year, I better get crackin’. 😉

So far this year I’ve canned:

• Apple Cider Butter
• 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

Less than a week to go until the big reveal!!! It seems like I’ve been working on this project FOREVER and not only am I excited to show you what I’ve been up to all summer, but I’m so excited to tell you how the whole thing came about and has evolved over the past few months into something I hadn’t intended on. I’ll tell you all about it on October 6th,

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

~Mavis

Read About My 2018 Goals HERE.