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

The past few days the temps have been in the 90’s and so Miss Lucy and I have been hunkering down inside and organizing the art studio in our spare time. It’s getting there. Ideally, I’d like to find a long table to put in the center of the room and add maybe one more bookcase to store my bundles of wool. I have a feeling I’ll be spending a lot of time in this room during the winter months.

Goal #3 – Shop Small

I didn’t buy anything exciting this past week, but I did spot a sign for a u-pick strawberry farm down the road so I think maybe later this week we’ll go picking and support our local farmers.

Goal # 4 – Have a Designated Meal Prep Day It’s Not for Us

I threw in the towel early on this one. Meal prep, and cooking in mass quantities is just not for my family at this stage in our lives. Although with the addition of a new freezer, I may have to whip up some new freezer meals. We’ll see.

Goal #5 – Install a Vegetable Garden

The vegetable garden is in place {and will be expanded in the fall} and this week I hung my first bouquet of herbs up in the kitchen to dry. I can’t wait until the onions are ready to harvest so I can braid and hang those up too. Who knows, maybe I’ll even string up some peppers if we have an abundance of them.

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

This month the HH will be building the ladies their full sized chicken coop. He has never built a coop from scratch so it should be interesting. For those of you who live in an area with winters in the freezing temps…. I’d love to know what you do to keep your chickens warm at night.

Goal #7 – Grow 500 Pounds of Vegetables

We just passed the 30 pound mark thanks to all the turnips, beans and chard we harvested this past week {I’ll do a weigh in post soon}. It’s the cucumbers and tomatoes I’m most excited about though. I was planning on growing my own dill for pickling cucumbers this summer but I’m afraid I’ve missed the boat because the back of the seed packet says 60 days, and I have still yet to get the seeds in the ground. Maybe I can just plant another packet of cucumber seeds and have this first batch be for sweet pickles and eating fresh. Yep. I think that’s what I am going to do.

Goal #8 – Hook 100 Rugs

I officially have only 39 rugs left to hook until I can check this goal off my list for the year! Saaaweet! With a little luck, I should be able to knock this goal off my list by the end of October. Yesterday I finished my last American Flag piece and listed this months collection in my Etsy shop.

This was the third month in a row I waited to list a group of items all at once {as opposed to sporadically as I finish them} and I really think I like the whole once a month system better, it’s such a time saver. For the month of July I’ll be working on hooking up various animals, including finishing that massive chicken rug I started back in March.

Goal #9 – Make a Set of Dolls

I plan to make a set {or two} of primitive dolls later this year after the garden has been put to bed.

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

Goal #11 – Visit 22 Bakeries

The Girl and I have plans to checkout a new bakery as well as an ice cream shop this week. Stay tuned!

Goal #12 – Start a Collection

The wooden butter mold collection still stands at one, but the jams and jellies are starting to appear in the hutch so that’s a good sign. Honestly, I just haven’t had the time to go hunting for treasures lately, there’s just so much work to be done around here. I’m beginning to think winter must be a good time to go hunts for antiques.

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

This past week I listened to The Light Between Oceans on audiobook and man was it good. Gut wrenching, but good.  Also, I think I would totally live as an lighthouse innkeepers wife. The isolation, would be amazingly peaceful.

Goal #14 – Try 12 New Canning Recipes

This past week I made Cherry Almond Jam and although it can be a wee bit expensive to make, it’s well worth the price. Jams I’ve made so far this year:

• Cherry Almond Jam
• Susan’s Lilac Blossom Jelly

Goal #15 – Secret {for now} Holiday Project

This past week I was able to spend a few hours on my “secret” holiday project and I’m hoping that by the end of July The Girl and I will have worked out all the kinks. 😉

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

~Mavis

Read About My 2018 Goals HERE.