My 22 Goals for 2019

Goal #1 — Spend More Time Doing What I Love

Everywhere you look right now it’s just a giant sea of light brown and Lucy just seems to blend into the landscape. 6 weeks from now though, everything will be a nice shade of green and the Garden will be in order and everything will be planted and then we’ll be on maintenance mode until fall.

There is so much to do… but garden prep is one of my favorite things, so you know, I’m HAPPY.

Goal #2 — Garden, Garden, Garden

Last night I got the tomato, pepper and eggplant seeds started plus a few coleus and black eyed Susan seeds as well {I’ll be planting outside on containers once the weather warms up}. I think I set my tomato starts out about a week after Mother’s Day last year so I should be right on schedule.

Goal #3 — Plant an Orchard

Checking out a nursery next week! I’ll be looking for apple, plum, pear and a Meyer lemon tree {I plan to overwinter the lemon tree in the sun room}.

Goal #4 — Gussy Up the Potting Shed Done!

I plan to add a little more bling to it in the coming weeks, but it feels good to have a proper gravel floor, a potting bench and lights in there.

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

I’ll be planting some extra basil seeds later today so I can offer basil starts when we set up our little vegetable stand later this spring. I also made a few extra garden markers for the veggie stand for a little extra variety.

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. 

This past week I hooked 2 more rugs for my Etsy Shop but only 1 of the 2 rugs came from my project bin though but still, I was able to get a few more done so I was happy about that.

I started the year off with:

• 73 rugs {now down to 57}
• 183 hooked flowers {finished 67, now down to 110}
• 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}

I put together 2 new small Rug Hooking kits for my Etsy shop this past week for the peeps who wanted to give rug hooking a try. I’ll also be working creating some new, much larger patterns this month which I am pretty excited about. Once I get all the new patterns drawn up I’m going to try to finish one large rug a month until the end of the year.

New Rug Hooking Patterns I’ve Created And Added to My Etsy Shop This Year:

Goal #8 — Split and Stack 2 Cords of Wood for Next Winter 

Seriously, what is he waiting for? It’s not like I can be trusted to use a chain saw. I’m just the person who splits and stacks stuff.

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

I still have 9 months, right?

Goal #10 –Lose the Muffin Top

Working theory:  Muffy will just fall off during gardening season.

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

I found a 5k race for May. Also, I wish I didn’t make this one of my goals for this year.

Goal #12 — Read or Listen to 26 New Books

Last week I listened to Secrets of a Charmed Life and loved the story and sailed through it in 2 days! I didn’t listen to any new books this past week {I added a few more to my library list though} but I did listen to a How I Built This podcast with Roxanne Quimby. I liked the podcast so much, I listened to it twice to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

It was nice to hear the other side of the story. And I absolutely love the contrast of different personality types and stories that get featured on the How I Built This podcast. Some of the entrepreneurs on there sound so polished, like they are doing a sales pitch, like their business is the most fascinating thing out there {the Au Bon Pain guy and Stitch Fix lady comes to mind}, while others, are just so down to earth, kind of reserved and just tell it like it is. No frills, just … this is how it happened.

I am waiting my turn on the library wait list for the following audio books:

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

Goal #13 — Try 52 New Recipes.

8 down, 44 recipes to go.

No new recipes this past week but the HH has 2 new ones he wants to try next week.

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

Seven recipes down, 45 to go. I need to get going on this goal. I thought I would have been at the half way point by now.

Goal #15 — Fill 100 Canning Jars

4 down, 96 to go.

So far this year I’ve I canned 4 jars of Almond Pears.

Goal #16 — Finish Furnishing Our House

We didn’t come across any furniture we wanted to buy this week but I did pick up a few more vases from the recycle center that I will use for sunflower bouquets this summer at out vegetable stand. I also snagged 2 kraft boxes which I have no idea what I’m going to do with.

Furniture pieces I’m still on the hunt for:

• Coffee table for the family room
• Console, cupboard or sideboard for the one and only tv in our house which is in the family room. I could totally live without a television, but my husband says the tv stays.
• Long rectangular table for the craft room.
• Table for the formal dining room {We moved the kitchen table to the dining room and so mow we are looking for a table for the kitchen/keeping room area}.
• 2 wing back chairs for the family room.
• I’d also like to decorate the mantel in the keeping room as well as put up some sort of decoration above the other 3 fireplaces in the house. I’m not one for a lot of things on the walls, but it would be nice to throw up a little pilgrim bling on the plaster.

Goal #17 – 52 Dates with the HH {9 down, 43 to go}

I ditched the HH this past week and went on a date day with my buddy Heather. I’ll tell you all about it on Tuesday.

Goal #18 — Take One Adult Education Class 

I have signed up for 2 adult educations classes that I’ll be taking in May. One I’m keeping a secret for now {I’m taking that one with a neighbor} and the other class is a wooden spoon carving class that my buddy Heather from Massachusetts and I are going to take.

Plus, I might add a third class to my list, but I won’t know for sure until Monday when I go talk to the person hosting the class.

Goal #19 — Secret {for now} Holiday Project 

I decided to ditch my first idea. Then thought I had a really good replacement idea, but that’s where it stands…. still in my head. I suspect for the next 6 weeks I’ll be spending every ounce of free time outside and working in the garden and won’t have time to explore my idea. But that’s okay…. As long as I hit my goal of having my holiday project completed by the beginning of September, I’ll be happy.

Goal #20 — Create 12 Wowie Zowie Party Platters

3 down 9 to go. Without a doubt, the party platter for Easter is going to involve some CANDY. And the more the merrier I say.

Goal #21 — Visit 12 General Stores

2 down 10 to go and with a little luck, I’ll be able to knock store #3 off my list next week on date day.

So far this year we’ve visited:

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

As soon as the giant carrot I made for the front door comes down {after Easter} I’ll be working on making a few hanging baskets to hang by the front and side doors. A neighbor gave us the one pictured above last summer and I’d like to try and recreate {I saved the container} or to make one from scratch myself.

it It’s been YEARS since I’ve made a hanging basket…. Do you have any ideas of what plants my do well in one? If so, I’d love it if you chimed in.

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

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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!

Mavis

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

Have a Great Sunday!