Category Archives: goals

goals + meal plan for the week of 10/6

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Hi, friends! How is your weekend going? I’m finally feeling settled into my new life and new routine up in northern California, so I figured it was time to bring back my weekly goals. When my life is in transition, keeping track on here of my weekly goals tends to fall to the wayside. But I do love setting weekly goals and meal plans … it keeps me feeling on-track, centered, and enthusiastic about each new week!

weekly goals

So here we go: my goals for the week of 10/6:
– write 20 pages of new material
– submit to two literary journals
– submit two fellowship applications
– sign up for the GRE exam
– phone dates with three friends
– exercise at least three times

And here are some recipes I’m hoping to try out this week:
– Maple Apple Crisp with Cheddar Crust & Bacon Crumb Topping via The Pajama Chef {hope you’re loving Nashville, Sarah!}
– Easy Slow Cooker Vegetarian Cashew Chili via Wellness Today, from a link I came across on It’s Progression {thanks Danica!}
– Pumpkin Pasta {will probably throw in more veggies this time around … I am loving all the squash in season now!}
– Greek Yogurt Chicken via The Lean Green Bean
– Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies via Chew Out Loud

There you have it! Now it’s your turn: I’d love to hear about your goals and meal plans for this week!

recap of my clutter-busting summer!

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Happy Friday, friends!

This summer — inspired by the Clutter-Busting Challenge hosted this past May by Crystal at Money-Saving Mom, and the amazing Victoria at Snail-Paced Transformations who is continuing to give away, get rid of, or sell 3 things from her home every week this year — I have been on a mission.

My goal: get things out of my house that I no longer need or use, and get them into the hands of people who do need or could use them.

It’s amazing how much STUFF we accumulate, right?? I am not even the biggest shopper, and still I am just floored by the amount of THINGS I manage to bring into my life and into my space. Books, clothes, magazines, papers, flyers, do-dads, mementos, knick-knacks … where do they even come from??

In regards to clutter, this summer has been a perfect storm of sorts. I moved back home into my childhood bedroom, which was still crammed with stuff from high school and from the year I lived at home after graduating college. Plus, I brought home boxes of new stuff I’d accumulated while living in Indiana.

I was determined to slowly sort through everything through the course of the summer and get rid of as much as possible before moving up the Bay Area to begin my Steinbeck Fellowship. Also, as longtime blog readers know, I really don’t like to waste things, not even uber-ribe bananas. So if an item was useful, I didn’t want to just throw it away — my goal was to repurpose or donate as many items as possible!

clutter busting

Three months later, I’m happy to report my room is much cleaner and less cluttered, and I’m feeling more energized as a result! Here is a list of all the things I got rid of this summer, including how I repurposed some items:

  • 3 boxes of books: donated to the local library and the Boys & Girls Club
  • approx. 40 back issues of various magazines: donated to local senior centers and hospitals {just make sure to tear off the address label and any other personal info before donating!}
  • 2 large bags of clothing, including my heavy winter coat and a bunch of scarves: donated to Goodwill
  • 3 lovely little girls dresses, still in great condition, from when I was a little girl: also donated to Goodwill
  • 4 pairs of shoes I never wear: donated to Goodwill
  • 2 large fleece Snuggies that were not being used: repurposed into two handmade no-sew baby blankets for two friends of mine who each welcomed beautiful babies into their families recently
  • 2 outgrown T-shirts: transformed into diy pillows
  • 10 small hotel shampoos and soaps: donated to a local homeless shelter
  • 1 no-longer-used cellphone: donated to a soldier through Cell Phones for Soldiers.
  • 3 large trash bags full of old papers no longer needed: recycled

WOO-HOO! It feels so wonderful to de-clutter! Not only did I physically get rid of a ton of items, I feel like the act of clearing and sorting and donating was emotionally cleansing as well.

mur sleepy

This task was an amazing reminder of what a difference you can make little by little, day by day … I never imagined at the beginning of the summer that I would be able to get rid of so much unnecessary stuff, but slowly and surely I did!

What goals have you been working on this summer? Any fellow clutter-busters out there? I’d love to hear your tips for STAYING de-cluttered — my next task! 🙂

some related posts you might enjoy:
– cleaning out my closet clutter
– tips for selling things on craigslist
– year of kindness challenge: donating clothes
– year of kindness challenge: donating books
– year of kindness challenge: donating toiletries

goals + meal-plan for the week of 8/18

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Happy Sunday, friends! Wow, I can’t believe it is already mid-August! There’s a part of me that wants to hold onto summer as long as possible, and there’s another part of me that has that pre-autumn excitement in my belly! {I LOVE autumn!} The excitement might also be due to the fact that I’m moving in less than a week!! Yep, on Friday I will be driving my little prius up to the bay. This week has already had some “lasts” of the summer: my last Friday volunteering at the Food Pantry; my last Friday Happy Hour margaritas with my parents; and this morning was my last sermon at my amazing hometown church until I’m home for Thanksgiving. Sadness, but also gratitude for the memories and joy for new adventures about to begin!

Of course will miss my family & this little guy a TON!

me and murbur

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– finish rough edits on first half of YA manuscript draft
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– get together with two friends
– create a flyer advertising my tutoring services
– clean out my email inbox {I’ll consider this one half-done}
– volunteer at the Food Pantry
– work-out/do yoga at least three times

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– visit with three friends before I leave
– finish cleaning out my email inbox
– tie up any lose ends at home before I leave
– work-out/do yoga at least three times {including my Weds. zumba date with Emily!}
– have a safe & successful move up to the Bay Area!

Here are some recipes I’m looking forward to making this week:
– rad rainbow raw pad thai via Oh She Glows
– veggie-filled gluten-free lasagna via A Happy Lass
– peanut butter chocolate granola via It’s Progression {perfect road-trip snack!}
– lemon bars for my Gramps
– shrimp & sausage stew

What are your goals and menu plans for this upcoming week?

MPM-Spring
This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday!

goals + meal-plan for the week of 8/11

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Happy Sunday! I can’t believe how quickly this week flew by. I got to enjoy a lot of friend & family time this week, catching up with some old friends I haven’t seen in a while and grabbing brunch with my Gramps … nothing makes me feel loved and happy like nice long conversations with the people I love! Yesterday I taught a successful College & Scholarship Applications Seminar, which was a lot of fun.

On Friday night, my parents and I went to happy hour at an amazing local Japanese restaurant and then we saw the new Woody Allen movie “Blue Jasmine” … it is intense but very good! I thought Cate Blanchet’s performance was absolutely stunning. The only annoying thing was that the person sitting behind my mom kept tapping his foot throughout the entire movie to the jazz score … it  was so distracting! Have you ever had an annoying experience at a movie theater?

Cute doggy photo of the week:
murray on my bed

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– finish rough edits on first half of YA manuscript draft {this got pushed back a little due to preparation for my College & Scholarship Application Seminar}
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– promote my College & Scholarship Application Prep Seminar & teach a successful class on Saturday
– volunteer at the Food Pantry
– work-out/do yoga at least three times

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– finish rough edits on first half of YA manuscript draft
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– get together with two friends
– create a flyer advertising my tutoring services
– clean out my email inbox
– volunteer at the Food Pantry
– work-out/do yoga at least three times {including my Weds. zumba date with Emily!}

Finally, here are some recipes I’m hoping to try this week:
– asian lettuce wraps via The Lean Green Bean
– quinoa black bean burritos w/southwest sauce via The Pajama Chef
– heirloom tomato pesto galette via Two Peas & Their Pod
– s’mores peanut butter bars via Chew Out Loud
– gluten-free chocolate oatmeal cookies

What are your goals & meal plans for the week?

MPM-Spring
This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday!

goals + meal plan for the week of 8/4

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Happy weekend, friends! Hope yours is going splendidly! What have you been up to these first days of August? {Wow, can you believe how fast summer is galloping by??}

My weekend has been lovely and relaxing, filled with the usual weekend stuff: grocery shopping with Mom, cooking and baking, visiting Gramps, long walks with Mr. Mur-dog, church this morning. Also Friday night happy hour margaritas with the fam, fro-yo with extra Reeses toppings, jeans shopping at the mall {something I have been dreading and putting off for weeks, but I reeeaaally needed new jeans, and I emerged victorious with two new pairs of Levis, yippee!} And today we are driving down to USC to visit Greg for an early dinner! I am SO excited to see my brother and give him a ginormous hug! I miss this guy LOADS.

me and gb july 2013

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– finish YA manuscript first draft {I’m counting this one half-done; I still have to go back through the manuscript and make rough edits}
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– transfer all my jotted-down writing notes to the computer
– volunteer at the Food Pantry
– finish craft project that I’m making for Greg {post coming soon!}
– work-out/do yoga at least three times

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– finish rough edits on first half of YA manuscript draft
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– promote my College & Scholarship Application Prep Seminar & teach a successful class on Saturday
– volunteer at the Food Pantry
– work-out/do yoga at least three times {including my Weds. zumba date with Emily!}

Finally, here are some recipes I’m looking forward to trying out this week:
– date-night chicken via PB Fingers
– mediterranean feta dip via The Pajama Chef
– pasta with pancetta & leeks via The Pioneer Woman
– zucchini paleo brownies via Fast Paleo
– cilantro-honey salmon

What are your goals and menu plans for this week?

MPM-Spring
This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday.

goals + meal-plan for the week of 7/28

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Happy Sunday, friends! How is your weekend going so far? Fun and relaxing, I hope! Mine has been full of sunshine and battery-recharging after a busy week! We moved my wonderful brother down to Los Angeles on Thursday; he is starting business school at USC. I’m so proud of him, but I miss him so much already. The house is quiet without him — not that he’s a really noisy person, it just feels emptier when it’s just me and my parents at home. I’m definitely planning to visit him a couple times before I leave for the Bay Area in August!

Before he left, we went out for brunch at our favorite local spot, Allison’s Country Cafe, per our tradition. I love my little bro!

me and gb summer 13

Another highlight of the week was going to a local hot air balloon festival with my parents. It was a beautiful warm evening with good food, music, wine, and great company. Here’s a photo my dad snapped of me and my mama in front of one of the balloons:

me and mom balloon festival

Fun times!

Moving on to goals, here’s how I did on mine from last week:
– finish YA manuscript first draft {this got delayed again … I’m SO close, yet I don’t want to rush through the final couple chapters I have left … hopefully this week!}
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– help Greg move into his new apartment
– volunteer at the Food Pantry {got de-railed this week because of helping to move Greg to Los Angeles}
– read & respond to all submissions in my queue for Sycamore Review
– get in touch with 3 friends and make plans to get together

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– finish YA manuscript first draft
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– transfer all my jotted-down writing notes to the computer
– volunteer at the Food Pantry
– finish craft project that I’m making for Greg {& post about it on here!}
– work-out/do yoga at least three times

Here are some meals I’m looking forward to making this week:
– blueberry buckle via The Pajama Chef
– zucchini bread oatmeal via Oh She Glows
– honey avocado mango salad via Chew Out Loud
– spinach artichoke lasagna via Two Peas & Their Pod
– bbq pulled pork in the crock pot

What are your goals and meal plans for the week? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

MPM-Spring
This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday!

goals for the week of 7/21

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This past week was go-go-go! I didn’t cross off every goal on my list, but I made progress on all of them. And the week was busy with fun social events: my brother and I took my Gramps to see a museum exhibit about Lincoln & the Civil War; I went with my family to a fundraiser and movie screening of the amazing Academy-Award-winning short film Inocente; and last night we all went to the local Art Walk downtown.

with inocente

I also taught another session of my summer writing camp during the weekend. Such a great group of young writers!

Here’s how I did on my goals last week:
– finish YA manuscript first draft {!!!}
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– volunteer at the Food Pantry
– read & respond to all submissions in my queue for Sycamore Review
– take donations to Goodwill
– have a “sibling date”: go out to brunch with Greg

Here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– finish YA manuscript first draft {!!!}
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– help Greg move into his new apartment
– volunteer at the Food Pantry
– read & respond to all submissions in my queue for Sycamore Review
– get in touch with 3 friends and make plans to get together

And here are some recipes I’m hoping to make this week:
– kale pesto pasta via The Pajama Chef
– creamy quinoa salad via A Happy Lass
– coconut ginger curry brown rice bowl via Peanut Butter Fingers
– chocolate spice zucchini muffins
– baked mango with brown sugar & cinnamon

What are your goals & menu plans for this week?

MPM-Spring
This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday.

thoughts on the work-life balance

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I’ve been browsing through my stack of old magazines before I donate them to the local library, and I found an article in the May 2011 issue of The Writer about how to establish a work-life balance in the profession of freelance writing. The article featured interviews with four freelance writers, and many of their thoughts struck me as so wise and true — and applicable to all of us, not just writers! Below I’ve compiled some of my favorite quotes from the article; you can read the entire thing at The Writer archives here.

the writer may 2011

  • “Start small. People think of balance as an all-or-nothing proposition. Remember: You are not going to start an exercise routine in a day. Instead, start with a 15-minute walk. Anyone can take 15 minutes away from their desks. If you are into drawing, spend 15 minutes of your day sketching. Or play with your dog or cat. Experiment with small things.” – Alison Stein Wellner
  • I’ve focused myself on having a life outside of work. I put in a solid five hours of writing a day, unless I have a huge deadline. If I want to take a vacation, I rearrange my schedule and get my assignments done before I go. I find that the more I get out [of my house], the more work I have. I think it is because I am more focused.” – Sue Marquette Poremba
  • “The term ‘balance’ is precarious; I like to say simplify. I am better at simplifying now. I know what I can take on and try to schedule work accordingly. … I try to leave a good portion of my evenings free. I’ll try not to work until late at night. I’ve done this by writing down what I need to do the day before, and that really helps.” – Stephanie Dickison
  • “I think it helps to know how you define success for yourself. Sometimes I do what is called the ‘nursing home test’ with myself. As in: When I am old and gray and living in a nursing home, will I wish that I had taken on an extra copywriting project or made time for a long-weekend camping trip with my friends?” – Michelle Taute

I personally had never heard of the “nursing home test” but I think it is a great way of approaching work-life decisions, especially when I am feeling myself falling back into my work-a-holic tendencies. 

Do you struggle with work-life balance? What are some tips or strategies that work for you?

meal plan & goals for the week of 7/14

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Happy Sunday, friends! Just poppin’ in to share my meal plan and goals for the week!

I was super excited to cross off every single one of last week’s goals, woo-hoo!
– write 2 chapters of my YA manuscript
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– prepare for my Summer Writing Camp
– read first 100 pages of 1984
– volunteer at the Food Pantry
– update my website {you can check it out here: http://dallaswoodburnpr.com}

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:

goals for the week of 7/14
– finish YA manuscript first draft (!!!)
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– volunteer at the Food Pantry
– read & respond to all submissions in my queue for Sycamore Review
– take donations to Goodwill
– have a “sibling date”: go out to brunch with Greg

me and greg

And here are some meals I’m looking forward to trying out this week:
– tilapia with pineapple salsa
– cilantro-lime quinoa with chicken
– this coconut green smoothie via Two Peas & Their Pod
– these quinoa breakfast bars via The Lean Green Bean
– these super easy gluten-free brownies via OrgJunkie

Now I’d love to hear from you! What are your goals for the week? What delicious recipes are on your menu plan?

This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday!
MPM-Spring

meal plan & goals for the week of 7/7

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Happy Sunday, friends! How has your weekend been?

We’ve been enjoying beautiful sunshine and I’ve been soaking up time with my family. We went out for Happy Hour margaritas, rented some movies, grabbed fro yo, and went out to dinner to celebrate my dad’s “streakiversary”: 10 years of running at least 3 miles every.single.day! {You can read more about it on his website — so proud of you, Pops!} I also ran errands with my mom, organized a pile of random papers that has been chillin’ in my room for weeks, and read read read a ton! Lazy weekend reading is my favorite way to relax! 🙂

On Saturday morning we were thrilled to watch on TV as Mike & Bob Bryan won the Wimbledon Mens Doubles Title! If that isn’t exciting enough, the win also means they’ve secured a historic “Gold Slam”: all in a row they won the Gold Medal at the Olympics, the U.S. Open, the Australian Open, the French Open, and now Wimbledon. The Bryan Bros grew up in Camarillo and are dear friends of our family, and we could not be prouder of them! Not only are they world-class athletes, they are also amazingly kind and generous people. Congrats, Bros!!

bros wimbledon

I decided that I want to bring back my Sunday posts about goals + meal plans for the week … I kind of got away from doing them with the craziness of my thesis deadline, graduating from my Master’s program, and moving back home, and I was just thinking about how I miss doing these weekly goal posts. It’s a great way to gear up for the week and keep myself motivated.

So here are my goals for the week of 7/7:
– write 2 chapters of my YA manuscript
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– prepare for my Summer Writing Camp
– read first 100 pages of 1984
– volunteer at the Food Pantry
– update my website

And here are some recipes I’m planning to make this week:
– veggie pasta bake with spinach basil pesto
– turkey enchiladas
– gluten-free oatmeal cookies {recipe coming soon!}
– lemon bars for my Gramps

What are you goals for this week? What’s on your menu plan?

MPM-Spring
This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday!