goals for the week {a day late!}

Posted on December 24, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Hiiiiii friends! Wow, can you believe that tomorrow is already Christmas Eve? Time is flowing by crazy-fast! This past week has I think been one of the busiest weeks of my entire life. One of those weeks where every day feels packed-to-the-brim with important, meaningful stuff.

I’ve been able to meet up with a number of dear friends for coffee dates and dinner dates and hiking dates … special time to talk-talk-talk and catch up with people I love and don’t get to see nearly enough. The fam and I watched some of our favorite holiday movies: Serendipity, Love Actually, and It’s a Wonderful Life. {<– my all-time favorite movie EVER.} I was honored to teach writing workshops at three separate schools {one elementary school, one middle school, and my alma mater high school} in addition to my Winter Writing Camp on Saturday. Nothing inspires me quite like being in a room full of young writers writing!

In addition to all of this, we celebrated my brother’s birthday yesterday {happy 24 Gregburn! I love you!} and threw an absolutely lovely and fun bridal shower for my cousin Julie. Plus the typical holiday cookie-baking, card-writing, present-wrapping, etc! Here are some photos from my week:

The girls with Gramps before Julie’s bridal shower.

I made two dozen cupcakes for Julie’s shower … a dozen chocolate with peanut butter frosting, and a dozen red velvet with cream cheese frosting!

Murray lovin’!

Brothers!

And now … on to my goals!

Here’s how I did on my goals for the week of 12/15:
– write 10 pages of new material {yeah, this didn’t even come close to happening this week…}
– take cookies & cards to the nursing home {doing this tomorrow!}
– ~~exercise at least twice~~
– finish reading The Tea Rose {less than 100 pages left}
– ~~order holiday cards~~
– ~~teach a fantastic Winter Writing Camp~~
– ~~throw a wonderful bridal shower for my cousin Julie~~
– ~~connect with two friends~~

And here are my goals for this week:
– soak up time with my family and friends!
– journal/reflect on this past year
– set my goals for 2014, wooooohoooo!

I’ll be back tomorrow with the week 51 year of kindness challenge!

This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday.

year of kindness challenge: week 50

Posted on December 18, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

I am a little in awe of the fact that it’s already Wednesday, and just one week until Christmas! My past couple days have flown by so fast, it feels like some calendar squares simply disappeared. Anyone else feeling this way??

At least my days have been jam-packed with good stuff… teaching writing workshops at local schools, long walks and catch-ups with friends, cooking dinner for my family, sorting through and delivering donated books as part of my annual Holiday Book Drive {more on that later this week}… I’ve been collapsing into bed by 10 p.m. and sleeping like a rock!

Last week’s kindness challenge was to give a warm drink to a toll-booth worker, newspaper delivery person, or your mailman/mailwoman. I brought hot chocolate to the people working the security gate in my grandparents’ neighborhood. They were so surprised and appreciative, and it made me smile the rest of the day.

The Week 50 Kindness Challenge is to donate a toy or book to a child in need this holiday season, and/or to drop off a donation at a local animal shelter.

As always, blog about your experiences and include your links in the comments section below, or feel free to send me an email at dallaswoodburn AT gmail DOT com.

Have a marvelous week!
❤ Dallas

P.S.: Head on over to this Year of Kindness Challenge page to see all the archived posts from the previous 49 weeks!

Questions of the day:

How do you find zen in the midst of such a crazy-busy time of year?
What acts of kindness happened in your life this past week?

goals + cookie recipes for the week of 12/15

Posted on December 15, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Happy Sunday! I can’t believe it’s the beginning of another week … and that Christmas is only ten days away! I hope that your holiday season has an abundance of joy and laughter, and a minimum of stress.

I’m back home with my family for the holidays and it is soooo nice! On Friday night I went with my mom to her office holiday party, and we had a blast. They set up a “casino night” and we spent a large chunk of the evening playing black jack. It was my first time playing black jack, but luckily the dealer was very sweet and gave me hints about what I should do. {Apparently that doesn’t happen in Vegas! Haha.}

I’ve been busy preparing for my cousin Julie’s bridal shower next weekend. Longtime blog readers might be experiencing deja vu: last Christmas I threw a bridal shower for Julie’s sister, my cousin Amanda. That party turned out beautifully and a lot of fun was had by all. This year, it’s Julie’s turn!

The rest of the weekend has been spent running errands, wrapping presents, baking, decorating the house for Christmas, watching made-for-TV holiday movies, and goofing around with Mr. Murdog.

Hope you’re having a productive and/or relaxing weekend! Now, on to goals …

Here’s how I did on my goals for the week of 12/1:
– ~~write 15 pages of new material~~
– ~~prepare for Steinbeck Center reading on Wedsnesday~~
– ~~exercise at least twice~~
– ~~finish reading Girls in White Dresses~~ {this book is aaaamazing!}
– order holiday cards
– ~~publicize Winter Writing Camp~~
– ~~connect with two friends~~

Here are my goals for the week of 12/15:
– write 10 pages of new material
– take cookies & cards to the nursing home
– exercise at least twice
– finish reading The Tea Rose
– order holiday cards
– teach a fantastic Winter Writing Camp
– throw a wonderful bridal shower for my cousin Julie
– connect with two friends

And here are some of my favorite holiday treat recipes!
– aunt elaine’s peanut butter blossoms
– mom’s classic chocolate chip cookies
– eggnog cookies w/buttercream frosting
– gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
– gramps’ favorite lemon bars
– reeses pb cup brownies
– chocolate-covered popcorn
– white chocolate pretzels

Questions for the day:

What are you thankful for this holiday season
What are your favorite holiday cookie recipes?
What are your goals for this upcoming week?

year of kindness challenge: week 49

Posted on December 10, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Hi, friends! I feel like it’s been for.ev.er since I’ve written a blog post … this past week has been crazy-busy! But the good kind of crazy, the filled-up-to-the-brim-with-good-things kind:

Last Wednesday I gave a reading at San Jose State as part of my Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative Writing, and it went wonderfully! I feel so grateful and supported by the university. The audience was warm and even laughed at the humorous lines in my story. My dad also drove up from Ventura for my reading and it was so special to have him there!
On Friday, Dad and I went to a talk by Ken Burns, the amazing documentary filmmaker. It was fantastic! I was so moved by Burns’ passion and dedication to history, preservation, art and learning.

This weekend was jam-packed with friend and family time. Nothing like catching up with good friends after some time apart. Plus the gingerbread flavor is back at Starbucks! Bring on the gingerbread chai!
The sermon at church on Sunday was about “surrender.” I’ve been thinking a lot about it the past couple days, and a longer post is coming once I’ve gathered my thoughts together a bit.

And now… on to the kindness!

Last week’s kindness challenge was to help someone put up holiday decorations, write/address holiday cards, or wrap presents. I helped my Grandma get the house all decorated for Christmas {and dusted/swept/cleaned} in preparation for a luncheon party she is hosting on Thursday for her bridge friends. Doesn’t the mantel look nice?

The Week 49 Kindness Challenge is to give a warm drink to a toll-booth worker, newspaper delivery person, or your mailman/ mailwoman. Alternatively, pay the toll for the car behind you in line.

As always, blog about your experiences and include your links in the comments section below, or feel free to send me an email at dallaswoodburn AT gmail DOT com.

Have a joyful week!
– Dallas

P.S.: Head on over to this Year of Kindness Challenge page to see all the archived posts from the previous 48 weeks!

Questions of the day:

What were the highlights of your weekend?
What acts of kindness happened in your life this past week?

mexico vacation recap

Posted on December 4, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Mexico was absolutely beautiful.

It was a relaxing week spent talking and laughing with my mom’s family. I ate tons of fresh seafood, lounged in the sand reading good books, and sampled all kinds of margaritas {including coconut!} Every morning I went for an hour-long power walk on the beach with my mom and my aunt … such a fun workout! I feel so grateful that I got to go on this getaway with my wonderful relatives. It was the perfect pre-holiday battery recharger.

Hope you’re having a wonderful Wednesday! 🙂

Questions of the morning:

What has been a memorable vacation you’ve taken?
What is a dream vacation spot for you?

year of kindness challenge: week 48

Posted on December 3, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Hi everyone! Hope your week is off to a good start!

Someone gave me an article from the latest issue of O: The Oprah Magazine called “The Do-Gooder’s Guide to Better Health” that claims “practicing philanthropy is one of the surest steps you can take toward a happy, healthy life.” The article cites studies showing that acts of kindness lead to a longer lifespan, greater happiness, better pain management, and lower blood pressure. Woo-hoo!

Last week’s kindness challenge was to brighten someone else’s Thanksgiving. My family hosted a bunch of my brother’s friends from business school; most of them were far from home and had nowhere else to go. They were so grateful! I also sent cards to a dozen of my friends letting them know how thankful I am to have them in my life.

The Week 48 Kindness Challenge is to help someone put up holiday decorations, write/address holiday cards, or wrap presents. Do you know a busy parent or perhaps an elderly neighbor who could use an extra hand? My friend Jewell used to need help addressing her holiday cards because her hands shook from her medications. Another idea: go to a mall or shopping center and offer to wrap gifts for free!

As always, blog about your experiences and include your links in the comments section below, or feel free to send me an email at dallaswoodburn AT gmail DOT com.

Have a joyful week!
– Dallas

P.S.: Head on over to this Year of Kindness Challenge page to see all the archived posts from the previous 47 weeks!

Questions of the day:

What acts of kindness happened in your life this past week?
What are your favorite ways to spread holiday cheer?

thanksgiving + goals for the week of 12/1

Posted on December 1, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Happy December, friends! How was your Thanksgiving? I wanted to take a moment to say how thankful I am for all of YOU. Thank you for your kind comments and emails and “likes” and for taking the time to visit my little corner of the blogosphere. It is a privilege and joy to be part of your lives!

Thanksgiving in the Woodburn household was chaotic and wonderful. A bunch of my brother’s friends from business school came home with him for Thanksgiving dinner, so my mom and I made a TON of food to make sure all those boys got their fill. My favorite Thanksgiving dishes are always the sides: sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries … yum! And don’t forget about the pumpkin pie {leftovers of which I have been eating for breakfast the past few days, not gonna lie!} Everyone was so grateful and complimentary and they all definitely left our house with happy bellies. The house feels quiet now without them, and Mr. Mur-dog is exhausted from all the excitement.

Yesterday I headed over to my cousin Amanda‘s new apartment to watch the USC football game. I brought “lucky” rice krispies treats decorated with USC cardinal-and-gold M&Ms … but unfortunately they weren’t so lucky, as our Trojans lost big-time to rival UCLA. Oh well, you can’t win ’em all! And I still had a lovely catch-up visit with my cousins.

Today has been a relaxing Sunday. I had brunch with Erica and her boyfriend and sister … we made pecan cinnamon bun pancakes = aaaamazing! Now I’m planning to curl up on the couch with Jennifer Close’s Girls in White Dresses. But first, goals!

Here’s how I did on my goals from two weeks ago:
– ~~write 15 pages of new material~~
– ~~submit fellowship application~~
– ~~exercise at least twice~~
– ~~finish reading Happier Endings: a meditation on life and death~~
– ~~connect with two friends~~

Here are my goals for the week of 12/1:
– write 15 pages of new material
– prepare for Steinbeck Center reading on Wedsnesday
– exercise at least twice
– finish reading Girls in White Dresses
– order holiday cards
– publicize Winter Writing Camp
– connect with two friends

Questions for the afternoon:

How was your Thanksgiving?
What are you thankful for in your life?
What are your goals for this upcoming week?

eggnog cookies w/buttercream frosting

Posted on November 30, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is officially beginning to feel like the Christmas season! I saw eggnog at the grocery store yesterday. I am not a straight-up eggnog fan … but eggnog frosting is a different story!

When I saw this recipe on Sweat Pea’s Kitchen for eggnog cookies, I immediately printed it out. Don’t let the cookie-and-frosting combo fool you: these cookies look fancy, but they are super easy to make. And I was blown away by how good they are! Even though I do not consider myself an eggnog drinker, I do now admit to being an eggnog consumer — in cookie form! 🙂

eggnog cookies {yields one dozen}

for the cookies:
1 & 1/8 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup eggnog
1-2 tablespoons rum {optional}

for the eggnog buttercream frosting:

1/8 cup softened butter
1/4 cup eggnog {I used pumpkin flavored eggnog}
1 & 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1-2 teaspoons rum {optional}

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice.

3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat well. Finally, add the eggnog. Batter will be fairly thin.

4. Add the dry ingredients in increments and mix until well-combined.

5. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between the cookies. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes.

6. Allow to cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.

7. While cookies are baking, make the frosting: butter, eggnog, cinnamon, nutmet and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add more eggnog if needed to reach the desired consistency.

8. After cookies are completely cool, ice them with a small spatula or butter knife and sprinkle with ground nutmeg if desired.

These cookies are the perfect holiday treat!

you might also enjoy these holiday cookie recipes:
– two-ingredient pumpkin spice cookies
– aunt elaine’s peanut butter blossoms
– mom’s classic chocolate-chip cookies

year of kindness challenge: week 47

Posted on November 25, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Hola from Mexico! I found a spotty bit of wi-fi access in our hotel lobby so I am hoping I’ll be able to post this real quick before heading back out to the beach with my fam. {A longer recap of our trip with pictures is coming upon our return home!}

This past week’s kindness challenge was to reach out to someone who is going through a tough time and just listen. Often my first impulse is to try to “fix” things, but I’m trying to re-train myself to just listen. Sometimes when you’re sad the best medicine is a kind listening ear. I reached out to a friend who has been a little down lately and it felt good just to be there for her. I hope it helped her feel better to talk things through.

The Week 47 Kindness Challenge is to brighten someone else’s Thanksgiving. Here are some ideas: volunteering to bring Thanksgiving meals to the less fortunate; extending an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner to an acquaintance who is alone; sending cards of love and thanks to your far-flung family and friends; or all of the above!

As always, blog about your experiences and include your links in the comments section below, or feel free to send me an email at dallaswoodburn AT gmail DOT com.

Have a wonderful week! I’m off to go boogie-boarding with my mom. 🙂
– Dallas

P.S.: Head on over to this Year of Kindness Challenge page to see all the archived posts from the previous 46 weeks!

Question of the day:

What kindnesses happened in your life this past week?
What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

year of kindness challenge: week 46

Posted on November 20, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Hi, friends! It is a cozy rainy day up here in northern California. I’m a little behind on the week, still catching up from my whirlwind weekend at home. Today feels so much like Monday to me! I’m hoping to have a productive afternoon “tcb-ing” as my brother says {an acronym he uses for “taking care of business!”} Tomorrow morning, I’ll be heading out again … I’m going to Mexico for a week with my mom’s side of the family to celebrate an early Thanksgiving! We are all super excited.

Last week’s kindness challenge, in honor of Veteran’s Day, was to do something kind for a veteran to show them how much they are appreciated. I’m planning to visit a veteran’s home in the future, but since it was a busy week at home I didn’t have time. Instead, I spent time with my Gramps and thanked some veterans in my church congregation at home.

The Week 46 Kindness Challenge is to reach out to someone who is going through a tough time and just listen. Just be there for them. Often my first impulse is to try to “fix” things, but when we’re sad sometimes the best medicine is a kind listening ear.

As always, blog about your experiences and include your links in the comments section below, or feel free to send me an email at dallaswoodburn AT gmail DOT com.

Have a marvelous week!
– Dallas

P.S.: Head on over to this Year of Kindness Challenge page to see all the archived posts from the previous 45 weeks!

Question of the day:

What kindnesses happened in your life this past week?