goals for the week of 2/16

Posted on February 17, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Hi everyone! How was your weekend? Mine was busy with lots of fun things … time with family, friends, church, shopping, reading and writing! On Saturday I had an amazing time in San Francisco participating in the Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt. Have any of you done an “urban sleuthing adventure” before? This one is an annual scavenger hunt that happens on the day of the Chinese New Year parade in San Francisco. The hunt takes you all around Chinatown and North Beach looking for clues, competing against the other teams to solve mental puzzles and test your observation skills. It was such a unique, fun way to explore the city and see the parade at the same time! And our team did great, solving 12 out of the 16 clues before we ran out of time. Woo hoo! Afterwards we went to a Mediterranean restaurant for dinner, enjoying excellent food and conversation. Definitely one of my favorite experiences since moving up here in August!

Today the long weekend fun continues: we are celebrating my beautiful aunt Mary’s birthday. She is such an amazing person, so full of laughter and love. She tells the best stories, always builds people up with encouragement and support, and inspires so many kids every day as a middle school English & History teacher. I’m so proud to be her niece.

My Mom, Aunt Annie, and Aunt Mary

Happy birthday Mary!! We love you!

Now, on to goals…

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– ~~write 10 pages~~
– finish new short story I’m working on {This goal seems to keep being put on the back-burner. Maybe my story needs to percolate more before I put the words down on paper…}
– go to two yoga classes {I did yoga on my own, but only made it to one class because I took a friend to her doctor’s appointment on Thursday, during the time I normally go to back-to-back yoga classes. I’ll have to make it up this week!}
– ~~complete two chapters of copyediting project~~
– ~~submit to the I Am: Twenty-Seven project~~
– ~~send in final fellowship application~~
– ~~finish reading Power Ballads by Will Boast~~
– ~~connect with three friends~~

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– write 10 pages
– prepare for new tutoring job
– go to two yoga classes
– finish copyediting project
– begin reading The Empty House by Nathan Oates
– connect with three friends

Questions of the morning:

What are your goals for this upcoming week?
What have been your highlights of this weekend?

goals for the week of 2/2

Posted on February 2, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! I hope you have fun plans for today. I’m off to church soon, but before I go … it’s goals time! 🙂

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– ~~write 10 pages~~
– finish new short story I’m working on
– ~~go to two yoga classes~~ {I made it to three!}
– ~~complete two chapters of copyediting project~~ {It was a great copyediting week… I made it through four chapters!}
– finish reading all of the old Narrative Stories of the Week in my email inbox {read five of these stories + got into two excellent short story collections, Orientation by Daniel Orozco and Power Ballads by Will Boast}
– ~~connect with three friends~~

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– write 10 pages
– finish new short story I’m working on
– go to two yoga classes
– mail Valentines
– complete two chapters of copyediting project
– start final fellowship application, due Feb. 28
– finish reading all of the old Narrative Stories of the Week in my email inbox and Orientation by Daniel Orozco
– connect with three friends

Questions of the morning:

What are your goals for this upcoming week?
What have been your highlights of this weekend?

fabulous friday #10

Posted on January 31, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Happy Friday, friends! Hope you have some fun plans on the horizon! I am pretty dang excited for the weekend. Tonight I’m going to see best-selling YA author Veronica Rossi give a talk at a local bookstore. On Saturday I’m reuniting with my lovely friend Dana for a walk at the reservoir & lunch afterwards — we haven’t seen each other for a few weeks and I can’t wait to catch up! And Sunday I’m going to church, meeting up with a friend for coffee … and of course watching the Super Bowl! The one time all year where the commercials are actually my favorite part 🙂 My aunt is having a big party at her house which will undoubtedly be a good time.

Here are 5 things I’m loving right now:

1. Spontaneous trips to the park. It’s been gorgeous weather here this week, and when I spent the day with my cousins Makena & Bianca earlier this week we went over to the neighborhood park to take advantage of the sunshine. I love swinging on swings! And isn’t this tree beautiful?

2. Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED talk on creativity. A friend first shared this link with me a couple years ago, and after someone mentioned it at church this week I watched it again. So inspiring! I especially love this quote:

3. Trader Joe’s! I can’t get enough of this store. I have lately been addicted to their kale & shredded broccoli chicken salad, edamame hummus, and butter shortbread cookies with chocolate in the middle. {No, I did not take home this entire stash, but I wanted to!}

4. This song, “Giddy Up” by Dragonette. My brother posted it on my Facebook wall and it is my new morning jam! Such a rousing way to start the day.

5. Soaking up time with my super-fun cousins. This week I’ve gotten to spend lots of time with these beautiful girls and it’s been so great! Last night Arianna and I had a total girly night: pizza, watching 17 Again, doing face masks, talking about boys. It was wonderful! I feel so blessed that my cousins are not just cousins, they are truly my friends, too 🙂

Questions of the day:

What are you loving right now?
Do you have fun plans for the weekend?
Are you going to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday?

goals for the week of 1/26

Posted on January 26, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

First off…

Today is my dear cousin’s “sweet sixteen” birthday and we are all getting together as a family tonight to celebrate. Last night I got to help chaperone/drive a bunch of her friends as part of her birthday party. It was a blast and I felt happy to be a part of it!

This weekend has been filled with lots of great friends & family time and lots of time spent outdoors taking advantage of the gorgeous sunny weather we’re being blessed with {even though we are all praying for rain … California needs rain very badly!} Yesterday I went hiking and out to lunch with new friends Emy & Sam, and today I checked out a food truck fair with some old friends I hadn’t seen in a while. Have any of you been to a food truck gathering before? It was my first time, and I was impressed by the variety and quality of the offerings! I had gourmet spaghetti & meatballs and a decadent s’mores cupcake. Then stopped by Trader Joe’s on my way home to pick up some nom noms for the week … and now here we are, Sunday afternoon already!

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– ~~write 10 pages~~
– ~~go to two yoga classes~~ {I made it to three!}
– ~~complete two chapters of copyediting project~~
– finish reading all of the old Narrative Stories of the Week in my email inbox {I underestimated how many stories I had in my inbox! Got through quite a few, but still have more to go! These are some great reads.}
– ~~connect with two friends~~ {It was a terrific week for feeling connected with friends, by phone and in person! I’m always happier when I make this a priority in my life.}

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– write 10 pages
– finish new short story I’m working on
– go to two yoga classes
– complete two chapters of copyediting project
– finish reading all of the old Narrative Stories of the Week in my email inbox
– connect with three friends

Questions of the morning:

What are your goals for this upcoming week?
What have been your highlights of this weekend?

This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday!

gorgeous day in san francisco with erica

Posted on October 17, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Erica and I had a wonderful time exploring San Francisco on Tuesday! We lucked out with absolutely beautiful weather — gotta love the autumn sunshine — and had the best time walking around and window-shopping … and of course taking advantage of the amazing food options. Why hello there, sourdough crust tomato basil pizza and warm brownie Ghiradelli fudge sundae!

And look at this adorable sourdough bread lobster riding on the ginormous tail of a giant sourdough bread alligator …

We rode the famous cable cars from the Powell Street BART station down to Fisherman’s Wharf and walked all around the waterfront. As promised in my blog post yesterday, here are some snapshots from our day!

My favorite photo of the day was definitely this last one … can you tell why??

Photobombed by a baby!!! Classic. Every time I look at this picture it cracks me up!

I miss Erica a ton, but I’m so grateful that she was able to get a few days off work to come visit me. Only a month until I’ll be back home for Thanksgiving and we’ll have one of our famous 3-hour Simone’s cafe catch-up chats.

Hope you’re having a terrific Thursday, friends! 🙂

year of kindness challenge: week 41

Posted on October 16, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Hi everyone! Hope your week is going well. My dear Erica left this morning to head back home … we had the best visit! I can’t believe how fast time flew by while she was here. Tomorrow I’ll upload some pictures from our amazing day in the city yesterday, but here is a sneak peak:

Sea lions hanging out in the sunshine off Pier 39! They were playing and barking like crazy. What a bunch of goofballs! They reminded me of Mr. Murbur and brought the biggest smile to my face!

I also snapped a pic of this wise quote, which I spotted on a bag in a shop window, because I think it is so true:

Here’s an article I came across via Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean — it’s a short read on kindness and the benefits of giving: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mequilibrium/benefits-of-giving_b_3818016.html

This past week’s kindness challenge was to return someone else’s cart to the front of the grocery store the next time you go shopping. I returned carts in the parking lots of Safeway and CVS. It only took an extra two minutes of my time, but it made me feel very helpful.

The Week 41 Kindness Challenge is inspired by the above Huffington Post article, and is to advocate for someone, particularly someone younger or newer or just starting out on their career path. Reach out to a new colleague or intern. Make a phone call or send an email on someone’s behalf. Introduce two people who might be able to learn from or help each other. Send an email praising someone to their boss. Take the time to give feedback or advice to someone who could learn from you. Be a mentor or a sounding board.

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.

Now I’m off to do some writing in the sunshine. What has been a highlight of your week so far?

❤ Dallas

———————————

year of kindness archives:
– week 1 challenge: donate items to those in need
– week 2 challenge: leave quarters & note at laundry machine
– week 3 challenge: write & send a kind handwritten note
– week 4 challenge: give hot chocolate to someone outside in the cold
– week 5 challenge: do something kind for a neighbor
– week 6 challenge: deliver valentines to a nursing home
– week 7 challenge: donate to a food pantry
– week 8 challenge: donate toiletries to a shelter
– week 9 challenge: post a kind note in a public place
– week 10 challenge: do something kind for a child
– week 11 challenge: thank someone in a genuine & meaningful way
– week 12 challenge: deliver baked goods to a fire station
– week 13 challenge: give someone flowers
– week 14 challenge: donate books
– week 15 challenge: reach out and spend time with people
– week 16 challenge: smile at everyone you meet
– week 17 challenge: pick up litter/trash
– week 18 challenge: write a kind note to a mom figure in your life
– week 19 challenge: leave an extra-generous tip
– week 20 challenge: donate blood/join bone marrow registry
– week 21 challenge: visit a cemetery and pay respect
– week 22 challenge: practice a little patience
– week 23 challenge: call 3 loved ones on the phone
– week 24 challenge: do something kind for a senior citizen
– week 25 challenge: pay for someone’s public transportation
– week 26 challenge: volunteer at a food pantry or soup kitchen
– week 27 challenge: send a care package to someone in the military
– week 28 challenge: give at least one compliment every day
– week 29 challenge: do a favor for someone else
– week 30 challenge: scatter lucky pennies around a playground
– week 31 challenge: mail an empowering postcard
– week 32 challenge: plant something
– week 33 challenge: donate school supplies
– week 34 challenge: give a sandwich to a homeless person
– week 35 challenge: compliment a salesperson to their manager
– week 36 challenge: leave positive feedback
– week 37 challenge: do a household kindness
– week 38 challenge: let someone go ahead of you in line
– week 39 challenge: write a kind note to a former teacher
– week 40 challenge: return shopping carts

fun sunday in san francisco

Posted on September 29, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Hi friends! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! I ventured into San Francisco by myself for the first time today, and it was so much fun! The sun was out and the day was beautiful. It was an easy trip in — all I did was drive 10 minutes to the BART station, hop on the train and ride for 40 minutes, and then I was in the city! I love public transit!

My excuse for making a trip into San Francisco was a reading that my new writer friend Vanessa was giving at the famous City Lights bookstore in Jack Kerouac Alley. She did fantastic!

Afterwards I spent a blissful half hour browsing through the bookstore’s three book-crammed floors. I could happily live in a bookstore!

It was a lovely day walking around, taking in the sights and people-watching! I’m looking forward to making another trip into the city again soon!

Have you been to San Francisco? Any sights/shops/restaurants to recommend?

the t.swift concert + my celebrity starbucks encounter

Posted on September 22, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Last night, Holly and I headed into downtown Nashville to see our girl Taylor Swift in concert!

It was an amazingly fun night! Holly and I have loved T.Swift since college and we have gone together to two of her concerts before, so she is a special thread in the fabric of our friendship. The Nashville crowd was friendly and cheerful — my kind of people! It was the last show of the entire “Red” tour so there was an extra charge in the air. Hunter Hayes was a special guest; he came onstage and played his new song I Want Crazy, which I love. I had the best time singing and dancing with Holly to all of our favorite songs! Taylor even played some songs from her previous albums, which felt like a surprise treat. The entire concert lasted more than three hours, but it felt like it flew by in a flash. Here are some of my favorite snaps from the night:

That last picture was taken right before we left the house and I think it captures our friendship so well!

Before T.Swift came onstage, there were two warm-up acts: Casey James and Ed Sheeran. Holly and I both like Ed Sheeran’s radio hits, but I think we were even more excited for Casey James. American Idol fans might remember Casey from a few years back … neither Holly nor I are huge American Idol people, but the season Casey was on we both got sucked in for whatever reason. It was the year after we’d graduated from college and we were living halfway across the country from each other, but we watched American Idol every week and talked often about our favorite contestants. Holly was always a huge Casey fan, and especially loved his shoulder-length curly hair; I thought he was pretty cute but that he’d be even cuter if he cut his hair. (I’ve always been attracted to guys with short hair!) He became an inside-joke celebrity crush between the two of us.

Flash forward to last week, when Holly texted me with the exciting news that Casey James was going to be one of T.Swift’s opening acts! It felt like a gift from the concert gods just for us.

But the excitement doesn’t end there. On Friday morning Holly headed off to class and I went to the Starbucks right next to Vanderbilt to write. I was standing in line, not paying the slightest attention who was around me because all my energy was focused on trying to decide whether I should try the new chocolate chai latte or stick with my tried-and-true regular chai latte {I ended up sticking with my regular go-to… has anyone tried the chocolate chai? How is it??} I ordered and paid for my drink, and then the barista lit up with a smile and said, “Hi there, Casey! What can I get for you this morning?”

I turned, and there he was, standing right behind me — Casey James! All I could think was, “Why is Holly not here with me???”

He ordered a bunch of drinks, including a particularly fancy one that I like to think was for T.Swift herself. Then we both stood by the counter waiting for our drinks. The Starbucks was relatively empty and nobody else seemed to recognize him. I was torn between star-struck shyness and the knowledge that if I didn’t at least say hello, I would kick myself later. So I summoned my courage and said to him, “Not to be weird or anything, but I just wanted to let you know that I am a big fan of your music.” {His song Crying on a Suitcase is one of my favorites! So good!}

He flashed me a big smile and said, “Thank you so much!” I told him that Holly and I were going to the concert on Saturday and asked how the Thursday night show had been. We talked for a good five-to-ten minutes while we waited for our drinks. He could not have been nicer or more down-to-earth. I was a Casey James fan before, and I’m definitely an even bigger fan of his now. It was so neat to see him playing at the concert last night. He was fantastic!

After the show, Holly and I walked around downtown and stopped at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville for drinks before heading home. It has recently been pointed out to me that I drink out of a straw in the side of my mouth … does anybody else do this, or is it just me?

Anyway, it was a truly incredible night and I am so grateful that I got to experience the concert with Holly! Now we’re soaking up the final hours of my visit before I catch a flight back to the Bay Area tomorrow morning. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

my first time doing zumba!

Posted on August 2, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

On Wednesday, I went to my first-ever zumba class after my friend Emily invited me to join her at a local dance studio. I had never tried zumba before, though I had heard plenty of great things about it. All I knew was that it was supposed to be fast-paced, fun, and involved dancing.

I was a little nervous {and a lot intimidated} because while I enjoy dancing with groups of friends, I’ve never had much rhythm. Pretty much the only dancing I do on a regular basis is morning pajama dancing with Mr. Mur-dog:

Have any of you done zumba before? Any zumba novices like me out there? Here are some questions I had before my first zumba class, followed by answers based on my experience:

What is zumba?
Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance-fitness program that blends red-hot international music and fun, heart-pumping dance steps to form a “fitness-party.” The website of the local zumba center I attended has a great breakdown of the different types of zumba: http://venturazumba.com/ventura-zumba-about/

What should I wear to do zumba?
I wore capri yoga pants, a sports bra and t-shirt, and running shoes. Wearing some sort of athletic shoes is a must, and I would also advise you wear clothes that you feel comfortable in! You will get HOT and sweat a lot! Some other participants were wearing shorts and one woman wore a loose-fitting skirt.

What if I don’t know any of the dance moves?
Many of the dance moves were super easy to catch on to. You can also look up zumba videos on youtube if you want to do a little research before you go! The inevitable times in class when I felt a little lost, I just danced in place myself. The important thing is to keep moving, keep smiling, and keep having fun! After class, Emily and I asked the instructor for clarification on a couple moves we were confused about. She sweetly showed us, and she said that the easiest way to learn all the moves is to keep coming to class — you get better and more comfortable each week.

What if I feel self-conscious about dancing?
This was what I was most worried about — I’m ~~a little bit~~ a lot awkward on the dance floor, and I was worried that I would totally embarrass myself {not to mention my friend Emily!} and feel self-conscious the whole time. I pictured myself turning the wrong way and bumping into people. But once the class started, I didn’t feel self-conscious at all. Everyone is so focused on their own moves and on the instructor that nobody is paying attention to your dance moves. I tried to copy what the instructor was doing, and in my own pretty little head I was busting moves like Beyonce!

Is zumba a good workout?
YES! Your heart is pumping, your muscles are working, you are sweating like crazy! In the class I went to, we did a ton of squats as well as dance moves that worked our arms and shoulders. I woke up and was so sore the next morning! Definitely a sign of a good workout. Plus, the time flew by — it was the most fun I’ve had working out in a long time.

If you try a zumba class and aren’t thrilled, my advice would be to try again with a different instructor. {Actually, that would be my advice for any type of exercise class you try out!} I felt comfortable with our instructor immediately — she was funny, high-energy, and very encouraging. She also created a very welcoming space for beginners so it was the perfect class for me. Emily has done zumba before, and she said some of the other instructors are more fast-paced or less explanatory; every instructor has their own style. I feel like I lucked out on the ideal instructor for me.

Em and I have set a weekly zumba date for Wednesday mornings. I’m already looking forward to next week!

Happy Friday, everyone! Be kind to yourself and do something fun today!

goals for the week of 7/21

Posted on July 21, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

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.

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?

This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday.

Day-By-Day Masterpiece

Tag Archives: fun

goals for the week of 2/16

Questions of the morning:

goals for the week of 2/2

Questions of the morning:

fabulous friday #10

Here are 5 things I’m loving right now:

Questions of the day:

goals for the week of 1/26

Questions of the morning:

gorgeous day in san francisco with erica

year of kindness challenge: week 41

fun sunday in san francisco

the t.swift concert + my celebrity starbucks encounter

my first time doing zumba!

goals for the week of 7/21