goals for the week of 3/16

Posted on March 16, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Hi everyone! Hope you’re having a lovely weekend so far! I’m heading out to drop off my friend Michelle at the airport {I’m going to miss her a LOT while she’s gone the next three weeks for a work training! boo!} and then I’m heading out for lunch with this lovely lady and our men to try a new-to-me burger place called The Counter. Apparently they give you a clipboard and you get to select from all different choices of meat, cheeses, and toppings to build your own perfect burger. Here’s predicting there will be guacamole involved in my order. {And, knowing me, there will probably be guac on my face as well.}

But before I take off … it’s goals time!

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– write 15 pages {perhaps 15 was a bit too ambitious, but I did write a solid 10 pages, so I’m still counting it a win!}
– ~~submit three pieces to journals~~
– ~~go to two yoga classes~~ {I made it to three, hooray!}
– ~~finish reading The Empty House by Nathan Oates~~
– ~~connect with three friends~~
– ~~take Arianna out for a coffee date~~

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– write 12 pages
– submit essay to Chicken Soup for the Soul
– go to two yoga classes
– finish reading through three lit journals from my AWP stash
– connect with three friends
– have a wonderful visit with my dad and Greg!!

Aaaaand, bringing back the meal planning… here are some recipes I’m drooling over this week:
– black bean quinoa enchilada bake & spinach artichoke quinoa bake via Two Peas & Their Pod
– paleo peppermint doughnuts w/coconut frosting via Davida @The Healthy Maven
– strawberry chocolate-chip cookie bars via Sarah @The Pajama Chef
– pretty much all of these things rounded up by Robyn @the real-life rd

Questions of the morning:

What are your goals for this upcoming week?
What recipes are you drooling over lately?

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?

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?

the USC game yesterday!! also, goals + meal plan for the week of 11/17

Posted on November 17, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

WOW. The USC game yesterday was one of the most thrilling football games I’ve ever watched! It was so amazing to be there, cheering on my alma mater alongside my family and friends. My parents and I spent the afternoon tailgating on campus with a bunch of my brother’s business school friends. It was great to meet them!

The game itself was a nail-biter and came down to the wire, but ultimately USC pulled out a victory over Stanford with a long field goal. WOO!! We were all jumping up and down and screaming with joy. It was so much fun! I hadn’t been back to a football game in the Coliseum since I graduated, and I forgot how amazing it is to be there. I love all the traditions: Traveler running down the sidelines, the marching band and spirit leaders and song girls, lighting the torch at the beginning of the fourth quarter… And I love how you become friends with the people sitting around you as all of you go crazy cheering on your team! We had a blast.

We drove home from the game last night and arrived back at the house just in time to watch Lady Gaga host SNL … what did you guys think? I was pretty impressed. Lady Gaga isn’t in this skit, but I randomly loved Kenan’s character Mr. Senior … his “special report” telling people to STOP with early Christmas and enjoy Thanksgiving had me cracking up: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/weekend-update-mr-senior/n43347/

All in all, it’s been a whirlwind weekend! I can’t believe I’m already headed back up to the Bay tomorrow. Today has been a peaceful, quiet Sunday at home … went to church this morning, grocery shopped with my mom, and now we’re watching football while waiting for my Gramps to come over to dinner soon. My mom is spoiling me and making my favorite stuffed chicken breasts! YUM.

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– ~~write 15 pages of new material~~
– ~~send out my novel chapters for Dec. fellows workshop~~
– 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 11/17:
– 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

And here are some recipes I’m planning to try out: {if you can’t tell, I’ve already got Thanksgiving on the brain!}
– healthy green bean casserole via The Lean Green Bean
– sweet-filled acorn squash bowl via It’s Progression
– greek yogurt biscuits and mini pumpkin cinnamon rolls via Two Peas & Their Pod
– pumpkin and kale stew via The Pajama Chef

Questions of the day:

What were the highlights of your weekend?
What are your goals and menu plans for this upcoming week?

goals + meal-plan for the week of 11/10

Posted on November 10, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Happy Sunday, friends! Hope your weekend has been lovely!

I’m so excited for this upcoming week … today we’re celebrating my Grandpap’s birthday, on Wednesday I’m getting together with my friend Dana, and on Thursday I’m headed home to Ventura for a long weekend! The USC Homecoming Football Game is on Saturday and I’m tailgating with my brother and then meeting up with my dear friend Ben who is coming all the way from NYC for the game!

Ben and I met at freshman orientation, when we were the last two people left in the test-taking room for the Spanish placement exam. {I knew my slow test-taking skills would one day pay off, haha} We’ve been friends ever since. I haven’t seen him in over a year and I cannot wait to give him the biggest hug and catch up in between cheering on our football team. 🙂

I’m also bursting with excitement to seeing my parents and my Gramps and of course Mr. Murdog! And Erica and I are planning to have one of our epic Simone’s chai latte dates — one of my favorite things on the planet. It should be a busy and wonderful week!

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– write 25 pages of new material {with my cold I didn’t quite get this many pages done … but I did still write every day, so that’s something!}
– ~~submit second Ph.D. application~~
– ~~exercise at least three times~~
– ~~finish reading Stay Up With Me~~
– ~~connect with two friends~~

Here are my goals for the week of 11/10:
– write 15 pages of new material
– send out my novel chapters for Dec. fellows workshop
– submit fellowship application
– exercise at least twice
– finish reading Happier Endings: a meditation on life and death
– connect with two friends

And here are some recipes I’m hoping to try out this week:
– sweet korean bbq beef via Chew Out Loud
– skinny southwest chicken dip via The Pajama Chef
– pumpkin toffee chocolate chip muffins via Two Peas & Their Pod
– pumpkin spice steel-cut oats via Wellness Today

This post is linked up to Menu-Plan Monday!

Questions for the morning:

What are your goals and meal plans for the week?
What are you looking forward to this week?

goals + meal-plan for the week of 11/3

Posted on November 3, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

I feel like I say this every Sunday, but dang … this weekend is going by so fast! A good kind of fast, though — time is flying because I’m having fun. 🙂 On Friday I met up with a … Continue reading →

goals + meal plan for the week of 10/20

Posted on October 20, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Happy Sunday, friends! How is your weekend going? It’s another gorgeous day here in the Bay Area. I love autumn! I think I’m going to bake another pumpkin pie today, or maybe some gluten-free pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies … nothing says … Continue reading →

goals + meal plan for the week of 10/6

Posted on October 6, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

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!

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!

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

Posted on August 11, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

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:

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?

This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday!

Pin It Party

Posted on May 5, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean is hosting a Pin It Party inviting bloggers to share their top five images that they would love to receive more Pinterest loving! Here are mine:

1. my year of kindness challenge