Happy Wednesday, friends! Hope your week is going great. I’m enjoying my final few days at home in Ventura before heading back up to the Bay Area to teach another week-long class for Communication Academy. Summer is flying by!
Here’s a meditation for you today — I discovered the quote thanks to one of my favorite writing/creativity bloggers, Alexandra Franzen. Hope you enjoy!
Happy Sunday! I’m off soon to teach my second day of Summer Writing Camp! Yesterday went wonderfully. There’s something so special about about being in a room filled with young people lost in their imaginations, putting words down on paper. I love it!
Before I head out, here are my goals for the week…
Here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– revise 25 pages of my novel-in-progress
– write 10 pages of my new play
– teach a successful weekend of Summer Writing Camp
– connect with three friends
– finish reading Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro
And here are some recipes I’m drooling over this week:
– simple summertime bbq sides via Peanut Butter Fingers
– chickpea, tomato, pesto & mozzarella salad via Two Peas & Their Pod
– cherry coconut flour pancakes via It’s Progression
– spicy peanut noodles w/kale & edamame via The Pajama Chef
– my own butternut squash quinoa mock risotto
This post is featured on Menu Plan Monday!
Hi everyone! Hope you are having a great first official week of summer! 🙂
This week I am teaching a reading and public speaking summer camp for kindergarteners, and it is rewarding but absolutely EXHAUSTING. However, the kids are adorable, eager to learn and wide-eyed with curiosity, and I am trying my best to enjoy each moment. Here is a meditation based on that desire:
Here’s to savoring the little moments!
Happy Sunday, friends! Hope you’re having a great weekend. I particularly enjoyed sleeping in yesterday morning after a busy week spent teaching energetic 7- and 8-year-olds! Tomorrow I’m back at it with an even younger bunch {5- and 6-year-olds!} and while I really love teaching, I’m also soaking up as much rest as I can today! Also spending the evening with these two beautiful ladies:
And yesterday I got to see another beautiful friend — Dana and I went for brunch at Sideboard and walked around downtown. Always so wonderful to see her, and especially this weekend since it’s my last one in town for a while. Next Saturday morning I’m hopping on a flight to New Orleans to see my sweetheart!
Okay, I should wrap this up and get ready for church… before I do, let’s do a quick goals recap!
Here’s how I did on my goals from a few weeks ago:
– write ten pages
– send out two query letters/submissions
– complete final student evals + certificates for Dublin classes
– read up to page 200 of new book
– go to the gym twice + yoga once
– connect with three friends
– write all birthday thank-yous
And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– write five pages
– send out two query letters/submissions
– teach a successful week of summer camp for Communication Academy
– go to yoga twice
– connect with three friends
– get all ready for my trip to visit Allyn + Greg !!! <– can you tell I’m excited? 🙂
And here are some recipes I’m drooling over this week:
– lightened up summer fare {particularly the southwest turkey burgers + honey almond fruit dip!} via Peanut Butter Fingers
– mango, strawberry & avocado arugula salad via Two Peas & Their Pod
– bbq chicken salad w/jalapeno basil ranch dressing via The Pajama Chef
– mango coconut muffins via The Pajama Chef
– my own 3-ingredient banana cookies {4-ingredient if you add peanut butter!}
This post is featured on Menu Plan Monday!
Happy TGIF, friends! Coming at you with some Fabulous Friday action … and a little giveaway the end of this post, woo hoo!
1. My summer camp students. So adorable, hilarious and hard-working! It warms my heart to see how kind they are to each other. And they crack me up! Today when we were walking back to the classroom from recess, they all ran to beat me there and when I walked in, they were all hiding from me under their desks, giggling at their sneakiness. I wish I had taken a picture to share with y’all. Today was my last day teaching this particular group, and I will miss them!
2. The fresh fruits & veggies of summer. I have been a produce fiend all week, and I love how eating so many plants makes me feel vibrant and energetic. I don’t know about you, but the less sugar and processed food I eat, the less of it I crave. These days I am craving… watermelon! Mmm. To me, nothing says summer quite like a thick juicy slice of fresh watermelon.
3. This beautiful and inspiring blog post by Nicole Antoinette: just start.
4. This quote, which I found in the pavement in Jack Keroac Alley outside of City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco:
5. The release of this new book that I am very excited to be a contributor for: Chicken Soup for the Soul, Home Sweet Home! The story I wrote, titled “My Perfectly Decorated Apartment,” is featured in the book alongside 100 other inspiring, touching, sweet and funny stories about “hearth, happiness, and hard work.” And I am delighted that I have a signed copy to give to one of you!
The giveaway will stay open until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, June 26. Good luck! And thanks for celebrating with me!
Click on this link to enter: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hi, everyone, and apologies for my {unexpected} blogging break! I was not really planning to take time off, but life just worked out that way with my visit home, teaching final classes and then prepping to teach a couple summer camps for Communication Academy. And THEN Holly visited me all of last week which was absolutely wonderful and the perfect excuse to unplug for a bit. We lounged, talked, cooked a delicious impromptu frittata, ate lots of veggies {and yeah, some pizza too!}, talked some more, explored San Francisco, met up with Dana for dinner, had a sleepover with Arianna, skyped with Allyn, and just generally had a magical time.
So special to have two of my favorite ladies together in one place! ❤
Whenever Holly visits me or I visit her, it always feels like we instantly fall back into our rhythm from when we lived together in college — it feels so normal to be together in everyday life. Now it’s weird not to have her here. I love you and miss you so much, Holly!
Now here’s a quick mid-week meditation to hopefully brighten up your Tuesday!
Have a joyful day, friends! I’ll be back again soon, I promise. 🙂 Thanks for sticking around and being patient with me. I missed you guys!
Happy TGIF! Can you believe it’s already May? I am in awe of how quickly this year is flying by. A reminder to make the most of each and every day we are blessed with!
1. The gorgeous, summer-like weather we’ve been having around here … warm and sunny, the days are long, and I can sit out on the porch with a book and a glass of iced tea reading even after dinnertime. On Wednesday Allyn and I went to a Giants game and I didn’t even need a jacket! I didn’t know San Francisco EVER got that warm, especially down by the water. It was glorious! And I love the energy and happiness in the air at this time of year, like everyone is more carefree and open to the world.
2. The latest collection of short stories, The Color Master, by one of my favorite writers {and people!} Aimee Bender, author of the previous best-selling novel The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. Aimee was my professor at USC and she is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. She definitely was, and continues to be, a huge influence and inspiration for my own writing. I am savoring her new book–the stories are by turns delightful, dark, funny, serious, and always surprising. I would highly recommend putting this on your summer reading list!
3. I wrote a short story that has been published in the online literary journal Superstition Review! I’m so excited and honored to have my work featured as part of this publication I have long admired. You can read it here. {Note: the story is fictional, and a little dark/sad… just be warned!}
4. These berry + cream cheese muffins I made a few days ago and have been enjoying as breakfast, snacks, and dessert … zero refined sugar, zero white flour, and absolutely delicious! I will be sharing the recipe on here next week, stay tuned!
5. This picture, shared by my dad on Facebook:
BONUS: Vote for my friends Mike & Bob Bryan, who are amazingly kind and generous Philanthropists of Giving and are in the running to win $100,000 for their charity! You can vote up to 3 times a day and it takes less than a minute! https://givkwik.com/campaigns/2014-asu
Hi friends! Happy Sunday! It feels like it’s been for.ev.er since I’ve done a goals post — I skipped last week because of Easter and my trip to Mendocino! Speaking of Easter, we never really chatted about that — how was your Easter? Mine was one of my favorite Easters ever. I spent most of the day volunteering with Allyn at a church in San Francisco, serving lunch to the homeless. The big dining room was set up like a sit-down restaurant and as volunteers our instructions were to treat clients like they were dining at a 5-star restaurant. It warmed my heart to see the bright smiles and proud postures of the clients leaving the church after the meal. I believe that the world would be a much better place if we simply treated everyone with dignity and respect. I definitely want to volunteer there again next Easter!
For Easter dinner, I missed my parents and brother, but I had a wonderful time visiting with my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. As always when we all get together, there was much laughter and storytelling. My aunt Annie hosted us all for a delicious meal of eggplant parmesan and grilled chicken, and this amazing cake whipped up by our family friend Diana. I got the recipe from her and will definitely be sharing it with you soon!
I finally feel like I’ve settled into my new weekend routine: waking up early on Saturday to teach four classes as part of my new job working for Communication Academy, crashing into bed exhausted but happy, and waking up on Sunday morning to head to church. {Which I’ll be doing as soon as I hit “publish” on this blog post!} Today after church I’m looking forward to getting together with my friend Michelle, who I haven’t seen for a couple weeks. And then, just like that, the weekend will already be winding down!
Before I head out… it’s time for goals!
Here’s how I did on my goals from two weeks ago:
– write 12 pages
– prepare for teaching & tutoring this week
– send out three query letters
– read up to page 250 of The Kitchen God’s Wife
– go to two yoga classes
– connect with three friends
And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– write 12 pages
– finalize travel plans for the summer
– send out three query letters
– read up to page 350 of The Kitchen God’s Wife
– go to two yoga classes
– connect with three friends
And here are some recipes I’m drooling over this week:
– chocolate banana pb smoothie via Jill @reini days
– zin-zen chicken via Sarah @The Pajama Chef {originally from Rachel Ray}
– nutzo date bites via Danica @It’s Progression
– spaghetti squash w/avocado kale pesto via Whitney @sometimes.always.never
– cucumber noodles w/peanut sauce via Two Peas & Their Pod
This post is featured on Menu Plan Monday!
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!
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:
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.
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
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!
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?
This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday!
Day-By-Day Masterpiece 