Good vibes, my friends! The forecast is looking promising (I think it’s the first time I’ve said that all year in the Friday Finisher!) I’m so badly craving the need to wear dresses and simply leave the house, sans coat! Soon! Time is absolutely flying though! I only have 2 more weeks of class!? My brother is graduating from college too (Did you hear Obama will be speaking!?) It’s going to be insane there! And then it will be summer and my birthday (I’ll no longer be a teenager! I’m turning 20!) I can’t even imagine it. I mean, I don’t feel 19 either, but 20 just sounds scary! And I’m totally geeking out over being able to vote in the primaries soon too! My first time putting my American freedom into action!
That’s why there are good vibes all around! (As long as the sun stays shining!) Here’s to a happy weekend, possible bagel baking, and maybe a walk outside in the fresh air! Happy Friday! xoxo
Monday: Homemade Allergy-Friendly Bagels
Tuesday: Freedom Feature: Celeste Noland “There Is Life After Wheat”
Wednesday: Spicy Garden Carrot Hummus
Recently Updated Post: Peanut Pumpkin French Toast
Blog Posts and Links I loved this week:
Life, Mind, Body, Spirit:
+ How To Become A Better Person In Just 7 Days
By next week you’re going to be THAT much better!
+ Only The “F*ck Yes” Decisions Deserve A Yes
You’ve got to be totally for it!
I know we’ve all felt it…multiple times!
+ 5 Most Effective Ways To beat Boredom
Even though I’ve gotten back into reading, I still need to really amp that up.
Do less so you can do “more” 😉
+ A Meditatie Exercise To Help You Find Balance & Tap Into Your True Potential
I actually think this is a fantastic (easy) idea!
We need to stop believing our own lies.
Fitness:
+ Why You Should Stop Dramatizing Your Fitness And Health Goals
This metaphor is so genius! Love it!
+ Oldest Living Pearl Harbor Vet Still Pumping Iron At 104
#badass
Food:
+ Why Your Mouth Burns When You Eat Pineapple
Raise your hand if your mouth gets destroyed! ME!
+ USDA Proposes Stricter Animal Welfare Rules For Organic Meat
Well that’s a good sign! But will it deter?
+ Five Actions Big Food Can Take Today To Regain Consumer Trust
There is a lot they need to do.
+ Childhood Ruined: Just How Unhealthy Was All The Food We Ate As Kids?
O man, it was all so good! Thankfully I still made it in time to experience that generation of goods!
+ How Chickpeas Can Fix Soil And Feed Farmers
Tellin’ you! Chickpeas are magic!
+ 18 Food-Centric Books To Add To Your Reading List
All of these!
What exactly does “mindful” mean?
Health, Celiac Disease, & Food Allergies:
+ Key Gene In Development Of Celiac Disease Has Been Found In “Junk” DNA
Very interesting! I feel like I’m sitting in bio reading this!
+ Is The Gluten-Free Craze A Blessing Or A Curse?
A little bit of both, for sure!
Happy belly!
Blogging, Social Media, Tech & Photography:
+ That’s Okay; I’ll Keep Writing
A true writer is never deterred!
+ What To Do About Google’s Unnatural Outbound Links Warning Message
April 8th will go down as D-Day for many of us. But there is a simple solution (fingers crossed!)
+ How Bloggers Can Work With Brands Without Losing Their Integrity (Or Sanity)
I wish certain brands/networks were a bit more helpful and responsive in the process.
+ Why You Should Read Your Friend’s Blog
Non-bloggers who know bloggers…support them!
+ How To Use Google Keyword Planner
I’ve never found it helpful. Do you?
+ 10 Things No One Tells You About Being A Blogger
These all couldn’t be more true!
+ Warning: Are You Making These 8 Traffic-Killing Mistakes?
And their solutions!
+ How To Do A Digital Detox (Successfully) And Final Conclusion
Her reflections are spot on!
+ A Guide To Hashtags For Instagram
Thank you! Myths debunked too! I will never post mine in the first comment!
Career & Business:
+ 12 Productivity Hacks To Optimize Your Time Like A Pro
All very very very good!
+ 24 Free Ivy League Online Courses You Can Sign Up For Today
Never stop learning!
Other:
+ Your Go-To Guide For College Dining Halls Across America
I should have chosen based on this…
+ A Natural Alternative To Goo Gone
This!!! All my saved jars can look pretty now!
+ 8 Dreamy Nooks For A Relaxing Home
O swoon! No one would ever leave their house!
Favorite Pins:
(Follow me on Pinterest – RebeccaGF666)
Vegan Minty Cotton Candy Ice Cream. You will never guess what it’s made out of!
Buffalo Roasted Chickpea Bowl with Honey Mustard Tahini Sauce. This is heaven! x10!
Matcha Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream. This is how I’d use all that unused matcha I have!
Single Serve Chocolate Chip Cookie. It’s vegan, paleo, gluten-free…winning!
Broccoli, Beet, and Brown Rice Bowls with Pesto. Such a great hearty rice meal!
Quinoa and Kale Salad with Red Grapes, Walnuts, and Lemon Honey Dressing. If you don’t want rice, then have quinoa!
Chocolate Tahini Cookies. The cookies of my dreams!
Thai Veggie Soba Noodle Bowls. This dinner…7 days a week!
Rosemary Roasted Carrot Soup with Tamari Nuts & Seeds. Such a comforting, warming soup!
Almond Milk Chicken. Well this just sounds delicious!
A few things I loved about my week or am grateful for:
+ No more rain and all the sunshine!
+ Some fabulous fun goodies from So Delicious!
+ Updating posts! I’m getting into the wing of it! I have tons reshot, just need to actually update the posts now!
So tell me:
+ Who was the commencement speaker at your college graduation? It’s Rutgers’ 250th, so it’s a big deal…really big.
+ Do you remember the first time you voted? Was it for a presidential election or a smaller local one first?
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Stay connected: Facebook: Strength and Sunshine Twitter: @RebeccaGF666 Instagram: rebeccagf666 Pinterest: RebeccaGF666 Bloglovin’: Strength and Sunshine Google+: Rebecca Pytell
Jemma says
Lovely roundup! I’m off to check out some of those recipes, yum!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Enjoy!
Mistie says
As always, I love your Friday Finishers. Such delicious looking ice cream pins! I am guilty of a few of the traffic killing mistakes too. 🙁 Need to get on those. 10 Things about a blog….SO true. Love it Rebecca!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Thank you!
Haha, every blogger is still learning! Just take it step by step and be YOUR best! xoxo
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
OMG Rebecca me too me too with the pineapple. I completely assumed it was a mild allergy. That article? LIfe changer. Especially cuz I’m so cheap I leave as much of the pineapple in tact as I can so I’ve def been leaving some core. And also thanks from my daughter, fellow sufferer.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Hahaha, right!? It’s so good but so …..”dangerous” 😉 My mouth takes one for the team!
Harriet Emily says
I can’t wait to wear summer clothes either!! I’m so anxious/excited about turning 20 soon too – so strange to think I won’t be a teenager anymore!!! Loving all of these links Rebecca! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
If we lived closer we would have to have a “Good-bye teen-years summer party” 😉 xoxo
Michelle @ Vitamin-Sunshine says
You’re a great content curator 🙂 20! I just turned 34. I remember 20 though… as you get older, you realize you never feel as old as that number used to sound to you. Happy birthday! And congrats on almost being done with another year of school.. I remember when you first started and you were really waffling over whether or not to stay in school or pursue a career sans education. I think you made the right choice. I actually spent a fortune on my education, including a Master’s degree, and I am wanting to move away from all of that and do my own thing (in the process!), but I don’t regret my education at all… even though it took me 12 years to pay it all off! I learned so much about myself, whether I continue to use the degrees or not.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Thank you, haha! But happy most recent birthday to YOU my friend!
Chrissa - Physical Kitchness says
Oh my gosh you are so young (yet so wise)! I can’t believe you have such an awesome blog when you are still in your TEENS. Amazing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Aw, hahahaha! I really appreciate that, my friend! xoxoxoxo
Bianca - ElephantasticVegan says
Ugh, Google Keywords Planner. I’m not a fan, I have to say. I tried it a couple of times, but it didn’t really help me at all. I think it’s maybe better to use it before creating a recipe – so that you’ll have more ideas what to make. But if you have a recipe shot and ready to publish, it’s hard to twist the title around. At least for me 🙂
Thank you so much for including the Cotton Candy Ice Cream in your weekly fav pins 😀 Looking forward to creating more ice cream recipes soon, I hope the weather will stay that sunny like it is today.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Haha yea! It never really helped me either. It’s just so….confusing? I don’t know, but I don’t feel it’s beneficial!
Pretty much the greatest ice cream I’ve ever seen!
Kristy @ Southern In Law says
Voting is mandatory in Australia but the first time I voted was just two days after my 18th birthday! You’re required to vote once you hit 18 so I just made it, haha!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend, girl! xo
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I wish it was mandatory here! People take our privilage for granted!
Barrie says
It was a while ago…but Whoopie Goldberg! From UVM- was kind of huge, so I didn’t hear it all, but I loved that she was the speaker- Also loving this long list of Friday Faves- the Buffalo Bowl has me drooling!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Haha, awesome!
And thanks Barrie! Enjoy!
Farrah says
I didn’t know your brother went to Rutgers!? :O That’s where I’m gonna be starting at the end of June!!! :O
I love pineapple, but if I ate it in the quantities that I wanted to eat em’ in, my tongue would die. I’m glad I got to experience my childhood’s generation of snacks too, hehehe. 😀
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
My entire family went there 😛 Hahahaha! Home turf!
The corners of my mouth get burned! Not my tongue!
Dude! Yes! Like lunchables <3
Allison Arnone says
thanks for including me! (i wrote the “i’ll keep writing” post on BlogHer). great list, can’t wait to sift through! happy friday 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Of course Allison! xo
Nadia says
Happy Friday 😀 and another awesome round up of links! Aw exciting times ahead, do you have anything planned for your birthday? PS you’re not getting old!! You saying that makes me feel like a granny haha! 😀 Oh man if only I could turn back time! Enjoy it 😉
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
O man…my birthday always ends up SUCKING! So I try to just pretend it’s a normal day! Hahaha!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
Yay sun!!! But I never imagined you as a dress-wearing kinda person…so now I’m having to rethink everything :/ I am really feeling that mint matcha ice cream! Something mint chocolate chip needs to happen around here this weekend I think! And tbh I still haven’t registered to vote nor did I actually attend my college graduation…so bad citizen right here LOL!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Are you kidding!? Woh! You do not know me then! Haha!
Damn girl, you’re missing out on essential American opportunities!
At least you’re feelin’ the ice cream vibes 😉
Ashley Brooks says
Thanks so much for including me here, Rebecca! How crazy is it that Obama is speaking at your brother’s commencement?! That’s going to be exciting!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Sure!! xo
Haha, parking, security, the stadium…it’s going to be a madhouse though!
Trish says
Lots and lots of good weather thoughts! I hope it is beautiful and spring-like there going forward. That vegan ice cream recipe looks really interesting — going to check it out!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
If the weather hold, I think we are all going to HAVE to make some ice cream 😉
Jess | Urban Alchemy says
Hi Rebecca! I’m loooooving your Friday Finisher posts! Thanks so much for posting and as far as your questions … 1. I didn’t walk in my graduation (I actually opted to go to Hawaii with my sister instead!), and I have no clue who the speaker was. It’s safe to say I was not very “involved” with on-campus happenings. And 2. The first time I voted was in a small city-wide election. Also, congrats to your brother! And happy (early) birthday! 20 is great and good good things are coming 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Haha! Well I think Hawaii would be my pick 😉
And thank you Jess! xoxo
Emily @ My Healthyish Life says
This year is the first time I can vote in a Presidential election because I have late birthday and wasn’t 18 during the last one! Wow- now that’s a commencement speaker! Because I graduated in December it wasn’t a huge name (it was a Civil Rights attorney) but last year they had Jimmy Buffet, which is perfect for Miami.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I’m so excited to vote! Haha! (My American dream!)
The security is going to be crazy….I wasn’t planning on going to the big one (only the smaller one for his specific school) but now…It would be crazy not to go! (Even though I an not a fan! Bahaha!)
Lisa @ Runwiki says
I’m going to have to keep this post open all day because there are so many articles that peaked my interest! Will be going back and forth from work to reading! My ADD brain will be thrilled! Have a great weekend!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Hahaha! That’s how my brain works too 😉 Happy weekend Lisa!
Allie says
That almond milk chicken is comfort food at its best. I just pinned it! Have a great weekend
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Right? It sounds fabulous!
Susie @ SuzLyfe says
As always, so many good reads! I have to remember to actually do work this weekend, rather than just read things, lol. Our commencement speaker was our outgoing president. The year before I think it was John Grisham?
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
O wow, that must have been interesting with John Grisham!