Is anyone else freaking out that it’s July? I guess I feel like summer is flying by even though mine started in May…but really, where did June go? If the summer could slow down a bit, it would be much appreciated! I mean, I was having flashbacks to the horrible winter the other day….Nightmares I tell you! Haha! Here’s to a very long and hot July and August. I was trying to think of things I wanted to do this summer, bucket list wise, but nothing much is sticking out. I even linked some articles below that had some fabulous ideas. I think I need to go back and read them again! I always think I’ll do certain things, but then they never happen. Every year it’s the same thing. Not sure if that’s bad or just good. Let life happen and not put pressure on myself to do a certain thing. Eh, still, I think it’s fun to make at least a mental list of some fun things to do!
Anyway, I hope you have a fabulous holiday weekend with tons of food and family time! Maybe make some pasta salad and potato salad too 😉 See fireworks and light sparklers (my favorite!) I always loved sparklers as a kid. Fireworks though, not so much. I think they are so boring! (Firework hater right here <—-) It’s not like they change every year you see them or during the long hour that they’re set off. Haha, I’d much rather wave my sparklers around and write my name in the smoke 😛 Who’s with me?
Monday: Funfetti Celebration Doughnuts (Did you enter the giveaway yet?)
Tuesday: Buckwheat: The Gluten-Free Grain You Must Have
Wednesday: Tahini Celeriac Potato Salad
Blog Posts and Links I loved this week:
Life, Mind, Body, Spirit:
+ Why Is It So Hard To Take Our Own Advice
We are just to close to the situation or problem.
+ 5 Simple Ways To Live An Abundant Life Through Self Simplicity
I feel much better living more minimalist.
+ When It All Falls Down: 10 Ways To Lift Yourself Up
Some strategies to help you ease through.
When there’s no limit, you can achieve more!
+ Highs And Lows Are A Part Of Life (It’s Okay To Feel Down Sometimes)
It isn’t even human to never feel bad.
+ Why It’s Totally OK To Feel Sad & Lonely
Along those same lines as above…
Certain experiences can actually be amazing learning opportunities.
+ How Successful People Do More In 24 Hours Than The Rest Of Us Do In A Week
Time to get focused and productive!
+ Why “Skinny” Is Not A Compliment
Just stop commenting on peoples weight
+ Who Are You, Really? The Numbers Game
This girl has such a bright soul!
+ 5 Ways To Treat Your Body Like A Temple
All really great essential stuff you should be doing!
+ Ever Feel Jealous Of Other Women? Here’s What To Do Instead
If you’re feeling it about anything, change that and be jealous of yourself!
+ Don’t Forget To Look For The Good
The world can be a sucky place, but there’s also so much good and beauty!
+ My Tips On How To Deal With Negativity
Haha, this made me laugh, but it was so good to listen to!
Fitness:
+ Why Exercising Is A Higher Priority Than My Career
The benefits and need for movement are one of the most important things in life.
Do you ever get anxious before a tough workout?
+ CrossFit – When Mentality Takes Over
What an awesome transformation of self-worth!
+ Is Exercise Causing You To Gain Weight?
That’s not necessarily a bad thing either!
+ Is Yoga Losing Its Real Value In Translation?
This is exactly what I was talking about!
+ How To Do The Perfect Burpee
I love burpees! They are such a great full-body move!
Food:
+ 20 New Food Books To Read This Summer
Added a bunch of these to my list!
+ Top 10 Best Restaurants For Clean Eating
I’m all for Sweetgreen!
+ How To Tell If Your Fruit Is Ripe
Because it’s the ultimate fruit season and you need to know!
+ The Scientific Reason Why Crunchy Food Beats Soggy Food Every Time
Crunch, crunch!
I.Want.To.Go.To.A.Farmer’s.Market!!!
+ 7 Reasons You Shouldn’t Throw Away Herb Stems
Never do it! Never!
Veggie burgers always win and all of these are just over the top!
Health:
+ How To Rock Preparing For A Colonoscopy
Hahaha, this is hilariously legit!
+ How Successful People Beat Stress
Great strategy to keep your stress at optimal level!
+ Can You Really Reverse Food Allergies?
It depends on the cause. Maybe leaky gut?
+ A Fresh Start, Lessons Learned & Some Changes
I think everyone could learn something here!
+ A Dose Of Culinary Medicine Send Med Students To The Kitchen
This is fabulous to hear! This needs to happen with every med student!
+ Dear Female Athletes: Please Don’t Follow Tara Lipinski’s 1,200-Calorie Diet
What? Really? Seriously? Come on already…
Blogging, Social Media, Tech & Photography:
+ 60 Simple Ways To Grow Your Blog In Under An Hour
Options for however much time you have, all under an hour!
+ How To Fail At Blogging: 15 Insanely Absurd Tips Every Blogger Needs To Ignore
Just follow your own intuition and “rules”, end of story!
+ 10 Things Readers Find Annoying About Your Blog
O man…those pop-ups!
+ Learn To Blog: Blog Hangout List
All this awesome videos in one place! Love!
+ Simple Ways To Reduce Your Bounce Rate
My analytics are messed up so I have no idea what mine is, haha!
Really, think about it.
+ An Encouragement To Bloggers: What Blog Growth Really Is
This was a great motivating read!
+ How To Form Lasting Relationships With Brands
Ah! So much better to work with a few and not a new one every week! Be real!
I think I want to print these out and frame them above my desk!
+ 31 Days Of Writing Prompts For July
Just the obligatory SITS girl ideas!
+ Photography Basics: Easy, Fool-Proof Considerations For Making The Most Of Your Photos
This is a fantastic guide!
+ The 4 Biggest Pinterest Marketing Mistakes We Made (And How Your Can Learn From Them)
So timing doesn’t really matter! Ah! I give up on even trying 😛
Other:
+ How To Pack: The 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Guide
This is how to never over pack those damn clothes!
+ Going To An Event By Yourself: 4 Killer Conversation Starters
O the anxiety of going alone!
+ 40 Fun & Free Things To Do This Summer
Great ideas! Some of these I haven’t thought of!
+ Why Wait? 11 Things To Do Before Summer’s Over
More great things to do now!
+ The Definitive And Final Ranking Of All 50 States
What?! Number 1 is really wrong…
Learn what clothes you should hang and what to fold! Perfect!
+ 13 Unexpected College Majors That Can Lead To Incredible Careers
Omg! That’s it! #1 is my calling!
Favorite Pins:
(Follow me on Pinterest – RebeccaGF666)
Soba And Zucchini Noodles With Thai Basil Pesto. Look at that great pesto!
Nachos with Picked Chili Chimichurri. I haven’t had nachos in so long and this looks like a great place to start!
Chakalaka. This sounds so fantastic! What a great South African dish!
Watermelon with Spicy Tahini Sauce. Now that’s a new way to pair tahini!
Raw Fudge Brownie Chunk Ice Cream. Wooh! The best vegan ice cream?
Rainbow Chard Coleslaw with Mixed Herbs. Now this is a coleslaw!
Skillet Style Mung Beans with Mango and Pistachios. This just looks and sounds like a fabulous dish to try!
Berry Yummy Red, White, And Blue Muddy Buddies. Weee! Happy 4th of July!
Cold Noodles with Shredded Chicken. I’ll take 5 bowls of this, please!
No Churn Tahini Cardamom Ice Cream. I saw the word tahini and just knew it was meant to be!
Superfood Vegan Veggie Burgers. I think these are the most nutrient packed burgers ever!
Curried Rice and Cashews. This dish is so simple, but such comfort food to me!
Raw Chocolate Tart with Cashew Coffee Crust. It’s too stunning not to share!
Korean BBQ Zoodle Stir-Fry Bowl. This sounds fabulous! Plant-based bowl of flavor and goodness!
German Chocolate Freezer Cookies. These sounds awesome! I love freezing every type of sweet treat!
A few things I loved about my week or am grateful for:
+ I started a new series on Netflix! Dexter! I’m about done with the first season, but so far so good. Have you watched it?
+ More on the entertainment front, I’ve been obsessed with listening to podcasts. Notably the fabulous Jamie Ivey and her Happy Hour chats! Amazing!
+ Thinking of taking a tiny blogging break next week with just 3 posts instead of 4. Maybe….we’ll see 😉
So tell me:
+ How are you sending this 3 day weekend and holiday? Nothing exciting here, but that’s okay with me!
+ What’s your favorite podcast to listen to? I love the chatty ones, not so much the in-depth learning ones 😛 Easy listening!
+ What’s on your summer bucket/want-to-do list?
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Stay connected: Facebook: Strength and Sunshine Twitter: @RebeccaGF666 Instagram: rebeccagf666 Pinterest: RebeccaGF666 Bloglovin’: Strength and Sunshine Google+: Rebecca Pytell
kimmythevegan says
Summer is going by quickly! No need to worry about what to do – just enjoy it. Just see what happens =) That’s the best way to enjoy summer. I used to always try and make a bunch of plans during the summer, but felt stressed and didn’t even have that much fun. Now I just go with the flow and see what happens.
The raw fudge brownie chunk ice cream will be making it into my dessert rotation during this hot summer!
ps. I don’t like fireworks either (too loud and waaaaay too crowded!)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Yea! Just go with it, no expectations!
Haha, once you’ve seen fireworks, there’s no need to see them again 😛
Kristen @ The Endless Meal says
Love these … as always! I’ve been extra aware of food waste since watching the documentary Just Eat It and have been looking for ways to use the ‘scraps’ like herb ends. That link was perfect for me!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I am such a huge advocate for preventing food waste! I will find a use for everything!
Kim~madeinaday says
So curious about that Tahini Ice Cream! Thank you so much for linking up to Merry Monday this week! I am sharing your post today on our MM Pinterest Board! We hope to see you next week for another great party! Have a great week!
Best,
Kim
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
It looks fantastic!
Emily says
I am eating breakfast as I read, but am now craving the Raw Fudge Brownie Chunk Ice Cream. Looks amazing!
I enjoyed the blogging tips post. I love that “You Should Publish On A Regular Basis” is on this list. I struggle with that one. It’s not realistic for me to post multiple times per week, so I’m happy to get the feedback that it’s OK!
Thanks for sharing a great list. Enjoy your week!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I think that would be a great breakfast addition 😉 Pretty healthy really 😉
As long as you’re consistent, I think that’s what matters most!
chrysta@noshed says
Thank you so much for sharing all these links! Their are so many good ones and I’ve been a reading machine!! Love these Friday Finisher posts. And you completely ROCK for sharing my recipe. Seriously it just totally made my night! I was just sitting here on the couch and was finally getting updated on everything (holiday weekend threw me behind sched.) and I was so excited when I saw this. Thanks! 😀
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Haha, you’re so welcome dear and thank you so much for reading! XOXOXO
Raia says
Thanks for sharing my freezer cookies, Rebecca. 😉 Definitely going to have to check out that tahini ice cream!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Those cookies are awesome dear! I think we should pair the cookies with the ice cream 😉
Raia says
Haha! Sounds good to me. 😉
Katherine says
I always come to read your blog and comment, but I never end up commenting cause I end up clicking on a million links throughout your blog and to other blogs. You have the best posts, and your links seriously keep me entertained for hours! Thank you for having my post on there, it made my day!! ♥
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Haha, thank you Katherine! You’re such a sweetheart!
Chiara says
I can’t believe I’ve only just found your blog! My Saturday will now be filled with your amazing sounding recipes. That pin of the Thai basil pesto courgette salad looks so tasty.
I’m also mildly freaking out that it’s July already – the years seem to go by quicker and quicker. Have a great weekend 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Haha, well I’m so glad you found me Chiara!
It really does need to slow down…seriously!
You too friend!
Harriet Emily says
Omg, so many crazily amazing links!!! I can’t cope – there’s so much I need to read. I definitely need a bowl of that curried rice with cashews! Totally agree with the ‘5 Simple Ways to Live an Abundant Life through Self Simplicity’ too, I’ve been trying to cut down on having so many possessions, and I feel so much better now for doing it, and living more minimally!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
This week was a killer week for blog reading! (And food!)
Doesn’t that dish just look so simple and lovely! Yum!
Me too! I seriously have really cut out a lot of things I no longer need, learned what I do truly need, and am feeling better about having less!
Lisa @ RunWiki says
I just read through a handful of the blogging tips posts. Some great reads- I want to improve my bounce rate, but doing everything it said and still higher than I’d like. Summer is flying by! Can’t believe it’s already July- my kids go back to school the second week of August! NOOOOO- I want to stay with them forever- my lil turkeys! Have a great 4th! xoxoxo
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I really don’t even care about fixing mine so it’s accurate! Ha, for all I know maybe it is, but too difficult to deal with right now 😛
O my goodness! That’s one of the earliest! Ah!
Happy holiday weekend dear! XOXOXO
revealed says
i know, crazy! i feel like it was just yesterday i was astounded that it was June! and now it’s july!!!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Way too fast!!!
Jasmine Watts says
Yummy! Tahini Cardamom Ice Cream. Its taste always make me a feel of paradise. I love it a lot.. Love 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Anything with tahini has to be good 😉
Ana Valentin says
Spent a good part of my morning zipping through these articles. I always learn so much from your finishers and feel so much more empowered and ready to attack life head on with as much love and positivity as I can! I truly enjoyed that numbers blog post as someone who has a lot of anxieties over my body and how much I eat. Ive been trying to just do what DoYouYoga suggests and treat my body as a temple. Im glad Im not the only one who likes to remain positive in reference to the post on looking for the helpers. I try to look on the brighter side of even the darkest cave, because there’s always a light at the end of the tunned. Much love Rebecca!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I’ve got to work on looking for the good ins situations! I know I don’t most of the time, I’m too much of a realist!
Leah M @ love me, feed me says
I really don’t understand how it’s July already! So crazy.
I currently have like 432743 tabs open on my computer as usual after going through these posts haha!
I’ve seen every episode of Dexter and it’s one of my favourite shows ever – so good and so addicting.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I know!!!
Ahahaha, I guess I did a good job this week 😉
My mom watched it all and loves it, so that’s good…I know I’ll continue to like it if everyone does!! Wooo!
Hayley says
What an awesome list of posts! Thank you so much for mentioning mine–I hope it encouraged you! I loved that Buffer post about Pinterest as well! I subscribe to their newsletter because they always have great content!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Welcome dear!
I saw that post last night! Totally interesting!
Michele @ paleorunningmomma says
I also love freezing sweet treats! So much good stuff in this post – food and otherwise. Going to read the article on blog growth first since I’ve been feeling sort of discouraged lately and need a boost! Also that vegan ice cream looks insane. Seems like paleo and vegan cross and mesh with frozen treats!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
All the raw bites I’ve started making go right to the freezer! I love having them cold and a bit chewier, but they don’t totally freeze of course!
Sheryl says
It is half over. That is fine by me. I live in Florida and it is HOT and HUMID! Love all your wonderful allergy-free recipes. You rock! Have a safe and happy 4th!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
No way! I’ll gladly take your place down there!
Leanne says
Your pages always makes me so hungry. I love all of it! such great ideas
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I try to put together the best!
Natalie @ Feasting on Fruit says
I’m so glad I read those 15 absurd blogging tips, makes me feel better about only posting once this week 🙁 And muddy buddies with freeze dried fruit = GENIUS! I tell you that freeze dried stuff is so dang versatile! I’m a total podcast addict, my favorite new one right now is Maddy Moon’s Mind Body Musings, but I really love the Reel Influencer podcast and lots of others than I’m not thinking of right now 😀 haha No 4th of July plans for me, maybe I’ll venture out to see the fireworks alone…no that sounds sad, never mind. Maybe I’ll stay at home and watch them on tv…that’s more likely 🙂 haha
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
You know I love my freeze-dried fruit! It’s a must for granola!
I love Maddy! (Weird that I don’t listen to her though!)
Just like NYE, I’ll hear fireworks outside my room (even though they’re illegal in NJ, hahahaha!), but I won’t be going to see them 😛
We should Skype!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Natalie @ Feasting on Fruit says
OK!
Debbie @ Coach Debbie Runs says
I’m actually happy that the summer is flying by. Sorry, not sorry, try it at 115 degrees.
All those food pictures are making my stomach growl even though it’s only 5:30 in the morning!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I will swap places with you!
5:30am is prime eating time 😉 And early enough to plan a crazy dinner 😉
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says
Summer has totally flown by!! EEEK! So happy for a fun weekend, though. Hope you have a great 4th of July too 🙂 I love the Chalene Show podcast!! Always something to learn, but nothing TOO crazy…and they are short!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
It’s crazy! Time is crazy! It needs to stop!
I’ll totally check that one out! Although, I love long ones! Haha at least an hour!
Bri says
Ohhh so many great things I want to read in this round-up!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Woohoo!
Kat | curlsnchard.com says
I feel just like you – how can it be July already?! I spend most of my days inside (still) writing my thesis, so I really hope we have lot more hot and sunny days before the wet and cold fall comes around…I love all the recipes you shared here, but especially the tahini ice cream and the chocolate freezer cookies <3
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I know! I need to get out and do something fun in the sun!
That ice cream….I say we need to eat that, outside, on the beach!
Kat | curlsnchard.com says
Yes. Yes. Yes. Ice cream. Beach. Yes!!! 😀
Farrah says
Since my boards are at the end of this month, I am most definitely freaking out that it’s already July. ;_;
I love that article on why it’s hard to take our own advice, and I should definitely share that colonoscopy prep one with my future patients! 😛
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
O no….I would be dieing….but you are a star! I know you’ll kill them!
It was so true!
Omg…..especially the first time…you will never forget! Hahahaha!
Emily @ My Healthyish Life says
Lots of good pins this week. Making me want dinner now! I’m spending time with friends this weekend doing a few different things in the city. I’m with you on summer flying by…craziness.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Haha, breakfast, dinner, all the food!
Have fun! You should have tons of exciting things to do in the city! XOXO Savor it!