Personal Archives - Strength and Sunshine

How-To Be Bold In The Face Of Change & Uncertainty

August 14, 2016 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 41 Comments

How can you be bold in the face of change & uncertainty? How can you still take risks, be courageous and confident in all that you do when nothing is certain? Is it even possible to move forward with your head held high?

What does “being bold” mean to you? Do you consider yourself “bold” on a day-to-day basis or is it something that doesn’t cross your mind much? I know I’m not the only one who wants to take risks, be confident, and standout as the individual I am. Let’s be real. It isn’t always the easiest thing to do. To “be bold“. When our lives are full of change and uncertainty, we don’t always know how to keep our confidence and unflanged bravery in the front of our minds.Read More

7 Gems Of Gluten-Free Wisdom

November 3, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 64 Comments

7 years! Wow! That seems like such a long time now. Some days it seems like I’ve been gluten-free my entire life, but others it doesn’t, and I can feel the divide. On November 3rd, 2008, I committed to a life long lifestyle change and diet of gluten-free due to my discovery and diagnoses of Celiac Disease. Looking back, I can recall all the moments in my life where there were huge glaring red flags, indicating there was a problem. Then it all came to a head, the summer before I entered 8th grade, sick, so sick. I couldn’t stomach anything and was down to some meager amounts of rice chex and iceburg lettuce. I missed so many days of school the beginning of that year. Sick, on the couch or in bed. It was pure horror to the girl who rarely got sick who was one of the most adventurous eaters her entire life.

When I learned that the only course of action to take would be to remake my entire lifestyle and diet (for the first time ever), I actually jumped and ran with it. I was so sick of feeling so sick! Going gluten-free was the key to my survival and I would finally be able to heal my insides and eat again! I wasn’t scared, I wasn’t sad, and I wasn’t angry. I gladly accepted my new gluten-free/celiac life. The first “gluten-free” dinner I had (I remember so vividly) was DeBoles brown rice penne with broth, eaten in a bowl while on the computer. Yes, we got fancy in my house (but I was still so sick at that point). Of course things kept moving from there and with a Thanksgiving holiday coming up, I needed to do some research. That’s when I got into reading food blogs, found Gluten-Free Girl and The Chef blog, which lead me to the inspiration for my first ever homemade gluten-free recipe, my gluten-free vegan stuffing for Thanksgiving (which is not a tradition within the family to make)! That success started my love for cooking and experimenting in the kitchen and eventually, the birth of this blog. A place to share my recipes and celiac life with others like me.

Well that’s the shortest rundown for you, but you can read all my specific gluten-free lifestyle posts here. Today, I’m going to share 7 gems of wisdom as a 7 year celiac.Read More

The Need For Creative Passions

June 3, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 74 Comments

We all have those leisure activities that we look forward to doing whenever we have a spare minute. These activities can vary greatly from person to person and may even seem like a chore to some, but the most effortless pleasure to others. The types of activities I’m talking about, are the ones where we are able to actually create. The things that allow our minds to release their creativity in the form of manual physical work that leaves us with something to show. Painting, drawing, needle-work, writing, wood-working, gardening, cooking, the list goes on. Sometimes we don’t even realize which creative work brings us the most joy, but it’s an essential outlet in life that we all do develop.

A lot of these creative hobbies start out of curiosity, then we keep the ones we find pleasure, joy, and stress-relief in, and sometimes we even take them to the next level and make a living out of them. Even if these hobbies stay just that, as hobbies (or passions), it’s so important that we have and nurture them throughout our lives. They become a constructive outlet to let all our inner beauty, thoughts, dreams, and creativity take form outside of our own heads, so they can become our unique gifts to the world.

I’ve always known what mine is and it’s only become even more solidified in my mind these past few weeks. What is it? I’m sure you can guess. COOKING! The ultimate form of beauty, creativity, and manual work. How did I know and continue to nurture this passion of mine?Read More

19 Wisdoms Of Life

June 2, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 66 Comments

Everyone does these, “insert age” lessons or things learned posts around their birthday. So even though, kinda “cheesy” and commonplace in my mind, I still always enjoy reading them. As I’ll be turning 19 this coming Saturday, I sat down over the weekend and wrote out 19 little pieces of life wisdom I feel to be true. There’s a lot of wisdoms I could give you, even at the ripe young age of almost-19. Some of us learn a lot and very quickly due to how we grew-up. Some of us learn a bit later in life. Nonetheless, we will always be learning and evolving and the more we know at a young age, the more we can learn down the road. As I mention in #14, life = change. You will always be changing because of the learning, experiences, and growing that takes place. With each year you add on to your life, always take a moment to reflect back on those changes and realize just how crazy, difficult, and beautiful life is and can be.

19 Wisdoms Of Life

1. Every day should be treated as a gift.

2. The body was meant to move. The lungs were meant to breath. Move and breath.

3. Family. They’re the most important ones, so don’t let them go.

4. A hug is one of the greatest gifts.Read More

To Be An Empowered Woman

May 12, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 62 Comments

Empower: To give power or influence, to promote self-actualization. To make strong and confident in one’s life and in claiming their rights.

Do you know how much I love this word? Well I do, a lot! Its definition includes 3 of my absolute favorite words and ones I live by and say every day. Power. Strength. Confidence. Empowerment puts the strength in Strength and Sunshine. Empowerment is something we all hold within us, but sometimes it lies hidden until we realize just how to claim our empowerment and let it guide us in our every day lives.

To women, empowerment may not feel as innate and accessible at first. Women have been seen as weak, timid, submissive, and easily taken advantage of. Women are portrayed all to often as powerless and without the confidence to stand up for themselves or even independent enough to take care and provide for themselves. To me, that’s just unacceptable and needs to change. Women can and ARE empowered, they just need to discover it within themselves and encourage their fellow females to do the same.

Today I’m excited to be partnering with Swoob to promote their empowered women campaign with SABRE and how an active lifestyle can help empower women and increase their safety. You already know that I am a huge advocate for women’s fitness and not being scared to lift heavy, find release, or go the distance. To be empowered you need the confidence that you can take care of yourself and be safe. Fitness can give you all of that and more. In the form of strengthening the muscles, stretching the body, preventing injury, learning how to fuel and nourish yourself, how to establish mental toughness, break barriers, and give the greatest most everlasting confidence possible.Read More