All right. You all have to stop writing such great posts! Or not. Because I do like reading them… 😉

I’ve been compiling a rather large list of random readings over the last few weeks. There are a lot of them this time, but I’m still going to try and write a blip about each, just so you might better know what to focus on – though I do hope you like them all!

1. 10 Words You’ve Probably Been Misusing

I guess I’ll start with where my mind is right now…English stuff. (Meaning language/literature, not Britain…though my mind is always there, too…)

I’m definitely guilty of misusing some of these – “ironic” is one that I always have a hard time remembering its actual use. Which is ironic…I think? 😉

2. Natural Remedies for Acidity

I know that some of you suffer from allergies like I do, and while I’m not sure how many of you also suffer from acid reflux/EOE/GERD, this link might still be interesting to read. I actually learned quite a bit after reading it, and I love how it didn’t tell me to “give up” or “get rid of” certain foods. That’s just annoying.

3. 15 Disgusting Ingredients You’re Eating Right Now

Yeah, um. This is so disturbing. If you’re eating, don’t make the same mistake I did by clicking over to this link – save it for later.

4. Teaching Harry Potter

Here’s another English-y one for you, but I think a lot of you might find this interesting, as I know we all love Harry Potter. And if you don’t, I guess it’s ok…we can still be friends.

I just love the way Mary sets this up. While I don’t know how many people still think of HP as children’s lit, as Mary points out, it’s actually chock-full of social, cultural, racial, and political allusions and themes. Just going through each short paragraph Mary writes had me wanting to go back to each book and look at it through that lens. So interesting!

5. Confession Time: I’m 21 and I’ve Never Had a Boyfriend

Girl power all the way. Even though our society has come a long way (as in, a single, 27-year-old is no longer considered a hopeless spinster), I know there are still stereotypes people cast on women who haven’t had boyfriends in their teens and/or who are still single in their twenties. Much of that pressure comes from within, but this “confession” just made me happy. Why not embrace the situation and let things work themselves out?

6. 8 Reasons Why You Should Join a Gym

Ffion’s list was perfectly succinct and exactly why I’m so glad I’ve had this membership over the summer. There’s just something about gym mentality that you can’t beat at home! Granted, it’s much cheaper to exercise at home, but if the opportunity arises…

7. Vanilla Gorilla

In the mood for a good, hilarious, empowering read? Head on over to Meghan’s Tough Mudder recap. Yeah, she’s pretty bad-ass.

8. Egg-Free, Soy-Free Breakfast Burritos

Isn’t that a great idea? I’ve only recently thought to tackle egg-free breakfast foods, so I was happy to see this post, which did just that. They would be entirely customizable, too, but just the fact that the base is egg-free is refreshing in a world of eggy breakfast foods.

9. What is Clean Eating?

The title pretty much says it all for the post, but I’ll elaborate a bit to say that I loved this. I’m not great at eating clean 100% of the time, but it is something I strive to do. These tips and outlines really drive home just how easy it really can be.

10. 14 Best Vegan and Vegetarian Protein Sources

Elle of Nutritionella posted this a few days ago, but I thought it was definitely worth sharing. When I went Meat-Free in February, I helped myself overcome the myth that the only sources of protein were from animals. People are always surprised to learn that even veggies can be a great source of protein, and hey, we can always use more veggies in our lives! I’m going to send this link on to people the next time I get the “If you don’t eat meat that often how do you get enough protein” question.

11. Is Fruit Bad?

Laura just posted this a few days ago, but again, I wanted to pass it on for those of you who might not have seen it. There are so many of those “fad” diets that tell you what to eat when, what not to eat and why…it’s just plain annoying. Laura makes some fantastic points in this post; it’s definitely worth a read.

12. Best Beginnings/Endings of Books

Here’s another post by Mary – a really interesting one about, well, beginnings and endings of books. There are so many novels that have lines or paragraphs that go unnoticed because of their placements, but I find that often, those beginnings or endings have such power and meaning. FYI, the Harry Potter and Great Gatsby lines gave me chills. So good.

13. S’mores Popcorn

Let’s end on a sweet note, shall we? If you’re going to click this link, by the way, totally disregard number 9. And probably 11. But look back at 6. Ahem.

That’s all I have to say about that.

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Have a great day everyone! Guess what? Tomorrow is FRIDAY!

P.S. One more thought: if anyone would like to pay for this trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Celebration, I would be your best friend and bake you cookies for the rest of our lives. Or cake. Or brownies. Whatever you like. You can decide because you’d be my best friend. Just sayin’.