Welcome back! After a bit of a break from Friday Finds following #250 (which you should check out because it includes fun finds from other teachers), I’m excited to get this series going again!
While I strive for it to be a weekly series, I’ve learned that it’s better for life not to put those restrictions on myself, so if you want to make sure you get the latest delivered to your inbox, signup for my email list here. (Be sure and check the box that says “please send new posts to my inbox.”)
Here we are! 250 Friday Finds posts since March 2016. I’ve been soooo excited to post this one for a while now.
The twist is that this list is a culmination of items you sent to me that you either discovered and loved from this weekly series or were items you would include if you were to publish your own list! I hope you enjoy this special celebration week.
I also wanted to give you a heads up that this will be the last Friday Finds for a couple of months as I will be out of the country with my husband for a month-long trip to Europe to celebrate our 20th Anniversary. I’ll be back with the series in early November and look forward to the next 250!
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Submitted By Rebekkah Maxner
The Friday Find I wanted to mention that touched my heart was about a mom who had cancer, but she and her husband chose not to tell their kids about her prognosis. They maintained a home atmosphere that spared their kids from worrying or making choices based on their mom’s illness.
I felt that was so selfless and likely contributed to her prolonged quality of life. What a gift to have given her kids — years of living in sunshine instead of under a cloud. She gave them a childhood defined by innocence.
Don’t forget – I need your help! Next week will be #250 of this series. My goal is for it to be a culmination of the best items YOU’VE discovered from this series.
You can drop me an email or comment directly on this blog post. (It would also help me greatly if you could include any links.)
Thank you so much for taking a moment to share back with me and other teachers who enjoy this series!
Can you believe we are 248 posts into this series?! Writing a weekly “goodies” series was one of the first things I wanted to do when I started this blog in 2016.
As we approach the next big milestone, I need your help! I would love for #250 to come from YOU. Specifically, would you share the BEST items you discovered from a Friday Finds post?
It could be a recipe I linked to that is now a staple for your family, a new resource, a fun video, one of my Spotify playlists…ANYTHING.
You can drop me an email or comment directly on this blog post. It would also help me a lot if you could include any links.
I’ll gather your favorites over the course of the next two posts before the big #250 hits. Thank you so much, teacher friends, for your continued enthusiasm for this series!
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A few online teacher friends got some updates to their websites. Check them out!
My husband is dying to try it. Fried chicken this week, anyone?
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In our technology-driven world, one of the best things we can do for ourselves is to be intentional about learning how to use the programs we use daily well. Shortcuts can be a powerful tool for smooth workflow and productivity.
Here are a few useful tips if you use Chrome as your browser:
Speaking of podcasts, I’ve been looking for a new news podcast for a change of pace. My brother recently recommended The Last Debate Podcast. I’ve really been enjoying it! It drops twice a week and is a well-balanced look at what’s going on in the news from both sides in a 100% non-confrontational way.
My mom grew up in Northeast Ohio around large Amish communities, and our area also has many Amish communities. There is something very peaceful and nostalgic to me about learning from their practices.
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As I started building and mapping out our upcoming European trip, I came across this video of some great Google Map Features from my favorite YouTube tech guy.
Apparently, I have a thing about sharing favorite shoes. Last week it was the Sanuk Yoga Joy flip-flop. This week it’s the Chaco Zcloud Sandal. Good shoes are tricky, so I don’t regret talking shoes!
Congratulations to Midnight Music on the new website!
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It’s always sad to hear of the passing of influential pedagogies of our time. In recent years ones that quickly come to mind include Dr. Edwin E. Gordon and Forrest Kinney.
This week’s goodies list calls of summer. Who doesn’t love strawberry season? Let’s kick the first few items off this week’s list with some of my favorite strawberry recipes!
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Ina’s Easy Strawberry Jam is absolutely AMAZING. Including a few blueberries and chopped apple gives it a gorgeous color and texture.
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You almost can’t call this recipe a recipe, but Almond Butter Strawberry-Toast is a lovely and simple combination. I first discovered this combination from Giada de Laurentii’s book Feel Good Food which I blogged about years about here.
I see some people online sprinkling over things like coconut, julienned basil, chia seeds, or toasted nuts. Toasted shaved almonds or pistachios would be my topper of choice but I usually just like it simple!
Nice for a small crowd. I love the variety of fruit as well as the inclusion of bananas. Just don’t put the bananas in until you’re ready almost to serve. A little sweet sauce mixture pulls it all together and gives it a nice gloss.
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My favorite flip-flop for at least 5 years has been the Sanuk Yoga Joy.
They’re made of yoga material and even though there’s not necessarily built-in arch support, I can walk in these shoes almost all day with no problems. I buy a new pair almost every summer and own both metallic colors: Pewter and Champagne.
I’ve tried the Sanuk “Yoga Spree” and they are not nearly as comfortable as the “Yoga Joy.”
Do you have any exciting summer reads lined up? I decided to go on a kick covering all the books from one of my newest favorite psychological-thriller authors, Ruth Ware.
She only has 7 books, and I had read two previously, so my plan is to binge the rest this summer and am already two more down. Are any other psychological-thriller fans out there? If so, let me know some recommendations below!
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Break into the summer tunes with my Summer playlist on Spotify. Use it as a starting point for starting your own seasonal playlist!
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Do you ever great tired of buying chicken broth? The cost can really add up if you use it a lot – especially in the winter months. I love making my own homemade stock but it’s a bit labor-intensive. Recently I discovered homemade bouillon powder. Brilliant! I’ve only made it once and used it in one recipe, but I’m excited to keep trying it out.
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I’ll admit I almost tried the online hack of storing avocados in water in the fridge but never got around to it. According to this article, it sounds like it was a good thing as the FDA is warning against it.
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My newest piano buddy, Janna, is killing it online with her wonderful teaching videos. Here’s one on Lesson Planning. She always has great advice and insight.
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Speaking of piano buddies, be sure you don’t miss out on two of the most popular episodes of the Piano Pantry Podcast so far
Speaking of the podcast, I’ve updated the podcast page here on Piano Pantry. It includes some screenshots showing you how to subscribe on desktop or mobile, or how to rate and review on Apple Podcasts. It’s not always intuitive!
After staying at my house (and sleeping in my studio space – ha!) during the MTNA 2022 conference, Janna was inspired to do a tour of her studio!
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Teacher Anna Haugen has a website called “Midlife Creative.” She recently did an artist feature post on a woman who makes incredible homemade pizza every Friday night for her family. The kind of pizza she makes is the kind of pizza of I love but don’t take enough effort to make regularly. I’m thinking it’s time for that to change…
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Jennifer Foxx hit a tender spot in my heart when she recently shared a new playlist on Spotify she’s been developing called “Feel Good Songs.” Follow her and give it a listen!
This short 5-minute video taught me some really amazing keyboard shortcuts! Even if you don’t use Evernote, many of these are applicable in other programs.
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A great post on using devices for music reading and hands-free page-turning. (Creative Piano Teacher)
Over the last few weeks, I have found myself incredibly addicted to a YouTube channel called Honeyjubu. She is a Korean woman who Vlogs about home life and food. I’ll just say there has been some serious binge-watching going on.
In the process, I also discovered a similar one called Hamimommy.
Do you have any favorite Vlog channels you follow on YouTube? Let me know in the comments!
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Thanks to Leila Viss for telling me about the “Everything Happens” podcast by Kate Bowler. Recently, I really enjoyed the episode with novelist Ann Patchett.
Oh my goodness, you have to take 5 minutes to actually read and process each of these 14 logos. So fun!
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For Easter each year, we drive 50 minutes immediately following church to an extended family pitch-in lunch for my husband’s side of the family. Due to having to pack up food prior to church and have it sit for 3 hours in our car before the meal, I always do easy things that can survive without heat or refrigeration (or be OK with a simple ice pack).
Apparently, I have a thing about sharing favorite shoes. Last week it was the 
