There are so many great posts that I get to read during the week that I took a page out of many a bloggers’ book and decided to share a round-up of my favorite ten posts each Friday under the label of recommended reads, a round-up which can either be used to make this evening’s commute go by quicker, or to accompany tomorrow morning’s cup of coffee.

I’m also looking for a better name to this feature; any suggestions would be welcome, either in the comments below, by email, or on Twitter!

Recommended Reads on Recasting Current Conceptions

Kaitlyn made a decision recently that goes against what society, mainly through media and conversations, is suggesting; this is her post on how and why she made it, which just might inspire you to make a decision that will recast current conceptions of life.

One such conception is that to prove one’s love on Valentine’s Day, and to make sure that Valentine’s Day is super-duper-amazing romantic, one must spend a lot of time and money.  But that isn’t so, and Alison proves it with there 20 frugal date nights at home ideas.

Recommended Reads That Will Inspire

Inspiration can come from a lot of places and many people; for Michelle Anneliese, inspiration comes from Hannah Hart, and here is why.

Wherever it may come from, inspiration needs to incubate, and one necessary element in all incubation techniques seems to be awareness.  Vicky discusses how to be aware of each moment in this post.

Taking care of one’s physical health is just as important as taking care of one’s emotional and mental health; there is a lot of information out there about various diets and why they are/are not good for you.  Posts like Brittany’s–on what is a pescatarian diet–really help shed light on some of these diets.

Recommended Reads about Personal Development

First off, I think Nina *is* cool.  But her post on why she thinks she isn’t and how this negatively affects her future as a blogger brought to light some insecurities about my blog.  It’s well worth a read and will do any blogger just as much good as an online class about best SEO practices–if not more.

Knowing that successful people, like Erika, made it big despite similar insecurities also comes in handy in keeping the course steady.

Recommended Reads on Community Development

Dichotomies abound.  I have been so focused on getting my blog out there that I forgot how, just like with everything else, bloggers need to help each other, not themselves.  This was most powerfully demonstrated to me by Jason from Opinionated Man, and in this post, he explains why he does it.  Seriously, the man deserves a prize.

Recommended Reads about Health and Beauty

There is a lot to read about chemicals in the products that we use; Tiana’s post about common misconceptions about harmful products in our cosmetics comes in quite handy in making a more informed decision the next time we are picking something up.

Recommended Recipes

Creamy black bean dip?  Yum.