Motivational Monday

Yup, it's Monday. The world's most hated day of the week. You rise, you shine, you flip everyone off in traffic. There seems to never be enough coffee. Your couch is calling your name. The clock ticks slowly, and I mean sloooowwwwly. Now don't get me wrong, I can be the most Negative Nancy on the planet but I am making a point that every week I have my Motivational Monday. They say positivity can increase your endorphins, produce better blood flow and make you an overall happier person. So why not start your week off right? Whether it be trying something new, sitting on a eight machine and just watching people work out, or sifting through hundreds of quotes on Pinterest (my method), motivate yourself. Whatever it takes. Here are my latest favorite words of wisdom and I just can't get enough. P.S if you don't have a Pinterest board you need one.Now.

                            

                                      

                                    

                       

     

Xoxo,

Jessie Leigh

The Rollercoaster Ride

Life never ceases to amaze me. The twists, the turns, ups and downs. I never seem to be able to keep up. Just when you think events are leveling out, the good will overcome the bad, life smacks you across the face and drops you right back down to where you started.

I never was the easy child. The youngest of three, I always challenged myself and everyone else for that matter with my personality, my creativity and most of all, my faith. I've never been one to openly discuss my religion, my beliefs or frankly anything that I stand for but I guess this is what happens in your mid twenties. You open your eyes, let more light in and really see things for what they are sometimes. Shit. Complete and utter shit. I've realized that in life, you have no control. Despite everything you do, things change, time keeps moving, people come and go but the ride just keeps going. It never stops. It never lets you come up for air, catch your breath and regain your strength. It screams at you to hold on and just keep going. Keep going? Seriously? But sometimes I just want to fall down and give up. But I can't. Because the ride doesn't ever stop.Ever.

My whole life is made up of memories with friends, family, things. All of which at one point or another will be gone in time. I've sat and thought, why am I Here? Why do I exist in this world? I've talked to God in more ways then one, begging for him to answer these questions. But what I've realized, with no response yet, is that I am simply in charge of my own existence. My own life. My own destiny. If I'm unhappy, do something that will make me happy. Change my own fate. Take an instance, a moment and turn it around for the better. The only one that will do it is me.

I used to be so scared of what everyone thought about what I had to say. What I believed in. I would forget to just speak my mind if my feelings were hurt, if someone made me feel amazing and most of all when I met people that made me thankful for the gift of life. I forgot to speak what I wanted, what I needed in my heart, in my mind and most of all in this life. You read it in books, women finding themselves through tragedy like Cheryl Strayed in Wild, through divorce like Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat ,Pray,Love or through loneliness like Katie Heaney in Never Have I Ever. The thing is, there are so many roads to the sanctuary of happiness.

This weekend has taught me alot of things. Through tragedy, it has taught me to always speak my mind and my feelings, for you never know when you won't be able to any longer. Through loss, as hard as it may be in the moment, my heart and mind will overcome with my good old companion named time. I won't always understand why God works in mysterious ways. Why he brings some people into our lives and then takes them away. But what I do know, and what I have learned at my ripe old age of 26 is to always be thankful for my time with them, for each person has inflicted something on me that will sit within me for the rest of my life. I may cry, I may laugh and I may struggle but I will always come back from it. Every.Single.Time. I guess my point here is, I'd rather people know that everyone falls apart, even if we don't show it, talk about or express it. We all have our struggles, our heartbreaks, our ride that just never stops. In the words of Meredith Grey, " the carousel never stops turning."

The Rock Salt Ice Cream Maker

Definitively an exciting time here in sunny California. El Niño is striking in full force and while most other states are covered in a blanket of snow, we are having nothing but sunshine and no one knows what to do about. Pump the A/C? Skip work for a day and head to the beach? One thing that is for sure on my mind is some freezing cold ice cream.

Growing up and still to this day, my family summers were/are spent at our lake house, complete with the whole family, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles. You name it, they were there. It was always a thing for us to invite friends up for the weekend, making the three story house packed with people so full that every inch of the main living room was covered in blankets and sleeping bags and no one even cared. The sun would rise, everyone would get up for the morning water ski ride, enjoy a sausage and egg breakfast and before we knew it, the clock had struck noon, the sun was hot & lunch was beginning to be prepared. 

My Grandparents purchased the house back in the 1950's, still having much of its vintage flair to this day. For years, even after both my Grandparent's passings, their belongings remained as a part of the house, untouched & undisturbed. Besides gathering dust, they really had no role, except for supplying the family with sentimental reminders here and there. The family eventually pitched in time together & rid the house of the things that weren't necessary and kept very few pieces that were irreplaceable one of which was the rock salt ice cream machine. Vanilla, Chocolate, you name it, we had at some point made every flavor ice cream on that machine.  

As the weather has been shifting, I can't help but be reminded of the day's my mom & I would churn the ice cream on our back patio, watching it thicken slower than molasses & our mouths simply watering at just the eager thought of the first bite. The machine had to be churned by hand, a tedious task, but the outcome was rewarding being that the ice cream was always 100% homemade. With strawberries being part of my favorite addition to the spring season, I experimented in making this tremendously creamy,fresh & rich ice cream that I sure hope you will enjoy as much as I do, and may it continue to become a potential staple as it has in mine, reminding me of some amazing childhood memories.

*Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream is listed in the Recipe section of the blog on the home page.*

*P.S.- Using a rock salt ice cream machine is very different than the modern day ice cream machines. If you want to make the most homemade flavor, be sure to use rock salt. You will not be sorry. 

Enjoy! 

Jessie Leigh