$2.99 can go a long way when you spend it on something that makes you smile every time you look at it :) I want to give you this gift of a simple yet beautiful bouquet of flowers!

 Hello Friends!

I'm just eating dinner, and wanted to share some of my favorite meals.  Its all gluten free and can be vegan.

Sauteed Mushrooms
This one is so basic and yet so delicious.  I love button mushrooms, the typical white mushrooms you see at any store.

So you just cut the mushrooms however you like.  If I'm in a rush I'll chop them up smaller, if I feel like really enjoying the meaty texture I'll just chop them in half.  Then through them in a pot/pan with paprika, pepper and butter.  Cook until they are ready.

If you want to make it vegan use olive oil and leave out the bacon referenced below.  I think adding onions and garlic make everything better.  If you want to make it more elaborate or more of a dish to serve, adding zucchini and green onion/leeks and bacon would be delicious.

Baked Potato ​(really cheap)
Baked potatoes are one of the healthiest easiest complete meals you could make.  Just wrap the potato in tin foil, I like to add a little olive oil inside of the tin foil and put it in the oven, I usually cook it at 350, that way I can let it cook, and go do other stuff.  I'll come back to check on it every 30 minutes.  When you think its close to done you can just turn off the oven and leave the potatoes in until you are ready to eat.  Then chop up all the toppings you'd like to enjoy or have your family enjoy.  If you are interested in keeping it on the healthy side you can chop up what every veggies sound good, personally I love paprika, so I would probably do a blend of veggies very finely chopped and sauteed with paprika.  Paprika just gives that delicious smoky flavor of bbq sauce.  Of course I'd have sauteed onions and sauteed garlic (keeping them seperate) and raw green onions, leeks, or chives.  I like to add a little butter or bbq sauce as well, but that that is what is so great about baked potatoes!  The topping options are endless.  

Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes don't get enough credit in my opinion.  You can cook them any way you like, just like regular potatoes and they are deliciously sweet, healthy and very satisfying.  I usually chop them up, put them on a baking pan with whole garlic and chopped onions and bake them,  I'll add a little olive oil and maybe a shot of water.  If you want to spice it up you can use a different type of oil like walnut oil, peanut oil, macadamia oil...  Salt and pepper to taste.  And done.  Simple and delicious.

Other seasonings that go great with sweet potatoes are rosemary, thyme, paprika, or curry.  But not blended together!

Just finished another book!  I love reading.  I find it very relaxing and one of the best ways to communicate to someone close to you what you wish they would do.  When I finished the book, I asked my mom to put "Shadows Before Dawn" at the top of her list of books to read.  What I really love about this is that we read a lot of the same books and this gets us on the same or more level communication field.

Personally I think everyone should read this book.  I was hesitant to buy it, because its about self love, and I didn't really understand what self love meant.  I was also uncomfortable to even talk about it, so I did feel very in the dark.  But now after reading this book, that I will for sure come back to, I think our society (American/Western) has been lead away from self love or our truest form of joy and happiness.  I can't count how many times I have heard someone say "I've got to go to work" with a sound of dread in their voice.

In this book you'll learn wonderful techniques to trust your self, to practice choosing happiness, and that prioritizing your own happiness is not self centered.  There is a difference and Teal explains it very well.

Just imagine what would your life be like if you truly loved every single aspect of it?  What would it be like if your family or significant other loved every single aspect of their life?  What if every person you dealt with truly loved every single aspect of their life?  When you go to the coffee shop you laugh because the barista is so funny (because they love their job that much); or when your child comes home so happy and excited to show you all the amazing things he did and learned in school (because her teacher loved their job that much); when your auto mechanic truly gave you the best deal (because he loved every single thing in his life, including his job that much) that he wanted to see you well taken care of; or when your spouse comes home excited to share how their day went, and all the things that happened that made them think of you...

Practicing happiness, or to honor what you love/makes you feel the most loved has a ripple effect.  I know that I like to be around happy people with a can do attitude better than upset people who think there is no solution for anything.  Please join me in the happiness revolution!  In Shadows Before Dawn one tool that Teal Swan teaches is if ever in doubt make your decisions according to one questions: What would someone who loves themselves do?  I know this sounds dumb, but I have vowed to live all of 2017 according to what would make me the happiest, that I love, or makes me feel the most loved.  So far I am enjoying my days a lot more, bad days are not so bad, I've even liked my body better.  Just as any ripple effect, it effects a lot of other things, sometimes that we will never see the direct results to, but that doesn't mean that it didn't happen.  You already make the world a better place just because you are here, now you can intentionally make the world EVEN better by prioritizing your happiness and love!

<3

I ripped this recipe out of House Beautiful, it looks so delicious, I can't wait to try it, but I wanted to share it too.

                                                              Sweet Pea Spread
2 scallions, roughly chopped
1T finely grated fresh ginger (use a Microplane)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic
2 T yellow miso
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup raw cashews
1 lb. frozen baby peas
Salt and Pepper to taste

Put everything but the cashews, peas, salt & pepper in a food processor and pulse until blended.  Add the cashews and 1 1/2 cups of peas.  Pulse until chunky, then pulse in the rest of the peas to your desired consistency.  Season to taste.  To make this canape, dollop the spread on crackers of your choice.
                ....................................................................................................................
Added bonus, peas are very high in protein :)

This is a Microplane -------->

This weekend was a good weekend, but also a giant alarm that my body was screaming at me.  While I'm not a doctor, and for any medical issues you should consult your doctor, or two, or three...  I'd like to bring up the gluten free subject.  Its a controversial topic, some people flaunt that they are gluten free, often if there is someone in the group that is gluten free that limits the restaurant options, these people can even be embarrassing about it.  Some people say the whole gluten free topic is a whole lot of BS, and there are some people that are seriously allergic (celiac disease).   

Now that you know I'm just sharing my opinion, and can't be held accountable for any medical advice.  I very strongly believe that almost every ailment can be eliminated and most definitely feel some relief by cutting out gluten.  I am speaking from personal experience, and seeing the dramatic benefit in my mom, and when my closest friend decided to see what would happen if she stopped eating gluten if she would still get migraines. Her migraines dramatically decreased!!!!!

Gluten causes inflammation in the body.  How that inflammation shows up in your body will be different from the person standing next to you.  One person may be Celiac, where as the next will have no reaction at all.  Most of us are some variation between the two extremes.  For the majority of us that are somewhere on that middle ground eating gluten free can cure a much larger list of ailments than I can possibly describe here.  It can end headaches, arthritis, relieve period symptoms, give you clearer skin, improve your teeth and gums, make your stomach problems, or IBS problems go away, oh yeah you'll definitely loose weight too...  These I've seen happen in myself or someone close to me - BUT I've also heard it can help with ADHD, and diabetes.  I know these are very bold statements, but if eating a certain way could cure any of your ailments would you at least give it a try?

The way to truly tell if you are sensitive/allergic or not is to cut it out completely for a solid month.  I would also encourage you to keep a food / mood journal.  Record what you eat and how you are feeling throughout the day.  At the end of the 30 days eat whatever you want.  Eat how you used to.  If you want to have a pasta night, beer & pizza, or a delicious gluten rich dessert, go for it! Enjoy!  BUT also notice how you feel for the next couple days, record it and compare it to your notes.  You may or may not like what you learn about yourself.  

I used to have very bad stomach problems, it would feel like someone punched me in the stomach, and it would happen out of no where.  The pain was so bad that I couldn't breath.  I would carry tums in all of my bags because I never knew when it was going to hit.  I knew that I was on the way to developing IBS, and as far as I knew there was no cure.  I also used to get headaches a lot, sometimes they would last for a couple days.  And I used to have very bad acne.  I would like to share that my process of becoming gluten free was not all at once, it was over a 5 year period, and I would still sometimes cheat; I'd have a beer or a slice of pizza or a donut every once in a while.  After this weekend I'll think twice before 'cheating'... I got carried away and had a little bit too much gluten.  But my brother was in town and I wanted to hang out with him, and go to where he wanted to go... Bars usually have a very limited gluten free selection...

I guess my sensitivity has increased because this time after the first beer I got a headache.  And then I realized, wow, I haven't had a headache in a REALLY long time... "That sucks! I really can't have gluten!"  

Sometimes its fun to just enjoy the food, and not worry about what it will do to you, but what do you really want?  Do you want to enjoy that beer/cake/pizza/donut?  Or would you like to feel good?  In my case I want to feel good.  So when I put two and two together, I enjoyed that Guinness as I said good bye to beer.

Going gluten free, or even testing it out for a month may seem like an overwhelming or even depressing idea, but there are lots of solutions.  When I go out to eat I always push for Thai, Japanese, or Mexican - a majority of the menu is gluten free.  For my drinkers, wine, vodka, gin, and tequila are gluten free.  If you are cooking at home, rice, potatoes, and corn (tortilla chips) are naturally gluten free.  Obviously salad is a fantastic alternative, just hold the croutons if you are doing the test month ;)  I do go out to eat a lot, and I can almost always find something on the menu that is gluten free, or easy to modify.  If you are celiac that is a bigger challenge.  You can have wonderful intimate dinners at home!  You will actually save money by eating gluten free in the long run, especially if you eat mostly at home.  Its just the gluten free carb alternatives that are expensive.   Over time you will crave less, and your health will improve both of these will lead to some serious financial benefit - oh yeah, I never get sick anymore.  
Now that I am gluten free I don't miss it.  I love that I don't need to take medications, and I can eat as much as I want, eating A LOT more vegetables is something nobody needs to be concerned with :)  ​I'll share more gluten free recipes on here, so stay tuned.  I'd love to hear how your gluten free challenge went! Post your results, experiences, struggles and solutions on here!

Enjoy each bite to a healthier, happier, hotter, more vibrant you <3

Hello Beauties.

Art is one of my favorite modes of communication. Probably because I communicate much better with my hands, than speaking. I can write you a 6 page letter to describe one feeling, and I think that color holds even more communication than any word. I hope that you are enjoying my heart journals, and I would really encourage you to try it out for your self. It can take less than 5 minutes, and I bet you'll feel very satisfied. Most of the time I begin to draw my heart because of an uncomfortable feeling, but I always feel better after finishing just one picture. They are not always pretty, just like our emotions. But just like our emotions all of the colors exist for a reason, and when matched with the right match they are surprisingly beautiful. My hearts that I will share today I don't think need much description, I do believe that they communicate plenty just as an image. But more importantly I want to share the relief that I feel afterwards. Just from acknowledging how I feel makes it loving.

Try it for your self, draw or even scribble your current state and see what comes from it.
​

Big Magic is a book for any creative type!  Its a wonderful easy read to enjoy curled up on the couch, if you are someone that wants your creativity to be your source of income but are scared, if you just want to spice things up a bit, or even if you are feeling a little stuck.  There truly is big magic everywhere, and it can be in the tiniest things; I actually think its in those tiny moments that are sometimes the most pivotal in life.  

What I really loved about this book is that it gave me a different perspective on starting my business and my own creativity.  I am one of those people that was scared to start because I don't think I am good enough, and so don't want to put myself out there until its perfect.... And so the internal battle continues.  For those of you that know about personality types I am a melancholy, the perfectionist, that is sometimes annoying to be around, or that you want in your group project because you know that they will help you get the A...   Big Magic helped me let go a bit, which was wonderful and magical in it self.  I would often call projects "my baby" - I laughed out loud when I go to that chapter.  But Elizabeth Gilbert's spin on creativity gave me new life.  It helped me get into an alignment that I had only had when I was a child, and actually completely forgot about until this moment.  Creativity is fun just in it self, and that is enough.  Enough for me; and it just makes the world a better place.  I absolutely love to see people decked out in an outfit that they love, to see those Christmas houses we all go to see, because they are in the newspaper every year, or an artist painting in public.  These people probably don't make very much money from living their passion or even if its just a hobby, but they make the world a better place by making someone smile, and letting other people experience that breath taking "awe" moment.  That in it self makes it worth it.

Big Magic is also an influence to starting this blog, which I love so much (thank you).  With each article I love this blog more are more.  So please do let your creativity shine, it will make someone's day better, it will make someone smile, it might be the inspiration someone else needed.  You may even be blessed to earn a living from it!

Bring forth your creativity in what ever way feels good to you today, or even right now <3

For each person that reads this blog, I want to say thank you.  I'm sending you love, I hope that there is something beneficial, helpful and enjoyable to each one of you.  I cannot believe that I already have 250 views on this page, I started this blog for myself in November.  I still have not told anyone about this blog, and so I am thrilled that I have so many views! Thank you, Thank you, Thank  you!  I'd also like to thank you, for continuing to check out what I have to share, I am learning how to manage a website and blog...

In celebration of you I just made leaving comments available.  I'd really love to hear what things have moved you or really worked for you; AND I'd love people to share their own heart portrait (pretty or not).  

​Sending you love, Jessica

Would you like incredible hair?  I'm betting you would all love to know a little secret.  The solution is so simple and actually really cheap.  No need to buy expensive luxurious hair masks, or go to the salon for a deep hydration treatment.  All you really need is to look in your kitchen or pantry.  Olive oil is my secret!  Who would have guessed?!?  All you need to do is put however much you think suits your hair for at least 20 minutes before you wash your hair.  You can do it as often as you like, but I'd recommend at least once a week to get your hair back to its healthiest.  

I've tried everything, olive oil is my favorite for its smell, texture and price.  
Coconut oil is recently very popular, it works ok, but it doesn't really get into the roots, it stays on the surface, but it is amazing as a lotion!
Raw egg is supposed to be good for protein, but its really messy.
Honey, is ok its very sticky, and I didn't notice a huge difference in my hair.
I have heard of a honey, egg, and olive oil mix, I don't see how that wouldn't be nice, but its a lot of effort, compared to just olive oil.
Avocado works really well but its kind of expensive.
Ketchup works for moisturizing and it takes the chlorine out of your hair for those blonde swimmers.
Mayonnaise works really well to moisturize but the smell is a little too much.
And yes beer does work really well to make your hair shiny.

But after trying everything olive oil is my favorite for its price, convenience, and how healthy my hair is immediately after washing it!  A $16 jug of olive oil from Costco can last you almost a year.  And over time you will see a lot less split ends.  I can promise you this.

I'm sharing my secret <3  This is how I have taken care of my hair for years.  I put olive oil in my hair every time before I wash it.  If I don't have a lot of time or if my hair is very ratty I'll drench my hair in olive oil.  But even if you just put a little in your hair it works wonders.  Over time if you are consistent your hair stylist will be amazed at how healthy it is!