Water Kefir, New Beginnings, & World Travel

Hi! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! It has been super busy and simply crazy around here.
Well, let's see...let's start with my new healthy project. Last week I ordered some water kefir grains from Erin, The Awesome Water Grains Lady and this week I started my first batch of homemade water kefir. I've got my first batch brewing in a kitchen cabinet as we speak, and I should be able to taste test it tonight as it has been the required 48 hour fermenting time period. Yep, I am excited!!

Are you aware of all the benefits of consuming probiotics (all those friendly bacteria)? I have just recently discovered that about 80% of our immune system is found in our gut. (Unsure of where I came across this awesome information-will post when I find it). With this new found knowledge I decided I would begin my family on some water kefir. I am nervous and excited all at the same time. I realize that fermenting means there is alcohol, so I will be careful of that. To my understanding the amount of alcohol in water kefir is actually quite small and we will start out slooowwwllyyyyyy. Small amounts to start, for sure.

*My first batch of water kefir brew*

Later on, after I get the grains established I will experiment with other recipes.( A nifty little list of recipes was included with my order..yay!) One that I am looking forward to trying is the coconut water kefir. I love coconut water so this one only seems natural!!

Other exciting news of the week: My hubby, who is a Civil Engineer, stepped out onto his own. He is embarking on the journey of starting up his own Civil Engineering firm. This is so exciting as he has been working very hard towards this goal for years. I am so proud of him and know that he will do amazing things.

Go check out my hubby's website. He has done some amazing design work. Let me know what you think!! www.rockychambers.com

Being that we only have one computer (yes, we haven't YET joined the world of laptop owners) my postings will generally only fall on Sundays (this past Sunday didn't happen as we had a birthday party to attend). He is working from home now which is great but interesting all at the same time: trying to keep 2 of our kids (under the age of five) and the other kids I babysit during the week quiet is sometimes challenging. But, God is so good and I know we can do this as he finds clients and eventually gets his own office. I am thankful for babysitting moolah as it is paying for us to eat right now. ;-)


We finished the week off with a bang: with an amazing couple's massage (which we had won at their open house) at Body Mechanics Massage Therapy in Ooltewah, TN. Oh this was an absolutely PERFECT way to end the week. Every tension ache and pain was soothed away. Very relaxing!! Wonderful massage therapists!

We also discussed the possibility of taking a couple of years off (after we make enough during the next two years to pay the house off as well as the student loans) My husband is planning on planting an extensive vineyard and orchard here on our property so, needless to say...I am NOT wanting to sell. So, after all of those biggies are payed off we may just hit the open seas on a sailboat. Hey why not?? As my sweet husband put it, "What better way to teach the kids about geography than to travel the world?" I plan on homeschooling them for a couple of years, so I could just as easily "sea school" them. hahahaha! More to come on the the adventures of sailing around the world to come later. Stay tuned!

A Photoshoot: An Artistic Outlet

This post is just like the title puts it, a bit about art. There is no getting around the fact that I am drawn to the arts. I am passionate about many artistic avenues, and many of those avenues act as wonderful artistic outlets for me.

Not only do I enjoy being behind the camera I enjoy being in front of the camera (when I manage to fix my self up, which being a mother seems to be now, only on special occasions). For a brief period of time (I kept it short as I really did not want to pursue modeling if it was going to keep me away from my family, as they are most important to me). I'm too short (5'5) and frankly getting too old to really do much with it...okay, I know 31 isn't old, but in the modeling world..possibly. I look at the fun I have in front of the camera as an artistic outlet. It's fun, freeing, and gives me peace. I'd like to do more of it. The more creative the shot, the better!

During the short period of time I dabbled in the joys of modeling (I'd say it was really no more than two years total) I had the privilege of working with some outstanding photographers. I would have to say my favorite photographer during that time period would have to be David Fournier http://photofurnace.blogspot.com also check him out at http://www.modelmayhem.com/78695


I try to keep up with those photographers I've worked with to keep up to date with their current work. I can see that David's work truly does keep getting better and better. Not only does his work inspire me to get back into modeling, but it also inspires me to pursue photography. Seriously, check out his work! Awesome work, indeed!

The next shots were taken of me during my photo shoot with David back in 2008. It was a fun night time shoot overlooking the city. This particular shoot was very enjoyable. One of my favorite parts about the shoot was that my hubby was there and he was so gracious to help hold up the lights. The hubby is way awesome like that...he was always my escort for the photo shoots (you know, just in case I encountered a shady character which I never did). And having him as my escort worked out perfectly because he got to join me in many shots in various shoots (I will post more pics from other shoots at a later time),


I must say that having spent a bit of time in front of the camera that I now have a much better understanding of the photography process at both ends of the camera..I believe all photographers should model from time to time to truly understand both sides...

One of my favorite shots from the shoot!

Thought this was a very creative idea for a night shoot!

Wow! I had some seriously red hair. Oh how I love all natural, chemical-free henna!!

Special Delivery: Dark Chocolates and Chia Seeds..Oh Yeah!

Okay, so let's say I purchase an item online and it arrives in the mail..yep I get all giddy and honestly it feels as if it is my birthday or something. Well, this past week I received two items in the mail. One package contained some delicious dark chocolate from XOCAI (www.thechocolateanswer.com).
I came across Rick, an independent distributor for this company on another site (for the life of me I can't recall the name of the site) discussing the benefits of eating dark chocolate. I was delighted that he offered to send me a sampling of the chocolate goodness. I was impressed and I highly recommend this chocolate. Needless to say this sampling did not stick around for long.
I've got my eyes on other brands of dark chocolate (looking for the most affordable and best tasting, yet without losing any important nutrition this special treat could deliver. I am not opposed to enjoying a small square of dark chocolate daily. It makes me happy. ;-)  I'm sure I will post my thoughts on those other brands when my taste buds take a spin on those...

Here are some links with info on some of the benefits of eating dark chocolate in moderation.

http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/p/chocolate.htm
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20030827/dark-chocolate-is-healthy-chocolate

http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Nutrition-Vitamins/5-10-19DarkChocolateBenefits.htm

Yum!

The next package contained 12 lbs of chia seeds from www.chiaseedsdirect.com. I was quite impressed with their prompt shipping and get this...free shipping! I can easily live with free shipping, especially since I love ordering online whenever possible. Being a mother to two kids under the age of five this is so wonderful! The chia seeds are also so fresh! I was pleased that not only would I be getting free shipping, but they were on sale..oh yeah, score! I will definitely be ordering from them again, but my guess is it won't be for awhile because we did just order 12 lbs..but, since I use them so often they will probably go quickly!

So, in case you aren't aware of all the health benefits of those chi chi chi chia seeds...well, here are a few links to feast your eyes upon:

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/chia.html

http://healthmad.com/nutrition/the-health-benefits-of-the-chia-seed/

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA365093/Chia-for-Health.html

So do you all get excited when you get special packages in the mail? What are your favorite things to get? Also, do you like dark chocolate? If so, what is your favorite brand? I'm open to suggestions!

Wordless Wednesday: Hydration Love, Gardening, Kids Time

"Make it a Great Day!" Optimism is Healthy.

The following short video of my daughter are simply words of wisdom from a pint-sized individual..;-) Words to truly live by. My kids mimic me when I say this to them (yes, complete with the cheesy thumbs up and all)...I thought this was pretty precious and had to share! Remember, you can CHOOSE to have a GREAT day! When you wake up in the morning you can choose to have either a bad day or a good day. Rough times are certain..I mean, seriously, this is life and no one lives in a bubble. It's how we choose to look at our day that will determine if life's struggle will weaken us or make us stronger. In my humble opinion, I would say that attitude and our level of optimism would affect our wellness journey as well. If we are happy our bodies may just follow suit.
Optimism wasn't always something that came naturally to me..in fact, just like my wellness journey, it is a daily adventure. In my past (well, honestly, I believe it creeps up on me every now and then still) I suffered from very poor self esteem. I wasn't very optimistic at those times..So, I have made up my mind to instill optimism to my children..When people are optimistic it is contagious, just like a smile is.


Make it a great day! from Kelly Chambers on Vimeo.

Wordless Wednesday: Week in Review

Wedding Memories (Wordless Style)..

I have been reflecting over my wonderful marriage recently to my amazing hubby and decided (after being influenced by Angela from the Oh She Glows Blog) that it would be fun to do a wordless post for some wedding pictures. The husband and I will be going on 7 years of wedded bliss this coming July 6. I am so blessed to have this amazing man in my life. Okay, this doesn't look too "wordless" as of yet..just wait. ;-)