Piper's NOT a big fan of me practicing :/

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10206585462905956&set=o.750505924972543&type=2&theater

This is hilarious, click on the link to see Piper's reaction to me practicing my clarinet at home (which sadly, he doesn't hear too often:)

mama morning out!

Live Life ~ Love Life (see link below for ordering details):

https://www.etsy.com/listing/227937307/live-life-love-life-follow-your-heart?ref=shop_home_active_1

Embrace each moment of your beautiful journey! Your life is YOUR beautiful creation....each moment a sacred step; even in the darker moments...for it is in the moments of darkness when Light will shine the brightest, and give birth to Beauty. This sacred adornment was created to remind you that each moment is a gift!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/227937307/live-life-love-life-follow-your-heart?ref=shop_home_active_1

Golden Milk Recipe

 Ingredients

    3 cups of homemade coconut milk OR 3 cups Almond Milk (unsweetened)

    1 teaspoon Turmeric

    1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon (optional)

    Stevia to taste

    Pinch of black pepper (increases absorption~ optional)

    Tiny piece of fresh, peeled ginger root or ¼ tsp ginger powder

    Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

    Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.

    Pour into a small sauce pan and heat for 3-5 minutes over medium heat until hot but not boiling.

    Drink immediately or chill

Angels Watching Over Me (see link below for ordering details)

https://www.etsy.com/listing/128625602/angels-watching-over-me-five-wrap-memory?ref=shop_home_active_1

hope springs eternal (see link below for ordering details)

Hope Springs Eternal was birthed on an energetically powerful day: Spring Equinox~Solar Eclipse~New Moon. There's some powerful energies blessed in this bracelet!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/226962786/hope-springs-eternal-three-wrap-memory?ref=shop_home_active_1

I Walk My Divine Path (custom order)....see link below if you'd like to order a custom!

off to the post office!!
"I Walk My Divine Path"....custom bracelet created on this VERY potent Spring Equinox/Solar Eclipse/New Moon day....I snuck in a little labradorite stone to hold and support the amazing energies of the day this powerful bracelet was birthed
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DFInspirations

TBT:

visit my shop to see my new Sacred Intention Simply Artistic Series! ...designed to whisper inspiring messages to your heart and soul...

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DFInspirations

Per my weather dog, it's another gorgeous day in the Lowcountry, and breakfast shall be served on the patio.

 

spring has finally arrived in South Carolina...

and what better way to celebrate than to hit the beach....you know, instead of doing school :D



 

New customized offering! I'm VERY excited about this!

New customized offering!  I'm VERY excited about this!  Custom metal stamped charm (personlized the way you want, names of loved ones, affirmations...the sky's the limit, it just has to fit;)... placed onto a crystal/gemstone healing necklace, of your choice!  
https://www.etsy.com/listing/225386043/create-it-your-way-custom-healing?ref=shop_home_active_3

What can I say, I had an Amazing day!

Sending all of you Love and Beautiful Full Moon Blessings. May you be enveloped in a soft blanket of Peace, Joy, and Wellness

it's Friday Fun day....a day early:)

this week, we decided swapping Thursday for Friday, was indeed in order...why?  because we are fair-weather friday fun-day folk!  (how's that for alliteration;)  Today it was 83 degrees...tomorrow is supposed to be a high of about half of that :/  Today we went to our little town's farmer's market, had lunch at our favorite place, outdoors, did some swimming, and we even saved a baby turtle who my girls found swimming in the pool....(he was safely transported from pool to pond....only my mother pointed out that he may become alligator food :(  I hope she's wrong)


this is Miss Brie...grandma and grandpa's girl


this is color....the reason wny I left WI...WI is colorless...and gray and dirty snow on the roads...and friggin' cold...for about 7-8 months a year.
....side note:

end side note:)



Here is baby turtle (I was told he is a baby red-earred slider) being transported from pool to pond, via Thirty-one pouch...he wasn't too keen on the ride there:)



a GREAT day was had by all...hopefully the turtle will live a long and prosperous life in his new home:)

How to Brew Water Kefir (a quick tutorial)

http://nourishedkitchen.com/water-kefir/
Water kefir, a fermented beverage teeming with beneficial bacteria, is remarkably simple to prepare  and often more palatable than other probiotic tonics like kombucha and beet kvass.   Similar in flavor to a dry, slightly fizzy lemonade, water kefir is pleasant and even small children can enjoy it.   When my son was littler than he is now, I’d often fill his cup with diluted water kefir as treat, and he loved the fizzy lemonade, and I loved knowing the treat nourished his growing body.

What is water kefir?

Water kefir, like kombucha, is first cultured by introducing a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts) into sugar water.   The beneficial bacteria and yeasts present in the water kefir grains metabolize the sugar, turning it into an array of beneficial acids and infusing it with beneficial microorganisms, additional B vitamins as well as food enzymes.

Water kefir grains are small, translucent, gelatinous structures   and are comprised of assorted bacteria including lactobacillus hilgardii which gives them their characteristic crystal-like appearance.   When properly cared for and regularly cultured, they produce a wonderful probiotic-rich beverage and will continue to grow and reproduce indefinitely.

Water Kefir Benefits

Water kefir, like most fermented foods, supports gut health and systemic wellness.  The beneficial bacteria in the water kefir grains consume the sugar in the sugar water, and as they metabolize the sugar, they produce a variety of beneficial acids, food enzymes, B vitamins and more beneficial bacteria.  This process of fermentation also reduces the sugar content of the drink.

Water Kefir and Alcohol

Like all fermented beverages, culturing water kefir produces a small amount of alcohol.  The alcohol content of water kefir hovers around 0.5% to 0.75% depending on how long it is brewed, and is typically less than what you find in over-ripe fruit which hovers at 0.9% to 1%.  If you’re concerned about alcohol content in water kefir, you can test your brews with a hydrometer (like this one), often used by home brewers, or read this piece about alcohol content and water kefir.

What You Need to Make Water Kefir

Water Kefir Grains

To make water kefir, you need water kefir grains (available here).  Water kefir grains (or tibicos) are a SCOBY, that is a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeasts.  As you brew water kefir, the grains will grow and reproduce, and you’ll have new grains to give to friends so that they, in turn, can begin culturing water kefir at home.  Water kefir should not be made with milk kefir grains, which are a different composition of beneficial bacteria and yeasts that rely on milk to grow and reproduce.  While you can culture non-dairy liquids (like coconut milk, sugar water, sweetened infusions, etc.) with milk kefir grains, you should return them to milk at least weekly lest they weaken with time.  Water kefir grains, similarly, should be kept only for culturing water kefir.
Water kefir grains proliferate best in a high-mineral environment.  While I prefer plain organic cane sugar in making water kefir, for it offers a cleaner taste and clearer drink, mineral-rich unrefined cane sugars (like jaggery or whole, unrefined cane sugar) work well.  Concentrace, a liquid mineral supplement, also works well to support the health of the water kefir grains by providing them with plenty of minerals.

Equipment for Brewing Water Kefir

To brew water kefir, you’ll need a jar with a loose fitting lid or a bit of cheesecloth.  I use mason jars like these.  For secondary fermentation,  a process that gives water kefir its characteristic fizz, I recommend flip-top bottles.

Print

Water Kefir

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2 quarts

Reminiscent of lemonade, yet milder and less acidic, water kefir or tibicos is a traditional fermented drink. Like most fermented foods and beverages, water kefir is rich in beneficial bacteria and food enzymes.

Ingredients

For Initial Fermentation
• 1/4 cup water kefir grains (available here)
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 dried, unsulphured figs
• 1 lemon, cut in half
• dash concentrace (available here), optional
For the Secondary Fermentation
• 1/2 cup fruit juice OR 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar

Instructions

1. Bring about 6 cups of filtered water to a boil, then stir in the sugar. Continue stirring the sugar into the hot water until it dissolves, then allow it to cool to room temperature.
2. Place the water kefir grains into a 2-quart jar, Pour in the sugar water, and drop in the figs and lemon. Add a dash of concentrace or other liquid mineral supplement, if desired. Cover the jar loosely with a lid, or with cheesecloth secured with cooking twine to allow air in but to prevent stray debris from spoiling your water kefir. Allow the water kefir to ferment for 2 to 3 days. The longer it ferments, the stronger its flavor will become.
3. When the water kefir acquires a flavor that suits you, strain it through a nonreactive (plastic, wood or stainless steel) strainer into a pitcher. Discard the spent lemon and figs, but reserve the water kefir grains which can be immediately recultured or which can be stored in water in the fridge for up to 1 week.
4. While the water kefir can be enjoyed as it is, after its initial fermentation, you can also ferment it a second time. Secondary fermentation allows you to flavor the water kefir, and the secondary fermentation process, which occurs in a tightly capped bottle (like these) allows carbon dioxide to develop, producing a fizzy water kefir.
5. For the secondary fermentation, pour either 1/4 cup fruit juice of your choice or 1 tablespoon organic cane sugar into each of two flip-top bottles (like these). Then pour the water kefir from the pitcher into the bottle, filling them within 1/2 inch to 1 inch of their openings. Seal the bottles, and set them on your countertop to ferment a further 18 to 24 hours, keeping in mind that warm temperatures will speed up the fermentation process while cool temperatures will slow it down. Transfer the bottles of water kefir to the fridge for 3 days to allow the bubbles to set. Open carefully over a sink, as the liquid in the bottle is under pressure, and when you release the bottle's seal, the water kefir may fizz and foam.

Notes

Sugar Substitutes. The beneficial bacteria and yeasts that make up water kefir grains and produce water kefir need caloric sweeteners in order to live, and reproduce. I use organic cane sugar in my water kefir; however, you can substitute unrefined cane sugar (available here), jaggery (available here) or honey. Keeping in mind that honey has some antimicrobial properties and may weaken water kefir grains over time.

I'm really in love with one of my newest bracelets!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/224374133/howlite-trust-crystal-energy-healing?ref=shop_home_active_13