Carol Shwanda

Couple Time Alone on a Sunday Drive

Carol — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:12:55 +0000

Before the Super Bowl on Sunday, Paul and I took a ride up a country rode into the mountains to stop by a store I’ve been meaning to visit for a long time, the Ben Lomond Mountain Feed and Farm Supply. What a charming and inviting country store. A series of stores, actually. A gift shop, a cooking store (where I tasted basil and garlic infused local honey) and a feed shop. Plants and gardening supplies along with really neat lawn decoration. Paul and I have plans to clean up our side yard and turn it into a vegetable garden this spring. I loved the stores, and I especially loved the private little getaway with my husband.

My Favorite Place

Carol — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:55:23 +0000

I’ve written about this before, but I can’t help but mention it again, I LOVE my studio. My husband built my art studio as a wedding present and it is by far my favorite room in the house, except it’s not in the house. It is in a building at the back of our property. My husband’s office is right next to mine. We get to work side by side. I love having my own special place. I come out here early in the morning before the kids are up and drink my chai and write. On weekends I am working on my SeaweedArt and in the evenings I write some more and sometimes read. It is my sanctuary. Thank you dearest husband for building this for me.

Weight Loss, the Best Kind of Loss

Carol — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:21:57 +0000

In spite of nibbling on a little guacamole during the Super Bowl, I still managed to lose even more weight and inches on my Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge. I’m down 8.5 pounds and 9 inches off of my measurements. Woo hoo!!! I can’t even begin to describe how great I feel.

SeaweedArt Featured in the Santa Cruz Sentinel

Carol — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:08:32 +0000

I’m so excited to share that my SeaweedArt greeting cards were featured in our local newspaper. I have been working very hard on this business for the past year and I am finally seeing the fruits of my labor. Not only am I selling cards (and soon launching other products), I’m becoming a recognized spokeswoman for ocean conservation. I’m getting requests from online retailers to include my cards in their product assortments and I was recently approached by a marine botanical cosmetic company to use my seaweed designs in their product packaging! So cool. I’m thrilled. What matters the most to me were the kind words my husband was quoted in the article about how proud he is of me. He has always been so supportive. Our love of the ocean and sailing is something we both share.

11-Year-Old Boy Speaks Up About the Industrialized Food Industry

Carol — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:42:04 +0000

I’m currently reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan, a very insightful, often times disturbing expose of the industrialized food industry. If you are not yet convinced that you should be eating organic, sustainable foods, then watch this video.

44 Days Into My Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge

Carol — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:14:19 +0000

Carol in her skinny pants

I’m almost halfway through my Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge and I’ve lost 7 pounds and almost 8 inches off of my measurements. Unbelievable! I feel fantastic. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. I didn’t realize just how much being overweight was such a drag on my self confidence. I’m not afraid to look in the mirror anymore. I’m losing the double chin. And…. today I was able to put on a pair of skinny pants that I have not been able to wear in years!!!! Not only did they fit, they were a little loose and I was comfortable because I was not “poured” into them. The shakes taste great and I don’t feel hungry.

I still have about 15 lbs to go to reach my goal weight, and when I do I’ll be posting my before and after bikini photos. Hopefully the “after” shots will be taken in a tropical setting, as Paul, my darling husband, has promised me a trip someplace warm very soon.

Dooce Mom Blogger Heather Armstrong Announces Separation

Carol — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:48:16 +0000

Heather Armstrong, celebrated mommy blogger of Dooce fame, recently announced, via a blog post, that she and her husband are separated. For those of you not familiar with Ms. Armstrong’s blogging success, let’s just say she is the champion mommy blogger of all time with reported monthly ad revenue of $40,000. Read more…

Mission Tuition Helps You Save Money For College

Carol — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:04:14 +0000

I just learned about a new way to save money for your kids’ college fund. Mission Tuition offers rebates and discounts from major retailers on things you would usually buy like groceries and clothing, and deposits the savings directly into your bank account. Here’s how Mission Tuition works. You shop on-line and the advertised rebate from the listed Mission Tuition retailers goes directly into your savings account. You don’t have to get new credit card, you can use the ones you already have. If your favorite card earns miles or points, you will still get them in addition to the rebates from Mission Tuition. You can also open a 529 tax advantage college savings plan. Sounds like a great idea.

Cheryl is a Budding Photographer!

Carol — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:30:04 +0000

My step daughter, Cheryl got a new camera for Christmas and recently she showed me her gorgeous photography! What talent. She really captured the beauty of the sea. Here is a sampling, If you would like to see more, please visit SeaweedArt. We have plans to print greeting cards from her photographs and sell them so she can earn money to travel.

Sophia Went Back to College

Carol — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:19:38 +0000

My daughter Sophia left for college a few weeks ago. She was home for winter break for about a month and it was so wonderful having her here. We made cookies, and gingerbread houses, got our nails done, went out to lunch and the movies, went to the beach, finished a sewing project, took a trip to San Francisco and spent our last day together at the Santa Cruz wharf watching the harbor seals. We sure had a lot of Mommie and Me time together. I was very pleased and impressed with what a sophisticated, articulate and well spoken young lady she had become.

I won’t see her again until May when she gets out of school since she is not planning to come home for Spring break.