Life by Cynthia

I'm A Rookie To Blogging And Benefiting From Blog Conferences

2013-05-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

Image Source: TheSitsGirls.com Blog conferences, both big and small, are a wonderful way to learn valuable information and for finding inspiration. Last month I received an invitation from The SITS Girls to join an evening of networking and education. The event was held at the Hotel Palomar Los Angeles | Westwood and was sponsored by Invisalign. I said YES immediately. I have been

Fitness In My Forties Is A Challenge

2013-05-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our friends at The Dailey Method, I am participating in the 60 Day Challenge To A Lifestyle Change at the Rancho Bernardo-Poway studio. I am one of many determined individuals that have accepted the challenge! A little bit about me: I am a first time Mom on the verge of turning 42 years old. I will be celebrating on May 19th! Being an "older mom" to a nearly 3 year old little boy

Mom's Night Out

2013-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

SD Mom’s Night Out Mother’s Day Event at Roppongi La Jolla | May 9, 2013 May 9th is National Mom's Nite Out. Will you be celebrating? SD Mom's Night Out is hosting a Mothers Day celebration at Roppongi in La Jolla CA. As a member of the Invite Committee for the event I hope to encourage you join us! If you are not in the San Diego area I'd love to hear about what you have planned in your town

Straight Talk: Braces Then, @Invisalign Now #INVStraightTalk #Ad

2013-05-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Invisalign and The SITS Girls I had the opportunity to learn about advancements in teeth straightening via Invisalign Teen Straight Talk. A Mini Bloggy Boot Camp sponsored by Invisalign was held in Los Angeles on April 20, 2013. In addition to learning about ways to better our blogging skills, a group of 50 or so Bloggers were invited to an open forum in which we were able to speak to

Nostalgia: Saturday Morning Cartoons & Bickering with My Siblings

2013-04-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our friends at MyBlogSpark & General Mills we received a gift pack that brought back nostalgic memories of my childhood. Our prize pack included a box of Cheerios, a box of Lucky Charms, a vintage Parcheesi board game, and a $10 gift card to Target. Life has been a blur for the past few months. My blog time has fallen by the wayside. With the recent loss in my family we have

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2013-04-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

Easter 2013 Hello April. On this first day in April it was gloomy and drizzled a bit during my drive to work. I welcome the new month since March was a rough one this year. I have been in a bit of a funk for quite a while now. As you may know, I lost my Grandmother very recently and it has affected me quite a bit. I've been on an emotional roller coaster ever since. I am taking things

Good Mourning: Love & Loss

2013-03-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been rough. I lost my grandmother a little over a week ago. Our time in Chicago for her funeral service is such a blur. I'm in a funk that I cannot explain. I Googled how to cope with losing your grandparent. I didn't read the articles that I found. After I realized what I was doing I decided to get off of the Internet. I sat quietly. No more tears. Nearly numb.

Easy Fried Rice Featuring Whole Grain Brown Rice by Minute® Rice

2013-03-12T00:51:00.000-07:00

I have recently made the switch from white rice to brown rice. From what I understand it packs more of a nutritional punch. Whole Grain Brown Rice by Minute Rice can be prepared in 10 minutes. I can even whip up a quick batch in the microwave at work when in a pinch. I generally eat it as prepared right out of the box as a side dish. I also like to make extra so that I can use the rest

The Blog Workshop '13 - ONLINE Conference For Bloggers #TBW

2013-03-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

The Blog Workshop is an online conference that takes place May 17th - 19th. If you have fallen in love with blogging, as I have, I'm sure that you have at least considered attending a Blog Conference. I have attended two blog conferences in the past two years. I was hoping to make it to at least one conference every year because it really is something that I enjoy doing. This year will be a

Recycling Is A Beautiful Thing In California

2013-03-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

This post is sponsored by Arrowhead Waters. All opinions are my own. 2.8 BILLION plastic bottles ended up in California landfills in 2011. I want to share this post to do my part and spread the word: recycle MORE! Recycling saves resources and reduces environmental impact. Our family recycles. We just do. It something that we have done since we were kids. It is something that our child is

The Dailey Method

2013-03-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: The Dailey Method Rancho Bernardo/Poway Facebook Class 1 of The Dailey Method. As described on the company website: The Dailey Method is a one-hour class combining ballet barre work, core conditioning, stretching, and orthopedic exercises. The classes effectively strengthens, tones, and lengthens the entire body providing quick physical results. I had to post this

L’Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream Review

2013-02-20T13:07:00.000-08:00

L’Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream - 4 Beautifying Actions in 1: Hydrates, Primes, Perfects, Corrects. I had the opportunity to try Magic BB Cream made by L’Oréal Paris. I received a full sized sample of the BB Cream in Medium 814. This was my first experience using a BB Cream and I was pleasantly surprised. By nature, I am a skeptic when it comes to product claims. It's one of the reasons that

Whale Watching

2013-02-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

Last month my family and I enjoyed a brunch cruise in San Diego to celebrate my mom's birthday. It was so much fun and the kids LOVED it! I think that we are ready for another adventure on the water! This time: Whale Watching! Have you ever been whale watching? Newport Landing Whale Watching has served southern California for 30 years providing whale watching and dolphin cruises. Year around

In Observance of Lent

2013-02-12T18:07:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: BibleReflections.net In 2013, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 13. In Observance of Lent this year I am committing to the following: 1) Giving up soda, white bread, and white rice. 2) Gathering 3 items each day and set aside for a weekly donation. 3) Cut all spending with the exception of gasoline & groceries. 4) Reading the Bible or spiritual books 10

Girl Scout Cookies in The 80's

2013-02-11T22:06:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time I was a Girl Scout. I am sharing a picture as proof. Even though it was a lifetime ago, I still remember selling Girl Scout cookies. My best customer = my parents. We had boxes and boxes at our house long after the selling season! In those days they were less than $2 a box. I now have nieces who are Girl Scouts and have purchased a good share of cookies. I must say that I

SunRype Fruit Snacks

2013-02-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

Our family has recently been introduced to SunRype Fruit Snacks. We received a nice assortment of products. I was excited to learn that SunRype offers selections that are all natural, free of artificial flavors or colors, and that my family enjoys them. We are big fans of fresh fruits and vegetables and try to incorporate the proper servings in our meals as well as during snack time. For the

BabbaCo: Escape The Indoor Blues With Awesome Adventures

2013-01-31T22:03:00.000-08:00

This sponsored post is made possible by our friends at BabbaCo. Before I tell you all about the wonders of BabbaCo and their BabbaBox I wanted to make a little confession: I am NOT a crafty Momma (Not YET. I'm a work in progress). I find so many projects on Pinterest but I don't pin them because I KNOW that I do not have the time or energy to pull these "easy" crafts together. I work full

52 Week Money Challenge

2013-01-15T18:18:00.000-08:00

Happy 2013 all! I have been MIA for a bit. I was hit hard by the 2012 Cold & Flu Season. I'm coming back slowly, but surely. I can hardly wait to get caught up with everyone! My hopes are that you are all free from illness! It's tough being sick! Ask me, I know! I have high hopes for 2013 and by the end I hope to have a nice little chunk of funds to CELEBRATE! I am sure that most of you

Macy's Culinary Council Chef Nancy Silverton in San Diego

2013-01-10T13:10:00.000-08:00

This post is Sponsored by Macy's. Join Macy's Culinary Council Chef Nancy Silverton on January 12th at the Macy's Mission Valley Home Store! As you all know - I LOVE attending events here in San Diego. I have many LOVES that I share on my blog. One of those loves is a love of FOOD! GOOD food. GREAT food! This weekend two of my loves are coming together! When experts share their craft I want

Holiday Party at Stone Brewing Co.

2012-12-15T22:25:00.000-08:00

My husband & I attended my company holiday party which was held at Stone Brewing Co./Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens. I knew that we would have wonderful beer choices but I was pleasantly surprised with the delicious food that was served! We were in agreement that it was a great place to host a company party. It was a bit confusing to find since this was our first visit there. There

Torani Syrup - Salted Caramel Banana Topped French Toast

2012-12-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

I have been invited by She Speaks to participate in the Torani Holiday Cheers program. Torani syrups are widely known as a delicious "add-in" to your favorite beverages. You are bound to see bottles of various flavors in you favorite coffee houses! Cooking and baking with Torani Syrup is a fun and simple way to add wonderful flavors to your favorite dishes as well! Torani has such a

Wordless Wednesday: Three Years of Thanksgiving

2012-12-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving family photos. We have so much to be thankful for! 2010 2011 2012

SD Mom's Night Out Fitness Event

2012-12-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

I am excited to share my recap of SD Mom's Night Out Fitness Event with Jeremy Jackson (AKA Hobie Buchannon from Baywatch). SDMNO partnered with Look Better Naked (which specializes in healthy lifestyles), FITzee Foods (which creates ideal prepared meals), and Drew Canole of Juicing Vegetables for a wonderful event created for San Diego Moms. The night was fun. I had my first boot camp style

Cold & Flu Season Got In The Way

2012-12-04T21:02:00.000-08:00

The 2012 Cold & Flu Season has kept me MIA for a while now. I wanted to do a quick post just in case you were wondering where I have been or if I am still alive. I'm alive, but not well, and have been in bed mostly. It started with our little guy getting sick. School has been the culprit. I was next. Generally, I take something at the onset of sickness. I've tried preparations like

Kidfresh Frozen Meals #KFHealthyKids Options

2012-11-23T02:02:00.000-08:00

As a working mom, I automatically lose 8 hours a day to be at home to with our son. We have a wonderful person to watch over our little guy while my husband & I are both at work: my mom. She is a blessing and wonderful with our child. We are very lucky that our son isn't too picky when it comes to meal time. He is a toddler so he can have his moments when he doesn't want what is prepared. It