Life by Cynthia

I have taken WAY too long of a hiatus from this neglected blog. Life happens. It happens fast. I began this blog many years ago, my child was still a baby. That child is now nearly 16 and we have experienced so much in those years. Soon I will have all the time in the world to blog away.  I do miss it. Not so much being on the keyboard writing out my experiences. I miss attending the events, doing fun things, and making the memories. I do keep in touch virtually with my blog tribe, even after all these years. We all now have high school aged kids instead of toddlers... we are still connected via social media. One day soon we will meet again IRL. I have noticed a lot of broken links and missing pictures on my blog. This would have irked me to no end in the height of my blogging career. Career? Yep. I did earn some income from this venture. But for now I don’t have the time to let it bother me. I will just take a mental note of what needs to be done to revamp the blog and do some...

It's almost time for the AAU Boys Junior National Volleyball Championships. Exciting times! This year will be our first AAU Boys Junior National Volleyball Championships experience. It has been a year of 'firsts' for our volleyball family. My son joined his first travel team with Wave Volleyball Club , led as team co-captain in his first season of high school volleyball, and will have his first experience competing at Nationals! We will be sharing our adventures and are very excited for this opportunity. Please stay tuned for more. I would love any input about your experience at nattys! Please share. Wave Volleyball Club, San Diego CA 15-1 Coach Q

Boys Volleyball Illegal Uniform Shorts Update: 2/27/24 - Slunks for the WIN! Slunks will have a CIF compliant option. As of February 17, 2024 Slunks are illegal to wear during the Boys High School Volleyball Season according to CIF. Who knew about this? I didn't. But now that I know, I want to know what your thoughts are. How do you all feel about this new rule? I feel bad for the high schools that have already purchased their 2024 uniforms that include Slunks shorts for their teams. According to a notice published on January 16, 2024 by the CIF Southern Section: There are several different styles of uniform shorts made by Slunks that are illegal to wear during the Boys Volleyball season starting February 17, 2024. Here is a link detailing the notice:  Boys Volleyball Illegal Uniform Shorts . We fall under the umbrella of the CIF Southern Section. This section has 556 schools. I couldn't find anything specifically for CIF San Diego - but according the the map, we are included....

Fitness Friday! I wanted to share some of my memories of 2023 that are tied to health, fitness, and FUN. My dear friend, Pam and I had the opportunity to attend the 2023 Idea Fit Health & Fitness Expo. I wanted to revisit this experience to keep it top of mind for my journey into 2024! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cynthia (@lifebycynthia)   We had the opportunity to learn about new products.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cynthia (@lifebycynthia)   View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cynthia (@lifebycynthia)

San Diego MOJO! Let's GOOO West Coast! In 2024 the Pro Volleyball Federation will hold its inaugural season and I am all about it! I have been following along with great anticipation (mostly on Instagram) for the reveal of San Diego's team name and mascot! Last night it was revealed: The San Diego Mojo! Mascot: the Osprey.  My wait is over. I support this squad and love that SOON I will be able to witness LIVE pro volleyball,  represent in SD Mojo merch, and just be in total awe. Who wants to come with to the home opener on February 23rd at Viejas Arena? Let's GO! I already tried logging in to secure tickets and got my message to "Check back soon for more information" notice - - Oh I WILL be checking back soon. I wanna be first in line. LOL. More to come my friends.

10/18/24 Update - I couldn't keep up quick enough to update my post.... well friends, our count now is 31 DARTH VADER RAYS CROCODILIA BLAZERS CASSOS FAR OUTS FLOSSOMS REWINDS KONAS HIGH BISCUITS BEHAVES S DE LAYS CAT TIES MY FRIENDS WE R BACKS COOL CATS & KITTENS YMC ZAGS SKI-DOOS ACIDS BALOGNA FADE AWAYS DISCOS CREAMES CASHEWS MOONS AIR BEAUS SMOOTH OPERATORS MARLEYS SAMURAI SEASIDE CUSTOM OG SEASIDE CUSTOM PALM UPDATE - Started off with 3 pairs at the original blog post date. We are now up to 13. If you "know me-know me" you get that Volleyball is a BIG deal for me and mine. I grew up with the sport and am THRILLED that my 13-year-old son is doing so too. I fell in love in middle school. Eventually playing on my high school team. Countless hours of pepper with my BFF during off season. Total rec rat status. Finding open gym and staying from open to close.... When in school, waiting for the last bell was torture. All I wanted to do was go volleyball practice already....

Hello! I am reaching out to garner support for the kids at my son's school. I  hope that you will consider shopping with us!  Our 2023 Fall Fundraiser  began on Friday September 8th and will continue through Monday September 25th. As for myself, I am doing double duty with this fundraiser! I am supporting our school AND getting some Holiday gifts for my friends and family! Gift wrap and gourmet goodies included!  Here are a few of my favorites! For my plant-loving Mom: Distracted by Plants Shopper $22 For Sis (or Me!) : Bento Style Bamboo Lunch Box $14 To share at the office: Gourmet Truffle Assortment $28 For Music Teacher/Music Lover/Planner Lover Music Notes Paper Clips

I have been a mom for 13 years now. I thank God every single day that I received the gift of motherhood. I was nearly 40 at the time of my son's birth. I had a high risk pregnancy. There were frequent prenatal visits, tests, test RESULTS... Results that led to Prenatal Genetic Counseling to discuss risks, options... It was a scary time.  I've never talked much about that experience. Instead, I keep it quiet as I humble myself and keep gratitude top of mind. My heart aches to know that things can and do end differently. I know how fortunate I am to have a positive outcome. I know that my child is a miracle. My miracle. I want to move through this life as a mother always trying (through my actions) to somehow deserve this role, this child. My son. Was I overprotective? In some cases, yes. In others, no. It's silly to me now how I perceived risks. I put a helmet on my 2 year old when he rode his first tricycle. I look at the video now and see how my child was careful and slow,...

I will be a 3rd-time attendee and am very excited to "get up to speed on the latest and greatest in fitness, nutrition, apparel, education and services" as described on the IDEA website!  I was at the 2016 for I DEA World Fitness/BlogFest in Los Angeles and then again in 2018 in San Diego.  I will not be attending sessions or programming. I didn't hear any buzz about BlogFest this year - which was geared for social sharers like myself. This year I be visiting the Expo, which that in itself is AMAZING! The energy flowing at Idea World is life-giving! Honestly, there are so MANY people, products, brands, ideas, and stories all geared for improved quality of life. All things that align with me and my life goals. You will be inspired. Once upon a time I was young, healthy, fit, and full of energy. Destroyed by trauma from a car accident, chronic stress, hormones (peri-menopause), etc. - - - I find myself here in my 50's lacking in the vitality that I once had.  I am on ...

VoloKidsSD Beach Volleyball Program Summer 2023 My son is a participant in the  VoloKids San Diego Youth Beach Volleyball Summer 2023 Program. We wanted to share a recap of our experience. FREE youth volleyball programs are hard to come by. In fact, this was the first that I have found.  Please let me know in the comments if you know of any others in San Diego and surrounding areas. I have found that there are open gyms in San Diego where you can play for free. You would need to know fundamental volleyball skills.  It can be tough to even get on the court since they can often be crowded and a bit cliquey (depending on where you go that is). The open gyms  do not offer instruction for kids to learn the game. With the VoloKids program, the kids get an introduction as as well as hands on instruction with dedicated coaches. The beach volleyball program is co-ed and open to kids that are 5 to 13 years old. It's a great way to introduce the little ones to the sport. Th...

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gerald Labrador (@geraldlabrador) The 2023 San Diego Parks & Recreation City-Wide Youth Volleyball Tournament took place on June 21 at the Balboa Park Activity Center. The event was sponsored by the  San Diego Parks Foundation . The co-ed championship games included 24 teams across 3 divisions: 12U, 14U, and 16U. Each division competes in an 8 team, single elimination bracket. Pictured below is the 14U Tournament Champions: The Hourglass Phantoms led by Coach Christeen . The Phantoms advanced to the championship game by defeating the  North Park Aztecs  2-0 in game 1 and the  Paradise Hills Panthers  2-0 in game 2. The final matchup was against their sister team, the Hourglass Nightmare. The Phantoms were victorious with a 2-1 win to claim the championship.  Hourglass Phantoms 2023 San Diego City-Wide Youth Tournament Champions 14U DIV Pre-Tournament check-in: The Phantoms are ready!...

Today is a GREAT day for a blog post! Star Wars fans: it's our day! I don't really have much to write since I am so out of practice (and patience) when it comes to writing blog posts! I will drop a few memories to share. Enjoy! Fun times with my Blog Friends in 2016! Star Wars Celebration 2015 in Anaheim with the fam:    My little baby as Yoda in 2011, getting trick-or-treating tips from baby ninja! Ok, catch you later friends! May the 4th be with you!

2020 I just wanted to drop in and say hello. This blog has been neglected for far too long. I started this when my son was a just a wee baby. The blog was originally named "Mommied Life by Cynthia" but the blog title evolved to simply - Life by Cynthia. My goal this year is to make time for Life by Cynthia - the blog. I let it slip away from me but am now ready to get back to it! I am posting this picture as a reminder and motivation. I hope that you all have a blessed year and are full of excitement of what 2020 has in store. 2010 Cynthia

I have decided to breathe life back in to this old blog of mine! So THANK YOU for visiting! With the onset of Summer I should have time to get back to one of my favorite things to do: blogging! I am not sure if anyone is reading this so IF you are - please leave a little love in the comments so I can thank you personally! I decided to step away from my blog for a little while. That little while turned into a LONG while. I always had the intention of coming back. Now is the time. I'm back! Nearly TWO years later! I am a little bit older, wiser, and living a lot better! With a growing child, a new career, and a life ever-changing, I put this space on the back burner. Between family life, my son, and work: we were juggling homework, soccer, scouts, choir, ukulele, and basketball along with my new job, recovery from a BAD car accident, anxiety, chronic stress, etc. A break from blogging was a necessity for me. Life can be a challenge for us all. We are on the verge of summer and...

San Diego Zoo’s Conrad Prebys Africa Rocks is a new exhibit that spotlights the biodiversity found on the African continent. Just in time for Summer 2017, SIX new habitats have been added! Rollout begins July 1st, 2017. The first to debut are the penguins of Cape Fynbos. Other habitats will open as animals become acclimated to their new homes. The latest information can be found at  africarocks.sandiegozoo.org . Africa Rocks is the Zoo’s most ambitious exhibit project to date. The six habitats of Africa Rocks are Kopje, Ethiopian Highlands, Acacia Woodland, Madagascar Forest, West African Forest, and Cape Fynbos.  Naturally, the draw for many are the animals. But I am just as excited to see The African Garden. The Ethiopian Highlands area will present strange, startling, and beautiful plants, many that you may never have seen before. Kopje These boulder-strewn islands in grassland savanna are home for a variety of animals that live their...