PSA!!!!!!

There are a few 'causes' that really pull at my heartstrings. I am a BIG advocate of the Susan G. Komen foundation for the cure and the March of Dimes. A few women in my family have/had breast cancer so I know that I'm even more at risk and how important it is to spread awareness. The March of Dimes really helped when my own son was born a preemie at 36 weeks old with respiratory problems.

As we know(or at least you should know) October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. All over the world, many activities are held to support awareness and raise funds for further research. Yoplait yogurt has a program that starts every October.

Here's how it works:
Go out and buy Yoplait yogurt(it's healthy for you and there are soooo many flavors how could you not like it??) with the pink lids. For ever pink lid you send in, Yoplait will donate .$10 to the breast cancer cause up to $1.5 million. They(Yoplait) guarantee a donation of at least $500,000. The money will go towards research and treatment across the country. You have from now until 12/31/2008 to mail the lids in. So far 437,242 lids have been received. The directions for mailing the lids in are simple: rinse the lid(s) off, bag them and put them in the mail. The mailing address is: Save Lids to Save Lives, PO Box 420704, El Paso, TX 88542.

We can even set up a Bloggers team to keep track of how many lids we collectively send in. For more information and really cute paraphernalia, please go to www.yoplait.com

If you all are interested in setting up a team, let me know and I'll set it up.


I implore all of us to make sure we are giving ourselves monthly breast self examinations. Pass the word on to all the sista girls in your life. You could save a life!!!

Here are the five easy steps for a self-examination:

Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.

Here's what you should look for:

Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color
Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling
If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor's attention:

Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin
A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)
Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling

Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes.


Step 3: While you're at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).


Step 4: Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter.

Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.

Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you've reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage.


Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in Step 4.







Disclaimer: I am NOT an employee of Yoplait or any of its subsidiaries. I'm just a staunch advocate of breast cancer awareness and research.