A Sweet Opportunity to Give Blood and Save Lives

Part Four

Join Me and Mine Magazine readers from February 14 – 17, 2012 at BloodSource in Yuba City (1290 Stabler Lane, Suite 830) to donate blood, give a gift from your heart, save lives and get a sweet treat, too from Bella’s Confections. This is the fourth in a series sharing BloodSource stories and facts about donating blood. Thomas and Elijah Suarez are blood recipients.

Blood donors help patients like Thomas and Elijah Suarez who were born prematurely. Thomas and Elijah Suarez were only two and a half pounds at birth and spent their first two months in the hospital. They received transfusions of red blood cells from generous blood donors, helping them to get stronger and join their big brother at home. Thomas and Elijah are almost five years old, happy and healthy. The boys’ parents say, “Thank you so much to blood donors who helped our family. It means the world to us.”

Me and Mine Magazine invites blood donors to save lives by donating blood at the BloodSource Donor Center located at 1290 Stabler Lane, Suite 830, in Yuba City from February 14 – 17, 2012. Donor Center blood drive participants will receive a sweet treat from Bella’s Confections – Bella’s Bites, four pieces of fudge. BloodSource donor center hours are located online . Schedule your appointment online or call 866.822.5663 to make your appointment now. Appointments appreciated, walk-ins welcome.

Marrow Registry

Individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 years can join Be the Match marrow registry at no cost (BloodSource pays the fee) which involves meeting health guidelines, a good faith commitment to donate to anyone in need, paperwork and a swab of the inside of the check. Learn more about marrow donation here.

Look forward to more inspiring stories like Thomas’ and Elijah’s this week at Me and Mine Magazine.

Together, we do save lives.

Blood Donation FAQ

Just three teaspoons of blood can save a baby’s life.

A Sweet Opportunity to Give Blood and Save Lives

Part Three

Join Me and Mine Magazine readers from February 14 – 17, 2012 at BloodSource in Yuba City (1290 Stabler Lane, Suite 830) to donate blood, give a gift from your heart, save lives and get a sweet treat, too from Bella’s Confections. This is the third in a series of stories sharing BloodSource stories and facts about donating blood. Kevin Heberlein is a blood recipient.

Blood donors help patients like Kevin Heberlein.  Kevin and his wife Kaci are parents to three young boys – Aaron, Zachary and Micah. Kevin had just wanted to have some fun and met some other off-road motorcycle to ride the trails. As he rounded a curve, Kevin flew off his dirt bike. “At first, I couldn’t even ‘unfold’ myself to stand up,” says a serious Kevin a few years after the accident. “It wasn’t until later I found out I had broken my back.”

Amazingly, Kevin got himself to a standing position then talked another rider into taking him back to his truck…on a dirt bike! “The adrenaline and shock kept me from feeling too much pain,” shares Kevin. After calling his wife, Kaci, and telling her he had “pulled a muscle” the pain started to kick in. Kaci insisted he stop at the hospital. Barely able to sit in a wheelchair brought out to help him into the emergency room, Kevin soon learned why. A CAT scan revealed he had broken his back. “It’s a miracle you aren’t paralyzed!” scolded the nurse who told him he should have arrived at the hospital on a Life Flight helicopter. Kevin would spend almost eight hours in surgery where he needed many, many units of blood as permanent titanium appliances were put into place.

Blood donation is now a family affair for Kevin and Kaci who have had “date nights” at the blood center before going out to dinner. They also encourage friends and family members to donate.

Kevin, a healthy blood donor in 2012

Me and Mine Magazine invites blood donors to save lives by donating blood at the BloodSource Donor Center located at 1290 Stabler Lane, Suite 830, in Yuba City from February 14 – 17, 2012. Donor Center blood drive participants will receive a sweet treat from Bella’s Confections – Bella’s Bites, four pieces of fudge. BloodSource donor center hours are located online . Schedule your appointment online or call 866.822.5663 to make your appointment now. Appointments appreciated, walk-ins welcome.

Marrow Registry

Individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 years can join Be the Match marrow registry at no cost (BloodSource pays the fee) which involves meeting health guidelines, a good faith commitment to donate to anyone in need, paperwork and a swab of the inside of the check. Learn more about marrow donation here.

Look forward to more inspiring stories like Kevin’s this week at Me and Mine Magazine.

Together, we do save lives.

Blood Donation FAQ

17 million units of blood were needed by patients in the United States in 2009

A Sweet Opportunity to Give Blood and Save Lives

Part Two

Join Me and Mine Magazine readers from February 14 – 17, 2012 at BloodSource in Yuba City (1290 Stabler Lane, Suite 830) to donate blood, give a gift from your heart, save lives and get a sweet treat, too from Bella’s Confections. This is the second in a series of stories sharing BloodSource stories and facts about donating blood. Tony Bierwirth is a blood and marrow recipient.

Blood donors help patients like Tony Bierwirth who was diagnosed with a rare blood disease at just seven months old. Although initial treatment looked successful, at two years old the disease roared back and Tony’s parents, Kasey and Dennis, were told Tony’s only hope was a bone marrow transplant. Tony would receive countless units of blood as he endured chemotherapy, infections, side effects and more as he waited for a potential match. Enter Eric Laub from Pennsylvania who had signed onto the national marrow registry about ten years earlier. He would be a perfect match for Tony and Tony received his transplant – and many more blood products – in December of 2007. Tony recently met Eric at BloodSource, celebrating four years since his transplant. He is now a happy healthy first-grader who enjoys playing with his friends and siblings. Tony’s family is forever grateful to blood donors.

Tony during his 2007 -08 transplant journey

Tony with marrow donor Eric Laub January 2012

Together, we do save lives

Me and Mine Magazine invites blood donors to save lives by donating blood at the BloodSource Donor Center located at 1290 Stabler Lane, Suite 830, in Yuba City from February 14 – 17, 2012. Donor Center blood drive participants will receive a sweet treat from Bella’s Confections – Bella’s Bites, four pieces of fudge. BloodSource donor center hours are located online . Schedule your appointment online or call 866.822.5663 to make your appointment now. Appointments appreciated, walk-ins welcome.

Look forward to more inspiring stories like Tony’s this week at Me and Mine Magazine.

Together, we do save lives.

Marrow Registry FAQs

About 10,000 people will be diagnosed this year with diseases, like leukemia, for which a marrow transplant is potentially curative. The chance of finding a marrow match in one’s family is about 30%. Others must search the national marrow registry in hopes of finding a match. Marrow recipients like Tony often receive many units of blood.

Individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 years can join Be the Match marrow registry at no cost (BloodSource pays the fee) which involves meeting health guidelines, a good faith commitment to donate to anyone in need, paperwork and a swab of the inside of the check. Learn more about marrow donation here.

A Sweet Opportunity to Give Blood and Save Lives

Part One

Join Me and Mine Magazine readers from February 14 – 17, 2012 at BloodSource in Yuba City (1290 Stabler Lane, Suite 830) to donate blood, give a gift from your heart, save lives and get a sweet treat, too from Bella’s Confections. This is the first of a series sharing BloodSource stories and blood donation facts.

BloodSource, not-for-profit, since 1948, provides blood and services to over 40 hospitals from Vallejo east to Lake Tahoe, and from Merced north to the Oregon border. Each day, BloodSource tried to collect 700 blood donations from generous donors to meet patient needs close to home and at times, across the country. There is no artificial substitute for blood and the need respects no demographic, whether gender, age, race, geographic location or socioeconomic status.  Less than 40% of people are eligible to donate blood on any given day and less than 10% actually give – with over 17 million units of blood used by patients  last year, the need for education about this critical community health is more important than ever.

February is the perfect time to learn about blood donation and make it a regular part of your community giving since it’s a month that celebrates hearts, love, and giving beyond self. With each blood donation helping up to three patients, your volunteer blood donation gives families more time together. There are many options to blood donation including whole blood donation (a familiar option for those who donate on bloodmobiles or at business blood drives) and automated donations that take place on modern and safe equipment, collecting platelets, plasma and red blood cells. Since not everyone is able to donate every blood product, you can learn more about what you are eligible to give by asking BloodSource staff during the Me and Magazine BloodSource Donor Center blood drive.

Blood donors help patients like Brennah Payne who is now 14 years old and encourages others to donate blood with a heartfelt message that proclaims “It’s Sweet to Give Blood” and advice on how to be brave when donating! Brennah was just seven years old when she was in a terrible car accident. Asleep in the back seat with the seat belt across her waist, Brennah had no idea what was in store. Brennah and her older sister were both hurt. A helicopter would arrive to fly them Enloe Hospital in Chico, CA where Brennah had her first surgery and first blood transfusions before being transferred to Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto. All in all, it would take nine surgeries to repair the damage caused to Brennah’s mid-section by the crash and involve many, many units of blood.

Me and Mine Magazine invites blood donors to save lives by donating blood at the BloodSource Donor Center located at 1290 Stabler Lane, Suite 830, in Yuba City from February 14 – 17, 2012. Donor Center blood drive participants will receive a sweet treat from Bella’s Confections – Bella’s Bites, four pieces of fudge. BloodSource donor center hours are located online . Schedule your appointment online or call 866.822.5663 to make your appointment now. Appointments appreciated, walk-ins welcome.

Look forward to more inspiring stories like Brennah’s  this week at Me and Mine Magazine.

Together, we do save lives.

Blood Donation FAQ

A motor vehicle accident involving multiple vehicles and individuals with severe injuries can create the need for over fifty units of blood, depending on the severity of the injuries. Blood Type O negative is often needed in cases like these when patients have an immediate need for blood. Every blood type is needed every day.

Tackle the what-to-serve with these all-star snacks.

The Perfect Bite Co.’s Applewood Bacon and Cheddar Gourmet Miniature Burgers

Don’t be fooled by the size of these sliders. They may be small, but they’re big on flavor, thanks to slabs of smoky bacon and tangy Cheddar.

To buy: $15 for a 10-ounce package (12 burgers), at supermarkets

Wholly Guacamole Double Dip

Forget about waiting for that avocado to ripen—just pop the top on this refrigerated container and start scooping up the delectable combo of fresh, cilantro-flecked guacamole and spicy tomato salsa.

To buy: $5 for a 16-ounce tub, at supermarkets.

Bell & Evans Fully-Cooked Buffalo Style Chicken Wings

Why fumble with a fryer? Five minutes and a microwave are all you need to produce a heaping plate of meaty wings with just the right amount of heat, crunch, and zesty sauce.

To buy: $7 for a 16-ounce box (about 15 wings), at natural food markets and some supermarkets.

Let’s Be Frank Pork Bratwurst

A West Coast favorite, these antibiotic- and hormone-free links are juicy and flavorful (think marjoram and garlic) with the perfect amount of snap.

To buy: $7.50 for a 12-ounce package (4 bratwursts), letsbefrankdogs.com.

Must have….Casa Carlos Chips&Salsa!

A local favorite for over 35 years!! Casa & gang has celebrated many super bowls…may be you want to skip the work and let Casa do the work..check out the delicioso appetizers!!

Kettle Brand Fully Loaded Baked Potato Chips

Inspired by customers who told the company they love to pile on toppers at baked potato bars, these boldly flavored chips are loaded with tangy Cheddar cheese, onion, sour cream, and garlic.

To buy: $4 for one 9-ounce bag, at grocery stores.

Glad Corn

Though they look like misshapen half-popped corn kernels, this low-fat, high-fiber alternative to salted peanuts has an addictively satisfying crunch.

To buy: $4 for one 12-ounce bag, at natural food stores.

Kim and Scott’s Cheddar Jalapeño Gourmet Pretzels  

Stuffed with gooey Cheddar cheese and spicy jalapeños, these soft pretzels are a big step above the stadium version―and they still taste great with beer.

To buy: $5 for four, at select grocery stores.

Share your favorite Football Food…!!!

Last year you grew, you learned. You had a year of brand new experiences that are a part of YOUR story. Your story was rich with ups and downs and tragedy and triumph. In 2011…you made it through!

What a great year ahead….you will make the most of every day….and notice. You will be present to see beautiful things, meet beautiful people, and share your beauty too.

This is your year! You will make huge strides that you won’t even recognize for awhile, but keep moving!  You will touch people’s lives that you will never know about.  You will overcame things that you weren’t expecting and make it through days that sometimes you will question if you can!!

A brand-new year… to live; to believe; to give; to receive; to fall in love; to share a smile; to walk an inch; to run a mile; to dive into sunsets; to forgive; to forget; to love where you’re going; to embrace where you’ve been; to take a deep breath, close your eyes… and begin. May the new year be filled with love, adventure, and dreams come true.

As we begin this amazing year full of light, love, and prosperity, our team’s commitment is to trying  something new every day!! It will not only make life more interesting, but also, it will lead us to a new friend or more, or point us in directions on our path we may have yet to think of. It will add new delightful flavors, stories, excitement, emotion and passion to Me and Mine….like never before!!

Sounds like a pretty fantastic year to us!!

• Day 11-Use cold water to do the dishes after Christmas dinner. You will discover that it can certainly be done. Use ecological dish soap such as Ecover Ecological Washing Tablets or others..
• Day 10-Enjoy nature..take walks with your family!
• Day 9-Eco Decorations
• Day 8-ReUse & Recycle
• Day 7-Green Party Tips
• Day 6-Gift Wrapping
• Day 5-Christmas Cards
• Day 4-Christmas lights
• Day 3-Recycled Shopping Bags
• Day 2-Eco Gifts
• On the 1st Day…choose a live tree!!

Santa has been keeping us very busy this holiday season! Most days of GreenChristmas have their own post, please use these green tips…year after year! If you already do some of them, then choose a new one. And let’s all make another small step to changing those habits of a lifetime that need to be changed. While you are doing that, have a very, very Happy AND Green Christmas!

While most people celebrate peace on earth during the holidays, many others are also trying to celebrate peace to the earth by adopting eco-friendly Christmas practices. If you’re dreaming of a green Christmas instead of a white one, here are a few tips to help you out with eco decorating!!  These easy ideas will make your holiday greener and spread peace to earth, goodwill to all.

Christmas decorations can easily be created and made from recycled materials, scrape pieces, and organic gear. Items such as cinnamon sticks, homemade gingerbread, holly, ivy and evergreen branches, pinecones, popcorn, and dried indian corn can easily store year to year, and look great, too.

An easy way to start off the decor is using items form the garden and seasonal fruit. Think of fresh, bright clementines, rosy apples, and vibrant pears. Decorate with these alongside greenery from your garden – simply twist it into wreaths and garland, make table arrangements, or add a little outdoors.

If you have a real tree, purchase the tree from a sustainable, local grower. Choose a tree that still has its roots intact so you can replant it. If that isn’t an option, see what your region or city has for a Christmas tree recycling program. Wrap the roots with hessian, and decorate it with organic, nature-inspired decorations that are both good for the environment, and budget-friendly, too. Pare these alongside storebought favorites that you’ve collected over the years for a perfect balance.

Instead of wasteful tinsel, start decorating with handmade paper chains, strings of popcorn (not buttered!), and cranberries. All will be traditional, without the glitz and glam (and mess) that tinsel delivers.

Easy decorations can be made with cardboard, cardstock, and paint. Just draw and cut out shapes from recycled materials, and use natural paints, foil, or scraps of giftwrap to cover.

To make baubles, use old tennis balls or other balls of a similar size. Wrap in colorful twine, focusing on the colors of your holiday decor, or reds, greens, golds, silvers, and white. You can also purchase inexpensive foam balls, and use material or cord to cover them.

Other Christmas ornaments can be made from just taking a look around your house! Thread spools wrapped in ribbon or recycled paper can be threaded together to create garland, or hung one by one for a single ornament. Old costume jewellry can also be painted or strung along the try. Gift cards can be revamped to turn into a simple tree decoration.

For those who are a little more crafty, you can also make origami figures out of scrap paper. Birds (which can be made from white and resemble doves) are pretty easy to do. Here is a great step-by-step for making origami cranes. Just round off the beak and the wings to make it a little more dove-like.

Bows are another easy form of decoration that can be made from nearly anything. Make simple bowls out of old material or ribbon, and check out local fabric shops for discounted (or free) scraps.

Pine cones are another easy option. It’s a fun project for the kids, too. Go pine cone gathering together, then get ready to do some crafts! Dip the pine corns in a soy, beeswax, or natural-based candle wax, or splatter them with some white paint so they appear frosted. Finish them off with a bit of glitter. When the cones are dry, tie a festive ribbon around the top.

Pipecleaner is one of those craft supplies that goes a long way. Use beads threaded onto pipe cleaner, alternating between red and white. Bend into a candy cane shape and hang directly on the tree! You can also take colourful pipe cleaners and create shapes to wrap around the Christmas tree or to hang from branches, adding beads or another items that you might find around the house.

Another fun and easy craft is using a homemade dough that you can bake and paint to make ornaments. These are perfect gifts from your kids to others. The basic salt dough includes 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, and 1 cup water. Mix together the flour and salt. Add just enough water until you have a firm dough. Knead for about 8 minutes, then roll and form into shapes and bake at 325 degrees F for up to 90 minutes, depending on thickness.

A few more…

With green in mind, you can re-imagine a Christmas dinner that is good for the Earth and shows your guests how thinking green can go a long way. Before planning the menu, why not send your guests those snazzy invites via email instead? With your eco-conscious on, you may nix those meat dishes you were dreaming about, or reduce them, aware of the environmental benefits of serving your guests vegetarian style. These veg foods, ideally made from locally grown food, may be partnered with a tasty green wine. If you love the feel of menus at your dinner parties, you can even print up eco-friendly menus to get your guests excited about the green dishes you’ve created. And remember when you dreamed of waving your guests off as they drove home?  You can offer those who do travel green a fun door prize like a coupon for a morning cup of organic, fair-trade coffee at your favorite local cafe.

By changing just a few common dinner party moves, you can seriously reduce your dinner party’s carbon footprint. Read on for more examples of small changes you can make to green your dinner party, doing your wallet, the environment and your guests’ health, some good!

• Encourage Your Guests to Travel GreenIn the Evite you send out, be sure to indicate clearly how to get to the dinner party via public transportation. Is there a bus nearby? A light rail? If you don’t live near extensive transportation, why not encourage guests to carpool to reduce their footprints. For those who do travel green, you can offer fun little rewards or green favors. These may include local honey, dried fruit, a bar of fair trade chocolate or even a gift certificate for a cup of sustainable coffee at your favorite local cafe.

• Buy Seasonal and Local ProduceIf the farmers’ market season is still on when your party shopping happens. Local produce is not only good for your health, its good for the Earth too: the shorter distance it travels to get your plate keeps carbon out of the air. To find out what’s in season for your party you can check out a seasonal produce calendar. This will help you plan a green menu that celebrates the seasons. When you head out shopping, don’t forget your reusable bags and if at all possible.
• Sip Green DrinksWhen you’re planning what drinks to serve at your dinner party, try avoid buying those that come in cans and bottles. If you do get drinks in these, be sure to clearly mark a place where guests can recycle. When possible complement your fresh menu with green drinks. Whatever your party mood, green drink options abound. You can make your own sangria and avoid drink packaging altogether. There’s also the option of picking up beer from a local brewery, or buying it organic. If wine’s your thing, green wines abound, and if when dessert rolls around you want to serve a little pick me up, why not brew some shade-grown coffee?
• Think About Reducing the Amount of Meat on Your Menu or Go Veg AltogetherMeat production contributes significantly to climate change. One pound of beef alone requires 1860 gallons of water. Cattle and other livestock also produce serious amounts of methane, a gas 20 times more harmful to the Earth than carbon dioxide. Note that you can serve less meat at your party and still do a good green deed. If you are inspired to take your party a step further, why not make your menu entirely vegetarian.
• If You Want Seafood on the Plate, Choose Sustainable  If you’re dreaming of serving seafood at your dinner party, go the sustainable route. In buying sustainable seafood, you will avoid contributing to the overfishing devastating global seafood populations. You can check the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch to navigate your choices.

• Use the Right TablewareIf you can, avoid the usual paper cups, plates, napkins and plastic utensils. If you are stuck on these for your party, look for unbleached or biodegradable products. If you can forgo these you will save a nice pile of trash from making its way into the landfill. Instead, use dishwasher safe china and glasses you already have around the house. If they don’t all match, add more green candles and native plants to match the eclectic sets.
• Send Your Guests Home With LeftoversEven if you are a star party planner you are likely to have leftovers. Instead of letting them sit in your fridge, potentially serving them up for the next few meals, why not send some home with your friends. You can lend your friends some of your green tupperware or encourage them to bring their own to fill up after the party.
• Clean Up GreenSet up bins at your party that clearly mark where guests can recycle, compost and send trash to the landfill. Compostingyour scraps is great for your garden and easy to do. Next, be sure your dishes are finding their way into an efficient dishwasher. Skip the pre-rinse, fill it on up, and lower the heat. If you don’t have a dishwasher, be sure to do some eco-friendly hand washing. When it comes to scrubbing your countertops post-party, opt to do it with green cleaning products. They’re good for the Earth and your health, too.

Courteous of TreeHugger