Thumbs Up Monday

It’s has been a long time since I’ve had a Thumb Up Monday.  I originally started doing it to start my week off on a positive note.  I’m not sure why or when I stopped, but I felt the need to do it today. 

I want to give a Thumbs up to some fellow bloggers who have touched me with their loving hearts this week:

Mallory - Mallory aka Mallyscat

Marcy – Marcy’s Mazin’ Moments

Crystal – Life of  a Seed

All three of these ladies walked in their local Making Strides for Breast Cancer events this past weekend.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

It’s generous people like you that are going to help find a cure for this horrible disease. 

I also wanted to share with you all another special blogging friend who is doing her part to help spread the word about the importance of self-exams and screenings with a little giveaway.  You can check out Erin’s blog here :

 

What it's all about:

 

October is breast cancer awareness month

so I'm using this giveaway to get more women aware if this awful disease as well as attempt to raise money for breast cancer research.

 

The giveaway's primary purpose is to serve as a reminder to know your risks, perform self exams, as well as to go get screened if you're of age.

And what better way to get your attention than by attaching breast cancer information to a giveaway of pretty pink things!

 

A bunch of amazing ladies agreed to help out in the cause by giving away some pretty fantabulous prizes. But in order to get to those you're going to have to get to second base first. And I'm not talking about baseball, ladies.

 

I'm talking about boobs.

Your boobs.

And in order to keep those boobs healthy you should be informed on some breast cancer facts and preventative measures.

 

So read this:

 

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® recommends that you :

1. Know your risk Talk to your family to learn about your family health history Talk to your health care provider about your personal risk of breast cancer 2. Get screened Ask your health care provider which screening tests are right for you if you are at higher risk Have a mammogram every year starting at age 40 if you are at average risk Have a clinical breast exam at least every 3 years starting at age 20, and every year starting at age 40 3. Know what is normal for you and see your health care provider if you notice any of these breast changes: Lump, hard knot or thickening inside the breast or underarm area Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening of the breast Change in the size or shape of the breast Dimpling or puckering of the skin Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast Nipple discharge that starts suddenly New pain in one spot that doesn't go away 4. Make healthy lifestyle choices Maintain a healthy weight Add exercise into your routine Limit alcohol intake Limit postmenopausal hormone use Breastfeed, if you can

 

And do this:

 

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.

What you could win:

 

These are all of the lovely ladies who agreed to donate something to this awesome cause.

They are all AHHmazing and I couldn't thank them enough for wanting to help out and being so generous!

 

Erin

LARGE Ad Spot ($50 value)

 

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Ashlyn

 

$40 gift card to Victoria's Secret

 

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Jen

 

An adorable handmade pink wreath 

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Molly

A Scentsy Buddy and Scent Pak

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Jenna

Pink scarf from Old Navy

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Heather

OPI nail polish

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Janna

$10 gift card to Victoria's Secret

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Amanda

 

Wine glass from Etsy

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Jenna

Pretty pedicure things

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Brie

 

$10 gift card to Starbucks

 

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Michael

Sign, key chain, lanyard, Cosmo, Notepad

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Rima

Pink Baby Lips

 

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Myself

 

XL Ad Space (worth $15)

and a loofah, mascara, eos, gum

 

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How to win it all:

 

This isn't your average giveaway.

It's for a certain purpose.

That purpose being one that will help save lives.

 

So the way that you'll gain the most entries is by blogging and/or tweeting about the giveaway so that we can get the word out to as many ladies as possible.

 

You can also rack (pun intended) up your entries by donating to the Susan G. Komen foundation.

That's how you'll get the most entires!

Any dollar amount helps, no matter how big or small - we're trying to save 'em all.

 

 

If for some (insanely strange) reason you would like to avoid the giveaway but would still like to donate then you can do so

HERE

Leave a comment with the link to your donation confirmation page and I'll send you a promo code for a free ad space!

 

Now get to entering:

a Rafflecopter giveaway