Discussing Breast Cancer

So we’re at the grocery store, shopping for the ingredients I needed to make an awesome appetizer to bring to a Super Bowl party … and my six year old son Alex spies something on the shelves that incites him to a near riot.

“Look Ma, Breast Cancer Root Beer,” the kid shouts at the top of his lungs. I was, after all, at the other end of the aisle. He comes running up to me with a can of Hansen’s Creamy Root Beer Soda — shouting, “See?” and pointing to the pink ribbon proudly displayed on the side.

There it was on the side. A City of Hope logo. He got me, this kid. I was going to buy him a can of root beer. I had just been writing about the lack of pink ribbons since October came to pass. No doubt my kids have been missing the ribbons as well.

But here’s what cracked me up: there were two tall twenty-something year old men donning New York Giants jerseys walking the same aisle as me and my kids when my son showed the world the ‘Breast Cancer Root Beer!’ The guys laughed in spite of themselves, and one of them said, ‘that’s something I would have said!’ to his buddy — completely understanding my son’s excitement over his discovery.

What’s up with that?????

I did some research when I got home, by the way. From their website: “Hansen’s will match your contribution up to $1,000 per person or family*. Simply click on the donation link at the bottom of the page and you will be redirected to the official City of Hope donation page. When filling out donor information, under additional information, check “other” and type in “Hansen’s” and the donation offer code that is located on cans of Hansen’s Natural Sodas or Hansen’s Smoothie Nectars.”

Dyson is committed to helping find a cure for breast cancer. Committed. A lot of companies have gotten on the bandwagon with pink products and services, but this one … well, check this out: $40 from the sale of each DC07 Pink will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation which currently funds over 100 researchers throughout the world working to prevent and cure breast cancer.

• The Dyson bagless vacuum (dust goes right into an easy-to-empty dust compartment) doesn’t lose suction while it deep cleans — that means nothing is left behind; you get a cleaner carpet when you’re done. Plus, no bags to buy. Bagless.
• With the flick of a switch you can move from hard floors to carpets with a Dyson — no need to change nozzles or adapters. Easy. So easy, in fact, your husband can do it. (Plus, he’ll want to, once he reads the Dyson story if he hasn’t already.)
• Each Dyson has a lifetime HEPA filter (here’s why you need HEPA filtration). It’s so brilliant that it is certified as ‘asthma friendly‘ according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Oh, and it’s washable — no need to buy new filters over time. No need.
• The Dyson upright’s on-board tool storage means you’ll never be fishing for the attachments again. Never!

We found it really easy to assemble this vacuum. We opened the instruction manual briefly to look at the instructions and found the graphics/visuals simplified the process.

We struggled to find the sticker the manual says is under the dust compartment — to remind us when to rinse our washable filter. Eventually, I called the Dyson helpline (1-866-693-9766; 7 days a week). The nice woman on the phone explained that the sticker was obviously missing because if it was on the unit, it would be obvious. No big deal, I’ll mark the dates on my calendar, the sticker is probably superfluous.

Then my husband vacuumed. What a sweet, sweet thing to watch. I’ve said it before, this man of mine loves pink products and services more than anyone I know. He’s wanted a Dyson for a long time because he’s a technology junkie. When he found out Dyson made a pink model he nearly went out of his mind. The vacuum of his dreams. I admit, he’s the one who usually vacuums. I’ve had so many reasons to limit my lifting between having babies and having breast cancer related surgeries it just sort of happened that vacuuming is his task. Of course, now that I have this upright … things may have to change. We’ve had an Electrolux canister for the last ten years and though it has served us well, it is heavy as all be, and I just couldn’t be the one to lug it around the house. Who wouldn’t want to vacuum with this?

Bottomline? Our house is going to be cleaner. That means our family is going to be healthier. And we’re all going to smile a lot more when we are making our house cleaner and healthier. In this life? That matters. Greatly.

Thank you Dyson — for creating this fantastic vacuum and for giving back to a charity that makes a significant difference in the lives of women. And thank you Tim — for allowing me to show the world how you vacuumed our playroom in these pictures.

You can buy it at Target.com or you can buy it at Amazon.com for $399. OR, check it out on the Dyson website — under the original Dyson upright.

cancer, breast cancer, dyson, vacuum

With breast cancer themed ornaments. Yes, you read that correctly. Ornaments.

Isn’t that shoe perfect? I love Radko’s … I have several of them on my tree. So I need this High-Button Blooms Breast Cancer Awareness ornament. That link brings you to Macy’s where you can purchase that beautiful ornament for $48.

From the Christopher Radko website: “High-Button Blooms represents the 10th annual ornament created by Christopher Radko that supports nationwide charities that bring awareness to the need for a finding a cure for Breast Cancer. Pink is the color of breast cancer awareness, this stylish high-button boot bursting with pink blooms serves as a reminder that we continue to search for a cure.”

I love Radko’s — did I already mention that? I hope my husband reads this one carefully!

Anyway, in case the old-fashioned look of the Radko doesn’t work for you, here’s another you can go for. The Lenox Breast Cancer Ribbon ornament:

It’s available at Macy*s online for $19.99 right now (normally $29). A portion of the proceeds are going to breastcancer.org.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree … how lovely are your branches!

breast cancer, cancer, Christmas, Christmas Tree, Christopher Radko, Ornaments

Well, this is one of those days I’m just thrilled to be part of the media.

In honor of breast cancer awareness month, Belkin has donated several great products to Discussing Breast Cancer so I can give them away to my readers.

I first blogged about their cases for the cause back in May when I read a press release about the products. Belkin has over 10 pink cases for your iPod and 10% of the profits are going to either Susan G. Komen for the Cure or the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Belkin kicked their campaign up a notch by donating to this site. (Thanks Belkin … your support is appreciated!)

So, here’s what I’ve got for you guys. Three awesome iPod cases, each valued at around $25, for three different readers. So stop lurking and let me know you’re out there!

One Belkin Remix Metal case for your iPod nano. This is the one I’m using — the back is clear acrylic and the front features brushed metal (aluminum), with a soft-touch click-wheel protector and a pink ribbon in the lower right hand corner of the unit. I’ve much more security carrying my iPod with me when it is encased; knowing that my kids use it and their sticky fingers won’t be getting all over it, this case is perfect for me. Plus, at $24.99, it’s value-priced. Peace of mind for a reasonable amount of money. Worth it, don’t you think?

There’s also One Belkin Remix Acrylic case for your iPod nano up for grabs. Snap it on for full protection and full functionality. With this one, you get two choices for the soft touch back — pink or chocolate. LOVE it — but I’ll give it up for you.

Then there’s a true gem, One Belkin Sport Armband, again for you iPod nano. Ultra comfortable, hand washable, water-resistant. It’s superlight flexible neoprene — what a way to workout. It also uses reflective material for use in the dark. Hmmmm … I know they mean running, but the possibilities are endless.

All you need to do to win is comment on THIS post between now and next Thursday. I’ll do a random drawing on Thursday, October 25 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time — then I’ll ask the winners to email me their mailing addresses so I can ship them out asap!

You can comment more than once, but your name will only be entered in the drawing once. Don’t forget to email this to friends and family who may be interested in winning.

Good luck and thank you again to Belkin for supporting such important causes!

Man, this round up I’m doing is never ending. Today I’m going to focus on the retail stores that are committed to the cause as well. Of course, I’m totally skewing this list towards places I ADORE!

Here’s a favorite retail boutique: I worked at Ann Taylor once. I loved the style so my 40% discount sucked up my entire paycheck. So this Ann Cares About Women card caught my eye: Purchase the card for $25; receive 15% off any purchase made through 12/31/07 — Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor LOFT, Ann Taylor factory stores — even online at ANNTAYLOR.COM OR ANNTAYLORLOFT.COM (plus you get free shipping when you order online). 85% of the card’s price will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Then there’s the department store that I love to visit: Bloomingdale’s! You should see their Pink Boutique. Proceeds are going to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Plus they’ve got this little pink book packed with articles, illustrated by Marisa Acocella Marchetto. Love it!

As far as catalogs so … Red Envelope. I’d like almost anything from this one page: Think Pink. If you shop the Think Pink collection by the end of the month, 10% of the proceeds are going to the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund.

Oh, to think there isn’t enough time in the day (or money in the bank) to support all these venues supporting the cause!

Not ready to do the pantry yet … but I am ready to show you what is in my office these days. It is filled with pink products. Take a look:

My husband, otherwise known as “the pink shopper”, brought these Post-it® Flag Highlighter Pens home for me last week after a trip to Staples. Thirty cents from each pack will be donated to City of Hope.

I always use HP Multipurpose Paper … this month the package is pink and states that 20% of the manufacturer’s profit from this product will be donated to breast cancer research and awareness. Thank you HP!
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No, I don’t mean literally. Though I did have a pink room in a condo I once owned; I had my roommates sleep in that room, though. it was … pink.

But … you’d be surprised how much pink I have going on right now. Or maybe you wouldn’t be. The world is flooded with pink products. Is the message about early detection saving lives minimized as a result? Not if I can help it.

Early detection saves lives. When you see a pink ribbon, tell yourself, tell whoever is around you, the pink ribbon is a visible reminder that you need to stay on top of your breast health because your life depends upon it. Even my kids know this … they see a pink ribbon product right now or a pink ribbon pin on someone’s lapel and the lead the conversation — fewer women will die of breast cancer if the message remains prevalent.

That’s why we’re buying what we see. To support the companies that want to help drive this point home.

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For the month of October, Casio has bundled up a special edition pink Exilim camera, the EX-Z75; it’s a 7.2 megapixel digital camera with a lanyard and pink ribbon dangle and a leather case with pink stitching. Proceeds are going to benefit The National Breast Cancer Foundation.

From a press release: “We are proud to be a sponsor of the National Breast Cancer Foundation,” said Bill Heuer, Vice President of Casio’s Digital Imaging Division. “We hope that by purchasing the EX-Z75 in honor of breast cancer patients and survivors, users will capture every valuable moment with their friends and family.”

The kind (and smart) people at Casio sent me a camera to review — so right away I’m psyched, right? Then, as I unpackaged it, aside from the fact that I love the lanyard (instant usability and so “me”), I loved how easy it was to navigate the camera’s menu and program the camera to my liking. Got that date and time stamp on there right away.

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I need to lighten my mood. So, you know how I love pink products … and this sure is the month for them. In fact, I’m doing a round up, by category, and today we’re gettin’ gorgeous for the cause. I’m starting with my favorites:

I’m a Clinique girl. If you are, too, then head on over to the Clinique website and click on the pink ribbon next to their logo in the upper left hand corner of the homepage. Then check it out … when you buy this limited-edition Dramatically Different™ Moisturizing Lotion you get all three decorative charms: a silver Clinique “C”, a miniature 3-Step Skin Care and a Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon. $10.00 from your purchase goes to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. They also link to information about the book I reviewed here earlier this year, “Cancer Vixen” … seems the Clinique campaign was her idea!

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You know how I love to ‘tout’ pink products … well, check this out.

If you’ve ever bought Yoplait, you’ve probably noticed their special pink lids that reference their Save Lids to Save Lives® program.

These pretty little lids appear on Yoplait yogurts throughout September and October. For each pink lid mailed-in by December 31, 2007, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, up to $1.5 million with a guaranteed minimum donation of $500,000.

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Chemical menopause and natural menopause have more than one thing in common: hot flashes, vaginal dryness (a topic for another day for sure) and ugh, icky, sticky night sweats.

My husband (yes, he’s very much ‘in the know’ about everything related to breast cancer, God bless him, just because of me) read about this air conditioned bed designed to keep you cool at night on one of his favorite sites, Treehugger.

Far fetched? Of course. But here’s something more reasonable to help you through the sweats:

I recommend Night Sweatz ‘cool, hip, dry sleepwear’ for the times it gets really bad. My mom gave me a Night Sweatz gown when I was kicked into menopause; it really did feel cool against my skin and I didn’t feel like I was swimming in my clothes when I woke up. (Thought I might have preferred a cute two piece set like this one here).

Are there other products you know about to help women get through ‘the change’ as my grandmother used to say? I’d love to hear about them!