A Big Interview with Dr. Kristi Funk

Today's a big day...


It's October's Breast Cancer Awareness month! And I have the unique opportunity to Interview ... renown celebrity breast cancer surgeon, Dr. Kristi Funk. We're discussing the importance of early detection.

As you all know, I am a huge advocate of Yoplait Yogurts and particularly, yes, Fiber One Yogurts! All good things for you. Again, I am happy to team together with Yoplait for another healthy choice for woman and our families.

Yoplait has teamed up with Dr. Funk this year to reach women and men with important breast health information – specifically facts about early detection, risk reduction and ways to support the cause. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer within her lifetime and age is a significant risk factor. This is a great time to consider breast health and the importance of early detection.

Yoplait's Save Lids to Save Lives program, raises awareness and funds for the breast cancer cause by encouraging people to save and send in their pink Yoplait yogurt lids in September and October. Yoplait donates 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for every pink lid sent in by the end of the year, up to $1.5 million with a guaranteed minimum donation of $500,000.

Please share any questions you have and want to know before the interview! Then, we'll have a little Q & A available as follow up. So share your story and questions here.

I'll go first, I began mammograms at 39 years old. I felt what seemed abnormal for me, a lump. Immediately scheduled an appointment with my doctor. Yes, I had a brave friend join me. Because face it, who wants to get scary news solo. Mountain Man was not able and I was blessed to have someone support me. Fortunately, my mammogram was clear!

Looking back that was fear, and you know I do not advocate acting out of fear.

However, I do advocate regular checkups. And irionically, even me, one who is proactive out my mammograms, I am overdue as I received this Interview Opportunity. So yes, I'll be scheduling my mammogram asap.

Go here - Dr. Kristi Funk's Bio is impressive. Women are blessed to have such a knowledgeable pioneer dedicated to this cause and research.

Give me your questions and I'll see you back soon with the Interview with Dr. Kristi Funk!


Warmly,

Look What I'm Loving...

If you haven't noticed life is a little full-on here at Carolina Mama. The Mom Bloggers Conference was amazing. The joke at the conference, and on the internet because apparently it is a real thing, is that bloggers go to a Conference and a certain percentage go home and - heaven forbid - close their blogs!

In a small way, I feel like my "life" distractions coming right after the Conference make me laugh with other blog moms - Go to Mom blogging conference, come home and don't write! :) Not exactly but it is funny.

Quickly, I wanted to share a little bloggy "Pick Me Up" ... I'm Loving...



The Pioneer Woman also shares greatly about Homeschooling! Am I the only who wonders how it got to be October already! It's been an awesome Fall. On the homeschool front, I could not be more excited and encouraged by this article I read over at Rea's - The Pioneer Woman.

It's worth repeating that Rea has so many great topics that she covers well. Time doesn't allow me to read as often as I'd like but I always find the most helpful and supportive content to moms and homeschool moms.

Now, we're bustling around getting ready for "Disney on Ice! Celebrations!"


What are you loving today? Have a great day!

Warmly,

Rachel Ray's Mediterranean Magic

Did you see the Rachel Ray Show today? Oh my goodness, check out this amazing Italian Tuna Melt Panini! Talk about jazz up the old Tuna Salad. This Mediterranean option is divine looking and tops my list of new, new recipes!




Tuna Melt Pressed Panini
Ingredients

2 5.6-ounce tins Italian tuna, drained
1 14-ounce can artichoke bottoms or hearts in water, drained and chopped
1/4 cup loosely packed soft sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pitted Italian or Kalamata black olives, sliced
1/4 cup caper berries, sliced or halved or 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, a handful, finely chopped
2 large shallots or 1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 cup baby arugula
1 large lemon
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for liberal drizzling
Pepper
1/2 pound deli-sliced provolone cheese
1 loaf ciabatta bread, split lengthwise horizontally
Yields: Serves 4

Preparation

Heat panini press or cast iron skillet for pressing sammy. If using a skillet, you will need another heavy skillet to press with or a brick, wrapped in foil.

Flake tuna in bowl. Add chopped artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, caper berries or capers, parsley, shallots and arugula. Dress with lemon juice and liberal drizzle of EVOO. Mix to combine salad thoroughly, season with pepper to taste.
Arrange half of the cheese, overlapping the slices, on the bottom half of ciabatta. Top with salad in even layer then arrange remaining cheese and top with bread. Cut the loaf into 4 sections and press a few minutes to melt cheese and heat through. Serve sammies with Warm Penne Pasta Salad alongside.

What are your favorite new recipes? Check out "Tasty Tuesday" for more fun recipes!

Warmly,

Strengthen Your Life

"What you pay attention to expands." Marcus Buckingham

"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." Maya Angelou via Find Your Strongest Life.

As a Book Reviewer for Thomas Nelson, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review, Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read this latest by Buckingham.

He states "It's time for you to live a strong life." You'll find the "Find Your Strongest Life" Test that reveals several different to identify yourself "the role you were born to play." These include: Influencer, Weaver, Caretaker, Pioneer, Teacher, Motivator, Creator, Advisor and Equalizer. Marcus Buckingham shows women how to live a stronger life. This reveals different strengths and weaknesses. The pros and cons.



Then some personal favorites are searching for strong moments and accepting what you find! That's a real gift. Prior to reading the book, Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham, are you aware of these traits and how to use them in your life to strengthen yourself? You'll be glad you checked this one out.

Check it out or some of the many great books at Thomas Nelson Publishers today.


Warmly,

U2 360 Tour Raleigh "With Or Without You!"

U2 spans decades and is legendary. In my life, I feel a whole host of emotions. One particular memory is my sweet gentile Southern Mama who was not a rock n roll mom. She was your Orchestra, Classical Violin, Organist at Church Mom.

After our Daddy died unexpectedly, Cir. 1981, "Mommy" went through her own version of a "mid-life crisis" clearly and U2 of part of it. I can remember her driving her BMW listening to U2 singing along, "Still haven't found what I am looking for....!"



After loosing the "love of her life" of 25 years, to her, there was no other! All these years, her knight in shining armour was Daddy. U2 reminds me of those years... the many in between... like on a mountain in Colorado and now in Raleigh as a Mom myself about the age my Mom was... here we go! U2 I have always wanted to see them live and thanks to Mountain Man, tonight is the night!



Warmly,

Friday Food Finds & Giveaway

Welcome to the lovely "Friday Food Finds!" Isn't that cool! You know, you've seen it going on here at Carolina Mama for The Type A Mom Conference was so awesome in many ways. One was all of the amazing sponsors like Little Debbie. It was so fun we got to see the Cupcake Car! And taste these ...

Little Debbie Cupcakes

You can really get your Chocolate Cupcake fix with these. They are light and fluffy and tasty as usual with Little Debbie. It was perfect timing that I arrived home from the Conference on Monday, guess what arrived on my front porch? Two big boxes of these delightful cupcakes! The Tigers were very pleased.

Well, we all were. And go, get you some. Hurry because the boxes have a coupon for 45 cents off! It's a bargain! Now, I cannot wait for the 100 Calorie Nutty Bars by Little Debbie to hit the market and even better, my front porch! We are crazy for the Nutty Bars.

On a lighter note, thankfully, this same week, these arrived...

Yoplait Yogurt new Yoplait yogurt – new YoPlus Light!



And all was right with the world. For every extra calorie and fat gram I inhaled with the almighty Cupcake, the new Yoplait YoPlus Yogurt redeemed. This is an amazingly tasty yogurt. My favorite this time is Honey Vanilla! It is smooth and creamy and it packs some serious digestive goodness!

Finally, Nature Valley's Nut Clusters introduced us to a whole new product. This crunchy, nutty snack is substantial and you'll be going back for more. These packs are portable for hiking, camping or just plain ole' snackin'! And the best is that Nature Valley's Nut Clusters is Giving you a & Prize Pack Giveaway which includes a variety of flavors of the Nature Valley Nut Cluster snacks!

Take a look at the nutritional value in these!



Enter to Win:

1) Share a favorite thing about Nature Valley Snacks in the comments below!

2) Click "Follow" this Carolina Mama blog. :)

3) Tweet the contest on Twitter using @CarolinaMama & this link.

Good luck! You'll love this healthy, sun snack pack! This week, we're "Hooked on Friday" with Friday Food Finds! What are you hooked on? Thanks for reading and you can count on more "Friday Food Finds!" How do you handle snack time?!

Warmly,

North Carolina Fall Apples, Pumpkins and A Corn Maze

Happy October! We are loving the cooler Fall weather here. We love Apples, too!

We're planning a field trip to one of these Apple Orchards!
Apple Orchards in North Carolina
. We also have great plans for the Farmer's Market to "pick a Pumpkin!"





And to a very cool Corn Maze @ Green Acres. They even have Christmas Wreaths if your want to get ready!



And the Winner of the "Disney on Ice" Tickets is C and C Family! It's going to be an awesome show! Remember you can get a coupon code for your own Tickets from my post here. Good Luck!

We've got lots of opportunity for these things as we are having floor restoration - our hardwood floors in our kitchen restored. So stay tuned for "how she does it" with the 'restorers' taking over! :) I'd say it is perfect timing with all of these activities on the plate.

What's Fall looking like for you?!

Warmly,