Book review - Boob Envy by Shelly Knowlton Jones

If you, or someone you know has been affected by breast cancer, this a must read.

Shelly is a wife, mom, cake decorator and cancer survivor.  She journals, very honestly, about her journey from discovery of the lump through treatment and recovery, right up through the implant of the prosthetic breasts.

The thing about this book is that is the most honest look into cancer and treatment that I have ever read. From the emotions, the side effects, the days that she cried and the days she wanted to hide from even her kids, you get the complete range of emotions.

Shelly holds nothing back about how things hurt, pain meds that didn't begin to touch the pain she experienced and being annoyed with people.

However, she also brings the good side of cancer, if you can call it that.  The benefits that were given, the friends and family that stepped up and helped out with kids, housework, meals and yes, money.

There are several pages of resources for others battling cancer to draw from and use to help themselves and their families.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Shelly in person. She is as funny in person as she is in print.  And she's just as honest.

I am confident that if this horrid disease should ever strike me, I will be prepared for what might happen to me.

Other books I have read have kind of sugar coated things and been a little bit like a cheerleader.  Shelly holds nothing back, and that includes some language you might not like, but it's what she felt at the time.  I don't begrudge her anything. It's her journey, not mine, so who am I to judge?

As she puts, quite bluntly, cancer can "F*ck off and die!"  I lost my aunt to this disease and have seen many friends fight it.  Spread the word about this book, and finding a cure!

Boob Envy can be purchased on Amazon.

Breast Cancer Awareness Give Away

Unless you're living under a rock, you know that October is breast cancer awareness month.  There is pink everywhere.  I'm sure you know someone who has been affected by breast cancer.  It's very personal for me.

In 1998 I lost one of the greatest women I've ever known to breast cancer.  My Aunt Lin died when she was just a few years younger than I am now.  Far too young.  She was a mother to 4, a step-mother to 3, a sister, a daughter, an aunt and a wife.  Many people miss her.  My children never got to meet her and she never got to meet her grandchildren.

I also have many friends who have fought the battle, and won, and a courageous young woman who had genetic testing, discovered that her odds of developing breast cancer were astronomical, and she voluntarily had a double mastectomy before the cancer hit.  They are all courageous women!

Cancer hit us again a few years ago when our former pastor, and dear friend, was diagnosed at the age of 40.  Her daughter and my daughter were the same age, so the reality of cancer struck my daughter.  She watched our friend, and one of her best friend's mother, going through this horrible disease.  It was hard for her to watch and we spent a lot of talking about what happens.

In honor of all these women, but especially my Aunt Lin, I am doing a give away.

I like to sew and knit and run an Etsy shop.  I made this apron, and it is only available on the give away.

The main fabric has the words faith, hope, love and charity throughout.  The pocket, band and ties are the pink ribbon material.

This is a one size fits most.  I am a size 14/16, and as you can see, it fits me fine, and there is plenty of room in the ties to expand it.  If you're smaller, you can wrap the ties around.

It's cotton material, so it is washable and dryable.

This give away is open to everyone of any age, and there are many ways to enter.

Comment and tell me how breast cancer has affected your life.
Comment and tell me you're a survivor (YAY!) and get 2 entries.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, via e-mail, on your own blog - comment and tell me where/how you shared it and get an entry for each method you shared.
Comment and tell me what month you had your mammogram.
If you haven't had your mammogram, get on the phone and get it scheduled!!  Then comment and tell me when it's scheduled.
Comment and tell me where you did a breast cancer walk.
Comment with your favorite breast cancer saying - "Save the TaTas" and so on.

Yes, this means you can have multiple entries.  One for each comment!!

The whole purpose of this is to spread the word.  I had my mammogram earlier this month and everything is fine.  (Thank you God!!)  Yes, it's not the most comfortable, but the whole thing takes 15 minutes and can save your life.

Have a conversation with your friends and family.  Pester them if you have to. Let's not let this just be a month where we wear pink.  It's not about a fashion statement.  It's about screening and being healthy.  It's about being proactive.

That being said, my Aunt Lin would hate this apron.  She was not a pink girl at all and she wasn't about  "advertising" that she had cancer.  She wasn't frilly at all.  She was a hard working, strong and loving woman, and I wonder how different our lives and family would be if she were still here.  So, I want to do this in her honor, and hopefully help a woman get screening that she might otherwise put off.  Please get checked.

Drawing will run through October 31st.

Products helping breast cancer fundraising

About a week ago, I wrote a blog about Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Since that post, I learned of another friend who has breast cancer and has started chemo.

I decided to do a blog dedicated to companies who are helping to raise breast cancer awareness and contributing funds to research.  This is not, in any way, a complete list, but these are some that I know of.

Panera Bread - they have a "pink ribbon bagel."  It is in the shape of the cancer awareness ribbon with cherry chips, dried cherries, dried cranberries, vanilla, honey and brown sugar.

Dannon Yogurt - each cup of Dannon brand yogurt has a code inside the lid.  Enter the code on the website, and they will donate 10 cents.

Yoplait Yogurt - they have a similar program to Dannon.  You used to have to save the lids themselves and mail them in, but now they have a code inside that you can enter online.

Pink Together - This is associated with General Mills cereals and other products.  Click on the Pink Together link and it will take you to the Facebook page.  "Like" them and they will donate money.  There are also other opportunities on the Facebook page to donate.

Proctor & Gamble - Another one to "Like" on Facebook.  In addition, many P & G products have turned pink for October and money will be donated.

Ulta Beauty - Ulta participates in many ways.  You can get a "free" product with a donation.  They are hosting a Cut-A-Thon.  A "free" shampoo, cut and style with a donation.  They also carry products from many manufacturers that are donating proceeds to breast cancer.

Pink Hair Extensions - Many hair salons are offering pink hair extensions.  Ulta, listed above, is one of many places.  Click on the pink hair extensions link to find a salon where you can get yours.  (This is one thing I will be doing for sure!)

I could go on and on and on and on..... There are some major corporations that are active in breast cancer fundraising year round.

Ford - they have a Warriors in Pink campaign.  There is a specially designed car, apparel, etc.  You will find them out at the Susan G. Komen breast cancer walks, and they give away a special Warriors in Pink scarf at each walk. I have passed my scarves on to my pastor as she goes through her fight.

Avon - Avon hosts a different walk from the Susan G. Komen.  They have a 2 day walk totalling 39 miles (Susan G. Komen also has a 3 day/60 mile walk)

There is also a website called The Breast Cancer Site Store that I have ordered from.  They have a large variety of items and each item purchased funds 1%  of a mammogram for a woman in need.  The more you buy, the more you fund!  There are also daily sale items.

Doing a quick Google search will reveal all sorts of results.  You can use these to decide where and how you can help.  Every little bit helps and hopefully we can find an end to this horrible disease.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

You probably know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  If you're not, you will be by the end of the month.


This cause is one that is very dear to me.  I lost my aunt to this disease when she was younger than I am now.  A 42 year old woman should not die from breast cancer.  She battled the way she battled everything in life, head on.  She was an amazing woman and the world is a lesser place without her in it.


Right now I have two friends who are fighting this.  One is younger than I am, the other older, but the fight is the same.  And it is a fight that affects so many.  I have several friends who are survivors and I am so proud of them.

Statistics from Breastcancer.org.

About 1 in 8 women in the United States (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.

About 39,840 women in the U.S. were expected to die in 2010 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1990. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.

In 2010, there were more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.

About 70-80% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic abnormalities that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.

How can anyone argue with this?  A cure needs to be found!!

My friend, Laura, and I try to do the breast cancer walk each year.  Both her mother and her sister has battled and won.  This puts her at great risk.  We both know how much awareness there needs to be.

The Susan G. Komen breast cancer walk is an amazing event.  When you see a mass of people, all wearing their race/walk shirts, all in support of cancer research, it is amazing.  Pink is everywhere you look, and the size of some of the teams that form are overwhelming.  When you look around you see "bibs" on people.  The have their race number on it, but most of them also contain at least one name.  The name is either someone they are walking in memory of or in honor of.  The number of names is beyond comprehension.  There is also a garden where you can hang a ribbon in honor or memory of a loved one.  Watching the ribbons blow in the breeze brings a harsh reality.


For Laura and me, it is a girls day.  We take the whole day for ourselves and just spend time together. It is the bonding time women need, along with a great day of self care.  This year, my schedule did not allow us to attend, so we decided to Sleep In For the Cure.  We paid our fee, just as if we were attending the walk, we just didn't go.  The money goes for the cause and we could still contribute, even though we couldn't be there in person.


Participate in a walk if you can.  It is a mind boggling event.  If you can't, consider doing the "sleep in" so the money still goes toward research.  


To all of you currently battling, or have survived the battle, you have my greatest admiration!  To those of you who have lost someone, you have my sympathy.  Cancer sucks!