Giveaway: Free "Sixtyfive Roses" Book, Signed Copy

May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, and nothing seems more appropriate than to give away the touching memoir, "Sixtyfive Roses", by Heather Summerhayes Cariou. This book chronicles the relationship between Heather and her sister, Pam, who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at age four, and the journey their family went through. Heather's parents went on to start the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and with the effort for research and new treatments, Pam was given years to live instead of months.

Many celebrities are a fan of this read, including Celine Dion who wrote the foreword and Eva Longoria Parker who has optioned the film rights.

Five percent of the proceeds from book sales go to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Enter the contest by leaving a comment to this blog entry (see rules below). Tell us how Cystic Fibrosis has affected your life, or what your favorite product is on Uptown Liz (or any thing else you would like to comment on). The winner will receive one signed, copy of "Sixtyfive Roses".

Giveaway Rules 1) You must be an Uptown Liz subscriber to our blog feed or our newsletter. 2) Enter the contest by leaving a comment to this blog entry. 3) The winner will be randomly selected on Saturday 6pm PST. 4) The winner will be announced on the blog Sunday (the following day). 5) This item cannot be shipped to a PO Box address.

Body Care Ingredients That Kill

Since losing my 28 year old sister, Liz, to breast cancer, I have done a lot of research on health. One of the many things I have discovered is how toxic our personal care products are to our bodies. Our skin is our largest organ, absorbing 80% of what goes on it into our bloodstream and vital organs. My sister was a huge perfume and lotion junkie, where I was addicted to lip gloss and skin care.

Once I started becoming more aware, it was shocking to discover what we are putting into our bodies. We are using these goodies to look better, but in reality, we are slowly destroying our health (from the inside out). I started buying products that boasted "No sulfates, parabens, etc." without reading the full ingredient list. Further research showed this was only the beginning, and most products claiming to be "natural" or "organic" were false advertisers.

I found this ingredient list from Health Wanted - one of my favorite blogs - to be very helpful. I keep it in my purse and refer to it when I'm purchasing personal care products.

May is Military Appreciation Month

I am the daughter, daughter-in-law, granddaughter and cousin of veterans. I am also the proud sister of a soldier in the United States Army. May is Military Appreciation Month, and there are many ways to honor and give back to our service men and women.

Send a letter of thanks to http://www.amillionthanks.org/.
Ship a care package to a soldier through http://www.uso.org.donate/.
Write an uplifting message at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/.
Hire a veteran by visiting http://www.hirevetsfirst.gov/.
When you see a service man or woman say "thank you".
Contact your local VA and volunteer your time.
Fly the flag on your house or place of business.

To support military causes by shopping, go to the military page on Uptown Liz.

Photo caption: Ramona Russell (right) with her brother, Nathan, who is serving in the Army.