A Time and a Place for Thanks and Giving

November is our traditional time for giving thanks and sharing food with people that are close to us. But, for some people this is a luxury that is beyond their reach and means.

Many non-profit groups have been organized to help those who are less fortunate. Here on the San Francisco Peninsula, we have the Second Harvest Food Bank which is the primary source of donated, surplus, and purchased food for non-profit agencies in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

Second Harvest operates direct service programs for seniors, families with children, and individuals, including: monthly food assistance to low-income families with children, weekly food assistance to low-income seniors, weekly food assistance to low-income Food Bank volunteers and the delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables to low-income households with limited access to community markets.

There are many ways that you can help, from volunteering your time, to organizing a drive, or by simply donating food or money. As we give thanks to those close to us, we hope you might consider others in this time of giving.

Let's Talk Turkey - The Good and Bad of it

Thanksgiving is in a few weeks and that means one thing (for us poultry eaters) -- our traditional turkey meal. There are certainly many recipes and traditions out there. However, if you watch the Food Network from time to time, you may have come across this funny and knowledgeable cook Alton Brown. He's a cross between your big brother and a nerdy scientist who happens to really know how to cook food.

If you're happy with your approach, great. But, odds are you'll likely see something from Alton that might help you with your turkey. There are two videos here. First is traditional turkey which is cooked in an oven. The second one is for those of us who elect to deep-fry out turkeys.



Some of us have deep fried our turkeys and it can taste great. But, whether you realize it or not, it can be very dangerous. Alton goes through some of those precautions here in a very humorous and enlightening way.



No matter which way you go, we of course hope that your turkey turns out as planned, but really hope that you keep safe in the process.

San Mateo Harvest Festival - Nov 12-14th

This festival is the largest arts and crafts show on the West Coast, showcasing over 24,000 handmade arts and crafts.

Unlike many shows, each vendor must go through a jury process to be chosen as a participating artist, guaranteeing a mix of high quality products. They'll be grab bag prizes and a raffle for a grand prize piece of original art.

The San Mateo Harvest Festival has selected the Peninsula Youth Ballet as the official charity of the show. The Peninsula Youth Ballet (PYB) will receive half of the proceeds from shopping bag sales and all of the donations from the parcel and bag check. The PYB will also perform a sneak peek of their acclaimed rendition of the classic "Nutcracker".

The San Mateo Harvest Festival Original Art and Craft Show takes place at the San Mateo County Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Ave in San Mateo. Hours of the show are as follows: Friday: 10 am - 6pm, Saturday: 10 am - 6pm, Sunday: 10 am - 5pm.

Adults: $9, Seniors (62+): $7, Youth (13-17): $4, Kids 12 and Under: Free. For tickets and additional information, please call 415-447-3205, or visit http://www.harvestfestival.com/

Millbrae Carnival & Monster March Costume Parade

Two big family friendly events will be happening this month.

First, this Sunday, October 10th, from 11AM-1PM, the Millbrae Rotary will be having a "Kids Carnival." It's free for all kids 10 years and younger. They'll be games, entertainment, 4-H animals, hot dogs and cotton candy. You can meet "Boswick the Clown." Call 650-588-5400 for more information.

The Millbrae Lions Monster March Parade will be happening again this year. The new date is scheduled for Saturday, October 30th, from 12-3 PM. There will be carnival games, prizes and kid's activities. Located at Kohl's Parking Lot and Magnolia Ave. The Parade starts at 2 PM. Trick or treating on Broadway follows the parade. The parade this year is sponsored by the Millbrae Lions Club and The Millbrae Chamber of Commerce.

We hope that you can take advantage of the nice weather and local events that Millbrae has to offer.

Insurance and Flex Spend - Don't Miss Out on Your Benefits

It's about this time of year, where people have settled into their work and they start to call as about open enrollment and what benefits they have remaining before they expire. If you haven't checked with us, it might a good time to do so.

Why is that? Well, if you need to take advantage of benefits that are expiring, you'll want to make an appointment as soon as possible. Many people wait until the end of the year, and with the holidays and all, it can be challenging to get everyone in. We don't want you to miss out.

If you think you might want to change your flex spending amount, give us a call. If we know of a procedure that you are due for, or have put off in the past, this would be a good time to take advantage of open enrollment changes. If your company is changing providers or giving you a variety of choices, you can always check out our website or call us to see if we are in network.

In the end, its about us helping you get the best smile you can. That's something worth smiling about.

A Child with Influence

Someone alerted us to this video clip. It's a cute video, just under 2 minutes long of a young girl who has a "catchy dance." It was actually produced by a cell phone company, but we still love as everyone in it seems to be having a lot of fun. Especially the young little girl who doesn't realize what she's created.

The Meaning of Life - in Under 3 Minutes

A patient of ours brought this clip to our attention. It contains a number of sketches and words that are put to music. The messages here are the things that you can count on your friends for.

If your having a down day, need to be reminded about how to live or just need some perspective, this is a great video. We hope that you can take the time to view it. It's worth it.