Feb. 14 Grilled Cheese Tuesday at Sunflower

Here's something to warm your heart and your stomach on Valentine's Day. Tuesday Feb. 14 is Grilled Cheese Tuesday at Sunflower Market, 2880 S. Colorado Blvd, which means you score a a grilled cheese/cuppa soup combo for $3. That's a pretty good deal in my book. It always pays to check Sunflower's event listings, because their classes and deals are second to none.

Check here for a Sunflower Market near you, monthly event calendar and sales flyers.

FREE Heart Health Screenings in Feb. -- Register Today!

February is National Health Month and there are numerous FREE heart health classes and FREE heart health testing around Denver. Some events require registration, and will fill early, so read the list below carefully.

 Think that heart disease is only for oldsters? Wrong. Many heart conditions are genetic or congenital, and if caught early can they can be managed. If your family has a history of heart issues, you could benefit from a bit of testing and education.

• All Walgreens are offering FREE blood pressure testing throughout February. More than 76 million U.S. adults have high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. High blood pressure is a contributor to heart disease, one of the nation’s leading causes of death each year. Walgreens is offering free testing to encourage more people to “know their numbers.” Tests are not done for diagnostic or treatment purposes, and individuals are advised to share their test results with their primary care physician. 
• You can learn about cholesterol basics FREE at 4PM on Tuesday Feb. 14 at the South Denver Cardiology center,  1000 Southpark Drive, Littleton. This class explores the basics of cholesterol and how to manage cholesterol with medication and natural alternatives. Learn about options, side effects and what the numbers mean. You must register at 303.74.HEART (4-3278) or online here.
• On Feb. 21 the Medical Center of Aurora is hosting FREE community screenings.These screenings will include stations for: Lipid Panel/Glucose Blood Draw, Ask a Pharmacist, Ask a Nutritionist, Heart Disease Risk Assessment and more. Find out more here. Appointments are required for the blood draws. Space is limited! Please call 303-873-0630 to make an appointment and to find out if you qualify for the lipid panel/glucose blood draw. 
• Know Your Heart: Getting to the Heart of the Matter is a FREE class offered by Porter Hospital  at 12:30PM on Thursday, Feb. 23. Learn how to identify your risk factors for heart disease, the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, early diagnosis and other heart related information. Sponsored by Porter Adventist Hospital and Park Place.Light refreshments served. Class is at Park Place, 111 Emerson St., Denver. You must register at 303-777-6877. 
• Less than 5% of sudden cardiac arrest victim survive because most people who witness the arrest do not know how to perform CPR. It could be your mother, your son, your co-worker, your best friend, or your neighbor. Join Centura Health, Exempla Healthcare, Great-West Life, and the American Heart Association at this event and learn this important life-saving skill! Saturday, March 24, 9AM-4PM at East High School, (Colfax Ave. & University). Trainings will occur every hour throughout the day.
• The first training begins at 9AM The last training begins at 3PM. To Register click here or call 303-369-5433! Please note: Attendees will not be certified. This is a basic friends and family training.

Westminster Dog Show FREE Live Streaming

You can watch the Westminster Dog Show for FREE at their website. The show is televised on USA Network tonight Feb. 13 and tomorrow, Feb. 14.

FREE Day Feb. 11 Denver Firefighters Museum

FREE day at Denver Firefighter's Museum on Sat. Feb. 11! Come for National Fire Safety and Prevention Week, held each year to mark the Anniversary of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire and to raise public awareness of fire safety. Learn about this year's theme with hands-on activities, take home sheets, and special presentations. 11AM-2PM. 1326 Tremont Place

Denver Animal Shelter Valentine's Adoption Drive Feb. 12

Just in time for Valentine's Day, the Denver Municipal Animal Shelter wants to play matchmaker for you and a new pet. Come by the shelter between 9AM-2PM on on Sunday., Feb. 12 and take advantage of great prices == fees are reduced to $85 for dogs, $50 for cats, and $10 for small animals. Looking for a companion for a current pet? Bring them to the shelter (as long as they are vaccinated and spayed or neutered) to introduce them. 1241 W. Bayaud Ave.

Denver Dumb Friends Need Valentine Homes

See these guys? They are Allie, a Jack Russell terrier and Sandy, a Rottie, and they are both 10 years old, best friends and currently residing at Denver Dumb Friends Quebec Shelter. How does a 10 year old dog end up in a bad situation like this? A bad economy. A death in the family. Plain rotten luck. Who knows.

We do know that these canines need someone to open their heart and home and adopt them together. At ten, their chances for adoption are slim but I must tell you that I've adopted older dogs and cats from shelters in the past, and they have made wonderful, grateful, loyal pets. If you can provide these two dogs with a forever home please contact Denver Dumb Friends.

Denver Bird Walk Saturday Feb. 11

The Denver Audubon Society is hosting a bird watching outing along the South Platte river on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 9AM-Noon. Registration is required and you can do so here.  Meet at Overland Pond parking lot at South Platte River Dr. and Florida Ave. Bundle up, wear shoes that can handle some mud/snow and don't forget to bring your binoculars or a scope. No fee, but a donation is appreciated.

FREE Heart Health Screening Feb. 11 Sam's Club

On Saturday, Feb.11 from 11AM-3PM, Sam's Club is offering FREE heart health screenings at every Sam's Club location with a pharmacy. However, tests are limited to the first 100 participants at each club location.Guests can receive total cholesterol, HDL, glucose, body mass index and blood-pressure tests at no cost. During the screenings, Sam’s Club pharmacies also will offer free samples of related items, the company said. The closest in South Denver is 505 S. Broadway. Other Denver area Sam's Clubs here.

Feed Denver's Wild Birds in February

All you have to do is look outside, and you can imagine the challenges faced by wild birds in Denver right now, with their natural food hidden beneath snow and ice. Well, it just so happens that February is National Bird-Feeding Month, a perfect time to get out there and brave the snow drifts in your backyard and fill your feathered friends' feeders. You won't be alone. According to the National Bird Feeding Society, more than 55 million Americans are backyard bird feeders, making bird-feeding the second most popular hobby in the United States behind gardening.


Remember to keep your feeders out in the open, so predators cannot sneak up on distracted, feeding birds. For more information on using feeders or National Bird-Feeding Month, visit www.birdfeeding.org.

If you want to know more about Denver's wild birds and what they love to eat, visit our local Wild Bird Center at 1685 S. Colorado Boulevard. They offer seed mixes designed to appeal to the taste buds of local birds, and their website offers a backyard wild bird field guide. Safeway, Walgreens and King Soopers also carry more generic varieties of wild bird food.

Equally important, please keep in mind that birds have a hard time finding water this time of year. Bird baths can provide a water source and can  be heated to help prevent the whole bath from freezing. The Wild Bird Center has products available to help provide winter water, as does Amazon.com.

"Beast of Babylon" at Bug Theatre -- $10

Check out the Bug Theatre's new play, "Beast of Babylon" at The Bug Theatre. Feb. 10, 11, 17 and 18 at 8PM. Details here. For only $10 you can enjoy this show, which blends live music, swashbuckling, mythology, traditional heroic epic, and Hollywood camp in a tale of blood, blades, babes and beasts! Tickets $10 at babylon.eventbrite.com or at the door. 654 Navajo St., Denver. We recommend that you go to Patsy's across the street for a slice and a beer before the show.