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Myvacuumsealerisone of my favorite kitchen ap- pliances. I seal fruit to extend its freshness by at least two weeks, often much lon- ger. I seal meat before I freeze it to stave off freezer burn, which keeps it perfect for six months to a year. I could go on and on about how my FoodSaver saves our food expenses, but today I want to tell you about all the ways I use the thing that have noth- ing to do with food! But first, two general vacuum-sealing tips: CONVENIENCE. I've learned through trial and error that I have to keep my FoodSaver handy to get the most use out of it. It can't be stuck in a cup- board or on a pantry shelf. If I have to put the small- est effort in to get it out and plug it in, I either stop using it because I for- get about it or because it's such a hassle that I de- cided to skip it "just this one time." It has to sit on the counter, plugged in and ready to go. And the bags have to be just as handy. I keep them in the drawer directly below. REUSING BAGS. If you are going store items re- peatedly, make sure to use a pouch size larger than you need the first time. Take hamburger buns, for example: I seal a dozen of them, then I open the bag to take some out and then reseal it. This way, you can open the bag by cutting off the seal, and then you can reseal it for another time or two. You don't have to trash the bags af- ter one use. If you're stor- ing dry goods and the bag becomes too small for your original intended use, sim- ply reuse a bag for another item. Or you can wash and dry them to use again. Now for the nonfood FoodSaver uses. SILVER. I vacuum-seal anything that tarnishes that I do not use on a daily basis, such as sterling sil- ver flatware, silver trays and bowls. By removing the air, the enemy (oxygen) is locked out, so the items don't tarnish. This way, both my silver and my time are protected. (I hate to polish silver.) COINS. All of my com- memorative coins are safely vacuum-sealed. This protects their integrity and collectable value. And because the bags are clear and I seal them in a single layer, their beauty is still visible. JEWELRY. Vacuum- seal jewelry you do not wear regularly. It will keep those precious possessions clean and sparkling and at their peak of beauty. And when you're ready to wear a piece there's no polishing or cleaning required. It's ready to go. PHOTOGRAPHS. I keep precious old photos sealed for protection. Note: I do not vacuum the air out so the vacuuming process doesn't transfer the photo to the plastic. Instead, I use the "seal only" feature. DOCUMENTS. Oxy- gen is the enemy of old pa- per. By sealing family doc- uments or heirloom docu- ments — and sealing only — I protect their longevity. WATERPROOF. I use my FoodSaver to create waterproof pouches for money, maps and more for camping or emergencies. PASSPORTS. I vacuum- seal our passports before putting them into the safe. This keep them dry and mold-free, for lots of mois- ture can show up inside a safe, which is why just about everything in mine is vacuum-sealed. AMMO. Ammuni- tion needs to be kept dry. There is no better way to do that than with a Food- Saver. Vacuum-sealing re- moves oxygen and keeps moisture out. A simple way to do this is to take a FoodSaver bag, fill it with loose ammo, and then vac- uum-seal it. Store it in your bug-out bag or ammo cans. You can also seal a pre-filled gun magazine. If you have a Food- Saver, what ways do you use it to save food and other things? We're dying to know. Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Waystousea FoodSaver that have nothing to do with food Mary Hunt NEVERGIVEUP UNTIL THEY BUCKLE UP. VISIT SAFERCAR.GOV/ KIDSBUCKLEUP VISIT SAFERCAR.GOV/ KIDSBUCKLEUP The Red Bluff FFA offi- cer team traveled to Shin- gletown recently to attend the Superior Region Chap- ter Officer Leadership Con- ference, or COLC, Aug. 29- 30. The seven officers and two advisors spent the two days learn- ing more about their offi- cer position, gaining lead- ership skills, and bonding to create a stronger con- nection within the team. COLC was led by the Su- perior Regional officers, sectional representa- tives and a few state of- ficers. T h e c o n f e r - ence was kicked off by the regional officers present- ing the opening cere- monies. All chapter offi- cers split up into groups to make their way to each workshop. O n e w o r k - shop was a color personal- itytest. The officers had to answer many ques- t ion s about one self on a scale of 14, 4 be- ing most like them and 1 being least like them. When they were fin- ished they added all the columns up, the column with the highest number is the one color that de- scribed them the most. The Red Bluff offi- cer team has two gold personalities, and five or- anges. Gold describes one be- ing a rule follower, loyal, caring, organized while oranges love risk tak- ing, they are competitive and outgoing. The workshop helped the officers learn about each other and how to work with each others personalities for the year ahead of them. Another fun work- shop put on by the sec- tional representatives and state officers was stage presence and speak- ing skills. The workshop helped the officer team learn how to present themselves on stage properly while speak- ing clearly. Once everyone went througheachworkshop the chapters sat down individ- ually and had the chance to reflect on their day and set goals for their year ahead of them. The night ended with fun recreations, such as games and a fun dance. All the chapters min- gled together and had the chance to get to know one another more. Day two was fo- cused on team build- ing. Many games had the officer teams work- ing together with com- munication and skills that they can bring back to the chapter to fulfill their year of service. As the morning came to an end the regional offi- cers closed the conference with their closing ceremo- nies. The Red Bluff FFA offi- cers said they had a great time at COLC learning more about their officer positions, gaining lead- ership skills and mak- ing memories along with other chapters. They are ready to serve their mem- bers to the fullest and make this year a good one. RED BLUFF FFA students attend leadership conference SeptemberisSuicidePre- vention Month, when indi- viduals and organizations around the country and the world join their voices to broadcast the message that suicide can be prevented, and to reach as many peo- ple as possible with the tools and resources to sup- port themselves and those around them. During this month, lo- cal initiatives and outreach events are supporting the message that suicide can be prevented including American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Walks tak- ing place in Chico and Redding. New this year is American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Strike Out Suicide event, which will take place in Red Bluff. The American Founda- tion for Suicide Preven- tion and Tehama County Health Services Agency are teaming up to host Strike Out Suicide, a fam- ily friendly event sched- uled for 5:30-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30 at Lariat Bowl, 365 S. Main St. in Red Bluff. Tickets are $15 for two games and shoes, pro- ceeds of the tickets go to- wards AFSP. There will be food specials with 25 per- cent of the proceeds going to AFSP. Register at www.Event- brite.com or purchase tick- ets at the door. Applied Suicide Inter- vention Skills Training is a free two day workshop for individuals who want ef- fective intervention skills in suicide first aid and de- sire to build suicide pre- vention networks in the community. You don't need any prior training to at- tend ASIST, just a willing- ness to make a difference. The free training will be offered 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 22 and 23 at the Day Reporting Center, 780 Antelope Blvd. in Red Bluff. Register at www. eventbrite.com, using the search feature to locate the event. Participants must attend both full days to obtain certification. For more information, call Kelly Keith at 527-8491 ext. 3713 or write to Kelly. Keith@tchsa.net. Other local events in- clude Walk Out of Dark- ness, scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 15 at Chico City Plaza. For more information, write to suzyslaw@gmail. com. To register for the free event, visit afsp.do- nordrive.com/event. Suicide can be pre- vented. Most of us have been touched by the trag- edy of suicide. We may have lost someone close to us or been moved by the loss of someone we may have never met. For exam- ple, when Robin Williams died in 2014 millions of people felt intense grief. When a suicide happens, those left behind often ex- perience deep shock. Even if they knew the person was struggling, they may not have expected suicide would be the result. How- ever, many people who find themselves in a suicide cri- sis can and do recover. Most people who are considering suicide show some warning signs or signals of their intentions. Learn to recognize these warning signs and how to respond to them by vis- iting the Know the Signs web site at www.suicide- ispreventable.org, which has subsections covering the following topics. If you are concerned about someone, ask them directly if they are think- ing about suicide. This can be difficult to do, but being direct provides an opportu- nityforthemtoopenupand talkabouttheirdistressand will not suggest the idea to them if they aren't already thinking about it. Before having the con- versation, become famil- iar with resources to offer to the person you are con- cerned about to identify where you can find help for your friend or loved one. The Know the Signs campaign is one of sev- eral statewide initia- tives funded by coun- ties through the voter- approved Mental Health Services Act. These efforts are administered by the California Mental Health Services Authority and are part of Each Mind Matters: California's Mental Health Movement. Many people who feel suicidal don't want to die. If they can get through the crisis, treatment works. There are programs and practices that have been specifically developed to support those who are in a suicide crisis. The Sui- cide Prevention Resource Center hosts a registry of 160 programs, practices and resources for suicide prevention. You can learn more about them by visit- ing http://www.sprc.org/ strategic-planning/find- ing-programs-practices. The Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255- TALK offers 24/7 free and confidentialassistancefrom trained counselors. The LifelineisavailableinSpan- ish, and for veterans or for thoseconcernedaboutavet- eran, by selecting a prompt to be connected to counsel- ors specifically trained to support veterans. Local help is available through the Community Crisis Response Unit at 1-800-240-3208 or 527- 5637. The CCRU is a safe and confidential 24-hour facility dedicated to help- ing anyone experiencing an emotional or mental health crisis. It offers men- tal and emotional screen- ings, referrals for ser- vices and access to inpa- tient care if needed. The CCRU is at 1860 Walnut St., Building C in Red Bluff. MENTAL HEALTH Su ic id e pr ev en ti on i s ev er yo ne 's b us in es s CONTRIBUTED From le : Sentinel Daniel Crispino, Greenhand Officer Rhylee Garrison, Secretary Hailey Leonard, Reporter Madison McCarty, Treasurer Brittany Wright, President Miranda Iverson and Vice President Reed Pritchard. - R E D B L U FF ' S - 5:00PM-10:00PMINDOWNTOWNREDBLUFF GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! Pre-Sale Tickets - $20.00 • Day of Event - $25 Learnmorebyvisiting www.redbluffbeefnbrew.com LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, September 15, 2016 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6