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Luis Parrales

I've been with FresYes Realty since before it existed! I love what we do here and truly believe in our mission of highlighting the people, places, lifestyle and homes of Fresno. I'm the self-proclaimed comedy headliner in the office, have a passion for BBQ and I'm a huge advocate of Downtown Fresno!

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• Time to Put Those Random Facts to Good Use! Trivia Around Town - November 21, 2019
• FAQs About Donating Blood - November 11, 2019
• Sugar Pine Railroad - November 4, 2019

FresYes’ 5th Annual Blood Drive is Saturday, November 16th. Over the years, we have received many questions about the process, who is eligible to donate, how to prepare and more. Here is a FAQs run-down:

How long does it take?

The donation process includes registration, a brief medical screening, blood collection, and time for refreshments following the donation. The entire donation process usually takes about one hour and the actual blood collection segment is usually about 15 minutes. 

I recently donated blood, how often can I give?

Blood donors may give once every 56 days (eight weeks) in order to allow plenty of time to replenish their red blood cells.

How does giving blood affect me?

Very little! Your fluid volume is back to normal within 24 hours after you donate. Your white cell count returns to normal within 72 hours after you donate. An adult of average weight has about 10 to 12 pints of blood so the one taken is hardly missed.

Is there a minimum or maximum age limit on donating blood?

Donors must be at least 18 years old (16 and 17-year-olds must have written parental consent). There is no upper age limit.

How can I increase my iron level?

Donors may be deferred from donating due to a low iron level. This requirement is for the safety of the donor to ensure that after donation, the donor’s iron level will still be within the normal range for a healthy adult. Eating foods high in iron (e.g. red meat, dark green vegetables, cream of wheat, raisins) or taking a multivitamin with iron may help increase the red blood cell count (iron levels). For more information about iron-rich foods, click here.

What are the general requirements for donating blood?

Age: 18 years old ( 16 or 17 with parental consent)

Weight: Donors must be in good health and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds

Blood Pressure: Lower than 180/100 mmHg.

Medication: Use of many or most medications is acceptable, whether obtained “over the counter” or by prescription from your personal physician. See the restricted list here

Medical History: There are many medical conditions that do not prevent you from preventing blood. See the detailed list

One of the most popular questions we get is about tattoos and permanent makeup. Here are the new rules:

In preparing to donate blood you’ll want to make sure you are well-hydrated, eat before donating, and avoid caffeine and alcohol the day of. 

We hope to have as many of you as possible at our blood drive!

Please Register Here

FAQs provided courtest of the Central California Blood Center

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Natali Carrera

Natali Carrera is a devoted coffee addict who also loves her nine-year-old son, husband of 14 years and bargain hunting at Target. She works full time with ValleyPBS as their Director of Educational Services and is also a freelance writer and YouTube vlogger (as a hobby). She's been told "bubbly" is the best descriptor of her personality, though she wonders if what people really mean is that she talks too much. Natali is a lifelong Fresno resident and Fresno State grad.

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• Happy House Opens Offering Curated Artisan and Vintage Goods, Just in Time for the Holidays - November 13, 2019
• Muses Appreciation Day November 7th Offers the Gift of Relaxation - November 6, 2019
• Fresh Bread and Flowers: Delivering Comforting Carbs and Stunning Blooms to Your Door - October 24, 2019

Though it may seem a bit early to begin your holiday shopping (or for those of you that are early birds, maybe even late?) there’s one local gift that you’ll definitely want to snag later this week if you’re looking to pamper a loved one – a gift certificate for a trip to Muses.

Muses is a Day Spa located on the northwest corner of Cedar and Teague in northeast Fresno. Whether you’re someone whose lifestyle allows for frequent visits to a Day Spa, or one who reserves such an experience for very special occasions, I’m certain Muses will be worth it, any time you can go.  I’m a “special occasion” spa-goer who mainly gets to visit when I receive a gift certificate or if my husband and I decide to go for a couple’s massage as an anniversary gift to one another. We’ve both visited other local spas for special occasions, but the experience doesn’t compare to the relaxing atmosphere and high level of service offered at Muses. 

Muses offers massages, facials, spa manicures and pedicures, microdermabrasion and facial peels, airbrush tanning, makeup artistry, anti-aging treatments and more. There are services designed specifically for men, including their Just for Men package which includes a 60-minute massage, a neck, and scalp massage and a men’s pedicure for $155. So, if you’re a man reading this, you can absolutely enjoy a trip to Muses and I’ve seen plenty of men arriving and leaving from appointments there on my visits. 

Making an appointment for a spa service at Muses is easy, as they provide a straightforward menu of their services and easy online booking on their website. I was very grateful to receive a gift certificate to Muses for my birthday this year, so I recently was able to enjoy a wonderful massage there. During my visit, I snapped a few photos, because I knew I would want to share this gem of a place with you as the holidays approached.

When booking, I recommend allowing time to arrive early for your appointment, as Muses has an incredibly cozy and well-appointed relaxation room that you get to enjoy before and after your service. You’ll be given a fluffy robe to change into (if you like, no pressure) offered a glass of champagne, a mimosa, spa water or coffee and given a quick tour of the changing room and relaxation room. You can relax on a chaise lounge next to the softly glowing fireplace, enjoy their steam room or warm up in the sauna. When it’s time for your service to begin, you will be escorted to a dimly lit and luxuriously appointed treatment room. No detail is spared from the décor to the quality of the linens on the massage tables. Getting back to my original suggestion, if you would like to give the gift of relaxation to someone special this holiday season, you’re going to want to mark your calendar for this Thursday, November 7^th between 4 and 7 pm, as its Muses annual Appreciation Day! On Appreciation Day, Muses offers special discounts on spa services, 20% off of retail products, and raffles with services offered at up to $1,000 in value. Everyone who stops by will be treated to appetizers and champagne – so stop by after work and score special pricing on a gift that’s definitely one that will be enjoyed.

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Luis Parrales

I've been with FresYes Realty since before it existed! I love what we do here and truly believe in our mission of highlighting the people, places, lifestyle and homes of Fresno. I'm the self-proclaimed comedy headliner in the office, have a passion for BBQ and I'm a huge advocate of Downtown Fresno!

Latest posts by Luis Parrales (see all)

• Time to Put Those Random Facts to Good Use! Trivia Around Town - November 21, 2019
• FAQs About Donating Blood - November 11, 2019
• Sugar Pine Railroad - November 4, 2019

Looking for a fun activity the whole family will enjoy? The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad is a historic railroad that offers train rides, an educational museum, and gold panning activities. Rather than reading or teaching your kids about Fresno’s history, the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad allows families to experience history.

On the Logger Steam Train, passengers can ride in covered passenger cars with benches or open-air cars with seats carved out of logs, replicating the look of the log cars which once traveled these rails in the early 1900’s.

Once used by the Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company, the locomotives operated to transport logs to a now-gone nearby mill. Lumber was then floated down to the central San Joaquin Valley via log flumes and offers a great glimpse into Fresno’s history. Locomotives returned to this Sierra Nevada wilderness in the late 1960s thanks to the Stauffer family, who immigrated from Switzerland and had the vision to revive the railroad for tourists.

The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad dates back to 1965 and has been family-run ever since. There are two trains, #10 and #15. The Shay #10 was built by Lima Locomotive Works of Lima OH. It holds 1,200 gallons of fuel, weighs 81 tons and is a 3-cylinder steam train. The Shay #15 was built by Lima Locomotive Works of Lima, Ohio in May of 1913 for the Sierra Nevada Wood and Lumber Co. The #15 holds 900 gallons of fuel, weighs 59 tons and is a 3-cylinder steam train. Over the years, the steam train has drawn thousands of visitors to take the excursion through the Sierra National Forest. There are several one-hour and half-hour train rides offered daily in addition to the three-hour moonlight specials, which happen Wednesday and Saturday nights during the peak season. The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad’s moonlight rides include dinner and a stop in the forest where visitors disembark to hear live music around a campfire. The reviews on TripAdvisor are glowing, with attendees saying, “The train ride through the forest was really nice, especially on the open log car” and “its an opportunity to experience the sounds, sights, steam, smoke, and smells that are symbolic of times gone past that we missed.”
So gather your family and friends, and check out the historic steam train, running weekends through Thanksgiving

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FresYes Writing Team

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• 7 Delicious Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes - November 4, 2019
• This Low-Carb Chicken Zoodle Soup Can Heal You From The Inside Out - October 28, 2019
• The Old Fresno Water Tower - August 28, 2019

Vegetarian slow cooker recipes are the easiest way to add more plant-based dishes into your routine. When you load it up with veggies and spices and let those flavors get to know each other throughout the day, you’ll be left with a final product that’s just as healthy as it is satisfying. And these cozy meals are a great place to start.

Vegetarian slow cooker recipes that are just as easy as they are healthy

1. Slow cooker black bean tortilla soup

Vegetarian tortilla soup? Count me in. This version contains a wide variety of healthy veggies, including onion, bell peppers, black beans, tomatoes, and corn.

2. Crockpot cauliflower bolognese with zucchini noodles

Pro tip: You can make a hearty bolognese sauce using cauliflower. And when you pour it over zucchini noodles, game over.

3. Lemony lentil soup

Loaded with flavor, this lentil soup gets an energizing zest from the addition of lemon for a unique—and a mouth-watering!—twist on the classic.

4. Slow cooker tofu butter chicken

You won’t miss takeout at all thanks to this slow cooker recipe that swaps chicken for tofu. The Indian dish is spiced to perfection with garam masala.

5. Quinoa black bean crockpot stuffed peppers

Stuffed peppers are super easy when you have a slow cooker on hand. This meatless version is loaded with quinoa, black beans, and plenty of flavorful spices.

6. Vegan slow cooker lasagna soup

This is the healthy lasagna dish you’ve been waiting for—just in soup form and completely dairy-free.

7. Slow cooker coconut quinoa curry

It doesn’t take much to put together this curry. After adding in your ingredients—including sweet potato, broccoli, chickpeas, and coconut milk—and letting it cook for just over four hours, it’ll be ready to devour.

Article Courtesy of Good Food by Therene Firman

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Jason Farris

Head YES man at FresYes.com

I grew up in Fresno. Relaxed in its calm breezes, listened with my dad to the crack of the bat at little league baseball games when I was a kid and now take my son to do the same at minor league games. I broadened my mind at its schools (I went to high school right here at San Joaquin Memorial, and to college at Fresno State!) I love that if I drive for two hours in one direction, I can be in the mountains. For two hours in another, luxuriating on a California beach. I can enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere of San Francisco or Los Angeles, but still be able to come home to relaxation, calm, and quiet.

I love where I live, and I also love what I do. I'm lucky to be able to work in a profession in which I get to build relationships; one that has me meeting new people each and every day and helping them to build new lives in my beloved city. I'm lucky enough to work in a profession in which I can marry cutting-edge technologies and marketing techniques to good, old-fashioned, nose-to-the-grindstone work. I am lucky enough to work in a profession that allows me to work as an advocate for my clients; to use every tool at my disposal to get a job done well for them, and with as little stress and expense as possible.

I love my city. I love my job. One inspires my excellence for the other.

Fresno? I say FresYES

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• What’s Hot & Happening this Weekend - November 21, 2019
• What’s Hot & Happening this Weekend - November 14, 2019
• What’s Hot & Happening this Weekend - November 7, 2019

Welcome to the weekend Fresno! It’s the first weekend of November and there are so many events going on around town including the 14th Annual Fresno Fall Home Improvement Show at the Fresno Fairgrounds. Wherever you are in town, make sure to use #fresyesinsider to share what you are up to!

Friday 

• Dia De Muertos: Luna y La Muerte 2019- The Cultural Arts District, Fresno @10am Event Link
• 14th Annual Fresno Fall Home Improvement Show & Tiny House Expo- Fresno Home Shows: 1121 S Chance Ave, Fresno, CA 93702 @10am-5pm Event Link
• 1st Annual Psycho/Rockabilly Hoedown! W/ Three Bad Jack’s Plus MORE!- Full Circle Olympic: 1426 N Van Ness Ave, Fresno, CA 93728 @7:30pm-11:30pm Event Link 
• 50 Year Celebration!- Sierra Nut House: 7901 N Blackstone Ave, Fresno, CA 93720 @5:30pm-9pm Event Link
• A Tribute to Rocky by Violin on Fire- Fulton 55: 875 Divisadero St, Fresno, CA 93721 @9pm-1:30am Event Link
• Johnny Luv | Simple Sinsation- Full Circle Brewing CO.: 620 F St, Fresno, CA 93706 @8pm-12am Event Link
• $1 First Friday- The Discovery Center: 1944 N Winery Ave, Fresno, CA 93703 @9am-1pm Event Link
• TGIF! Custom Wood Sign Workshops!- AR Workshop Fresno: 1134 E Champlain, Fresno, CA 93720 @6pm-9pm Event Link
• Halloween Costume Party W/ CAB Street Band- On The Edge: 412 Pollasky Ave, Clovis, CA 93612 @7pm-10pm Event Link
• Chelitas Taqueria at Clovis!- Tactical OPS Brewing: 1131 Railroad, Clovis, CA 93612 @6pm-9pm Event Link 

Saturday 

• Bluebird Market at Fig Garden- Fig Garden Village: 790 W Shaw Ave, Fresno, CA 93704 @11am-5pm Event Link
• Furry Fall Festival- Valley Animal Center: 3934 N Hayston Ave, Fresno, CA 93726 @11am-3pm Event Link
• Stomp ‘N’ Chomp – Animal Enrichment Day- Fresno Chaffee Zoo: 894 W Belmont Ave, Fresno, CA 93728 @9am-3pm Event Link
• Mega Texas Everything- Tioga Sequoia Brewing Company- 745 Fulton St, Fresno, CA 93721 @5pm-10pm Event Link
• Dia De Los Muertos “A Selena Homage” Featuring Sonia Santana- Full Circle Brewing Co.: 620 F St, Fresno, CA 93706 @7:30pm-11:30pm Event Link
• Blow your own tiny pumpkin- Ballis Glass: 2888 N Sunnyside #104, Fresno, CA 93727 @10am-12pm Event Link 
• The Old Town Flea Market- Rodero Dr, Clovis, CA 93612 @6am-10am Event Link
• Paint Therapy HOME Sign- 3 Oaks Studio: 481 Pollasky, Clovis, CA 93612 @12pm-3pm Event Link
• November Saturday Farmers Market- Old Town Clovis: 456 Clovis Ave, Ste 2, Clovis, CA 93612 @9am-11:30pm Event Link

Sunday 

• 2019 Two Cities Marathon, Half, Relay & 5K Run/Walk- Two Cities Marathon & Half @6:30am-2pm Event Link
• Namaste For Compassion Ride for Charity- SPYN Cycle Studio: 1021 Herndon #102, Fresno, CA 93720 @10am-10:45am Event Link
• Race Rugrats – On-Site Childcare for Two Cities Marathon 2019- Woodward Park: 7775 North Friant Road, Fresno, CA 93720 @6am-1pm Event Link
• Make a Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board W/ Chef Shayna- CRU Winery: 20146 Road 21, Madera, CA 93637 @12pm-1:15pm Event Link 
• Old Town Yoga Fresno 1 Year Celebration!- Old Town Yoga: 7089 N Marks Ave #106, Fresno, CA 93711 @1pm-3pm Event Link
• Tower Trash Clean Up- Blendz: 802 E Olive Ave, Fresno, CA 93728 @12pm-3pm Event Link

-Jason

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Sarah Soghomonian

TV Producer and fan of all things fabulous.Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred!

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• Free Auto Show Featuring New Cars Runs Through Sunday - November 15, 2019
• NBA Star Paul George Will Attend Fresno State’s Basketball Game Sunday - November 7, 2019
• Fresno State Wrestling Starts Season Friday on Historic Aircraft Carrier - October 30, 2019

The organizers of a new Fresno festival believe nothing brings a community together more than food. So, they’ve put together an International Food Festival.

It’s taking place on Saturday at Manchester Center, outside in the parking lot area.

“I grew up going to food festivals with my family,” said Nate Jumna, founder of City Grub Fest, the group organizing the event. “We always loved seeing our community come together to support local vendors and try different kinds of food.”

Saturday’s festival runs from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature a wide variety of food trucks, including: Robs Bayside BBQ, PSP Grill, Sushi In N Out, Cool AF, Sweet & Spicy and Vornita’s. That’s a mix of Asian, Mexican and American foods.

“It is important to have events like these so we can bring our community together,” Jumna said. “It also shines a light to our local business owners.”

The event’s Facebook page already has more than 7,000 people that say they’re interested in attending.

There’s no fee to come to the festival. Food is purchased directly from different vendors.

There will also be merchandise and informational booths, along with a live DJ.

Jumna says he’s excited to be holding the event at Manchester Center, which is rebranding themselves as “The New Manchester.” The complex, located on Shields and Blackstone in Central Fresno, is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation.

“They have been really supportive and are excited to have an event like this,” Jumna said. “Most events like these happen on the north side of Fresno and we want to bring the community back towards the central area and show that you don’t have to travel far to have a fun time with your family.”

Sandra Cortez, the Marketing and Business Development Manager for The New Manchester, hopes to be able to host more events like this one.

“ It’s an opportunity for local businesses to show the amazing diversity of ethnicities we have in the Valley and the best way for that to be memorable is through delicious food,” Cortez said.

A portion of funds raised from the International Food Festival will go towards Together 1 Heart which works to secure the rights of young women and girls who are victims of human trafficking. To learn more about Saturday’s festival visit their website CityGrubFest.com

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Natali Carrera

Natali Carrera is a devoted coffee addict who also loves her nine-year-old son, husband of 14 years and bargain hunting at Target. She works full time with ValleyPBS as their Director of Educational Services and is also a freelance writer and YouTube vlogger (as a hobby). She's been told "bubbly" is the best descriptor of her personality, though she wonders if what people really mean is that she talks too much. Natali is a lifelong Fresno resident and Fresno State grad.

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• Happy House Opens Offering Curated Artisan and Vintage Goods, Just in Time for the Holidays - November 13, 2019
• Muses Appreciation Day November 7th Offers the Gift of Relaxation - November 6, 2019
• Fresh Bread and Flowers: Delivering Comforting Carbs and Stunning Blooms to Your Door - October 24, 2019

Do you love surprising people with special gift delivery? What about freshly baked bread – are you a fan? And beautiful flowers? I bet you know people who like those, too. If you answered yes to the questions above, you are going to absolutely love the local business I’m about to introduce you to.

FresYes fans, meet Alina and her business, Fresh Bread and Flowers.

Is this bread not the most stunning bread you’ve ever seen?

I was absolutely stunned to receive this loaf of handmade rustic sourdough bread laced with fragrant rosemary, along with a bouquet of some of the most beautiful flowers I’d ever seen as a surprise gift from a dear friend on my birthday this past weekend.

Fresh Bread and Flowers is a local business that offers beautiful, naturally leavened and organic freshly baked bread and gorgeous floral bouquets made of blooms grown right here in town, by the company’s owner, Alina.

Alina moved to the Central Valley from Ukraine a little over a decade ago, but found it difficult to find wonderful breads like the kind she was used to enjoying in Ukraine. “Ukrainians eat a lot of bread. It is an essential part of every meal, and for some, including myself, it is also the best dessert (with some unsalted sweet cream and honey). When we moved to the U.S., it was quite challenging for me to find bread I liked. The choices seemed to be very limited compared to those in Europe, and I couldn’t find the taste and texture I liked.”

In order to solve her own dilemma, Alina decided to roll up her sleeves and get to baking her own bread until she could get the recipes just right. “During the past several years, we have baked many, many loaves striving to improve our skills as well as develop recipes we liked, and now we are ready to share our bread with you!”

Fresh Bread & Flowers currently offers five types of bread:

• Whole Wheat Levian
• Mini Miche
• French Sourdough
• Fig and Walnut Levain
• Rosemary Sourdough

Each bread is naturally leavened, meaning, no commercial yeast is used, which Alina says yields better flavor, a more healthful bread and allows the loaves to keep longer.

Bread can be purchased as a weekly subscription (4 weeks at a time, with delivery on Fridays) or as a one-time purchase.

As for the flowers, Alina says her mother is to blame. “For as long as I can remember, she has always been growing something in her beautiful garden. I will never forget the taste of the strawberries and tomatoes she grew!” Alina’s family had to leave Ukraine due to war, and though it’s wonderful for her parents to live nearby (and be there to watch Alina’s four children grow up) she knows her mother misses the beautiful roses, peonies and lilies she once grew in her home country. “To cheer her up, I turned our backyard into a flower farmette. Fresno climate is very difficult for flower farming. These blooms are a labor of love and hard work along with many tears and fears, but I love how flowers always, always make people smile!”

Alina makes stunning seasonal bouquets in one dozen and two dozen stem arrangements. These arrangements can be purchased as a weekly subscription, for business décor or as special occasion bouquets for delivery.

All of Alina’s Breads and Flowers are delivered Monday through Saturday, and someone needs to be present to accept deliveries, as it is not good for fresh bread or flowers to sit out in the elements on a porch for any length of time.

Alina’s prices are very reasonable, and the quality of her bread and bouquets are out-of-this-world phenomenal.

The next time you’re looking for a special way to brighten someone’s day, your home, or your office I highly recommend calling Alina of Fresh Bread and Flowers. You can enjoy gorgeous photos of her blooms and bread on Instagram here, learn more about ordering on her website here, or contact her to place an order here.