Watch my latest video to see three ways to dress for this office this fall!

Always play dress up.. right?!

That’s what I preach, but earlier this year I got knocked down with a cold and I got chuckling at how much I give up on what I wear when I’m sick. I mean.. I really give up! I grab the coziest, ugliest, oldest, stained clothes.. and pull them on. I give up on makeup, doing my hair, and even showering. I embrace the opposite of playing dress up and I just stay in the same clothes for days.. I know.. gross.. right?! But when I’m down.. I’m down.

As an ambassador for Kaiser Permanente, I started working on a story about the Flu.. the one that seems to be a big topic of conversation these days. And, before I get into the nitty-gritty of what I learned.. I thought I’d share my “sick day attire”.. because in reality.. you can’t always play dress up.. am I right?

Now, on to the important REAL stuff that I learned from talking with Dr. Coling, from Kaiser Permanente.

Our discussion was about the FLU.. not the COMMON COLD. To be honest, I didn’t know there was a difference. I thought it was all the same. When talking about the flu.. we are talking about influenza, and here are a few ways to know the difference between the two:

• The flu comes on quickly and the symptoms are more severe
• You can have a fever.. that often lasts more the 24 hours
• You have chills and sweats.. even without a fever
• You will feel extreme exhaustion and it can last for weeks

With any or all of these symptoms, it is good to consult a doctor and stay on top of it. The flu can be serious and should be treated as so.

It is also better to stay in and avoid contact with others.. this is one situation where “Hustle Hard” is not your friend.

The biggest thing I learned from Dr. Coling is that the FLU SHOT is your best friend! Again.. I never really have taken this seriously and (cringe) I’ve never received the flu shot… at least not that I can remember!

So.. thank you Dr. Coling.. I will now be getting the FLU SHOT and will make sure my whole family does too!

We need to stay well.. and ready to “always play dress up”, right?!

This post is in partnership with Kaiser Permanente 

photos by Tay Tux

I wake up and something is off.. brushing it away.. I get ready, but creating my outfit for the day is less enticing and inspiring. “Blah” and “anxious” are ways that I describe how I’m feeling.

I’m watching a dumb reality show.. and then next thing I know.. I’m crying..

For some reason I can’t parent without losing my mind..

I think things like.. “why do I do what I do.. am I even good at it?”

All of this.. so strange!

And then I realize.. my period is about to start. A few days later I do. DARN HORMONES!

As women we know this, we experience this.. but it is still a THING! RIGHT?! I go from being  an excited, inspired, balanced person who sees life with rose colored glasses.. the switch is flipped and suddenly I am dark, uninspired and scary on some days. PMS.

The older I get the more intense my symptoms are… so I brought this up in my discussions with Kaiser Permanente as a Thrive Ambassador.

I spoke with Kaiser’s OBGYN Hormone specialist, Dr. Beth Hamilton, curious to know if what I am experiencing is normal and if there were things that I could do to tame my symptoms. She listened to my situation and assured me that everything I was describing was completely normal, but she did give me some tips on ways to calm things down a bit.

1. EXERCISE – even a quick 30 minutes daily!

2. SLEEP – a solid 7-8 hours a night!

3. STRESS MANAGEMENT – deep breathing, time with friends, reading!

4. HEALTHY DIET – what we eat can affect how we feel. There are apps like My Flo that will suggest what to eat during each part of your cycle!

4. SUPPLEMENTS – primrose oil, Vitamin D, Calcium and Magnesium

I’m actually pretty good at some of these things, but I could work on a few. I’m going to take the challenge to prioritize my body, my womanhood and my hormones in this way for the next few months.

I want to see if there is a difference in my PMS symptoms. A little less Jekyll and Hyde.. a lot more.. BETH JONES! I’ll keep you posted as things start coming up roses!!

This post is in partnership with Kaiser Permanente

This fall I was treated to a week of meals delivered by CRATEFUL!!

CRATEFUL is all about eating well, being well.. and let me tell you.. that is exactly what my week was all about!

Every morning I’d wake up, look outside my front door and there, in fun little packages was my meals for the entire day. I got to pick what types of meals that I wanted and they made everything dairy free for me!! It also inspired me to get a little more creative with my own cooking.

Scroll through the POWERFUL and DELICIOUS meals that I indulged in over the week!

USE THE PROMO CODE BJONES TO RECEIVE 20% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER

Fresh out of the shower and this is my FACE.. no makeup.. no nothing! For me, my skin is leaps and bounds from my skin six months ago when I started my journey to healing my acne with the help of CosmetiCare!

I have had a series of three custom facials with their expert esthetician, and if you go back and look at my skin when I started.. you can see a significant change in my skin! Seriously significant.

So.. every few months.. after a sweaty workout (yes, nothing fancy.. just workout clothes and high-top ponytail), I roll in to the CosmetiCare office to meet with their esthetician. She is fabulous.. it’s like she’s my skin therapist.. counseling me, coaching me, getting in there with all the “tough stuff” and helping to make things better!

And four months later I’ve seen great improvements. I’m still breaking out on my chin and lower cheeks, so things aren’t completely clear.. but most often I feel like it is one or two breakouts.. and not dozens. The texture of my skin has made a HUGE shift! I don’t feel bumps all over my skin anymore.

The biggest change I have seen is that my neck and jawline are completely clear.. which is crazy to me, because this has been my biggest problem area. It’s amazing!

So.. what are the next steps? I’m so EXCITED! I’m going to start working on my scarring with Cosmeticare. They have spent time getting to know my skin, and now we can take steps to get rid of the redness and scarring.. and I cannot wait!

I will be sharing the whole process in an upcoming post.. so stay tuned!

July Visit

September Visit

You may remember last year that I tried out Botox for the very first time as a Cosmeticare Ambassador. I had a great experience, nothing was painful or scary and I loved the results.

Just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to try it out again.

This time around I wasn’t nervous because I knew it was an in-and-out treatment, and it had no down time or pain related to it.

To be honest, this time around I considered what “getting Botox” meant to me. I know there are differing opinions on stuff like this, and I wanted really know what I felt about it.

I love aging.. really I do! I feel proud of the woman that I am today.. and I am excited to continue growing, maturing, learning and AGING!! For real!

I’m actually more comfortable in my skin then I’ve ever been, and I’m confident with who I am.. flaws and all!

So.. regarding something like Botox.. that relieves your face of some aging.. what do I think of that?

Here’s the truth.. I love it!

It feels like a way to pamper myself. I wake up and look awake and it’s fun! No shame here!

Cosmeticare recommends getting Botox treatments every three to four months to maintain the results. I haven’t received treatments in a year.. but after this time, I’m considering making it a regular thing. I also treated only my forehead, and I’m really happy just sticking with that area.

So.. there you have it! I’m proud to be 36 (turning 37 next month). I’m proud of the “scars” of life that have taught me a lot.. and also.. I like being free of a few wrinkles!

For details of the process, check out last year’s post

Well.. it’s about three months in to my journey to heal my acne. These are not my favorite pictures to post, not all fashion and fun.. but they are real a snapshot of where my skin is today.

A few months ago, I took you all through my meeting with dermatologist, Dr. Van Hoang, at Kaiser Permanente. She offered me a lot of great advice and gave me an action plan for my skin.

With this plan, I got to work.. and I actually have seen some big improvements in my skin. Not completely clear, but greatly improved.

Today, I want to share everything that I am doing to work on my skin. So here goes:

I am taking 100 mg Spironolactone daily.
I take 2 capsules of Estroblock daily
I quit drinking diet coke.
I eliminated dairy from my diet.
I eat mostly a clean (paleo-like) diet.
I wash my face with Sulfur Soap two times daily.

And.. that is what I’m doing. For me, all these things have been a lifestyle change, but I’m seeing the benefits and it has been worth it. I still would like to see complete healing, but I do feel that I’m on the right path.

The next step is to work on the scarring, and see where that leads.

This post is in partnership with Kaiser Permanente 

photos by Britney Moore

It all began in the grocery store with Kaiser Permanente’s dietitian, Kelly Brown.

Kelly walked me through the grocery store and helped me navigate healthy, budget-friendly meal planning for my family. After the shopping tutorial, it was time to head home and see if I could take all this knowledge and put it to practice.

And that’s what I’ve been doing.. I love the idea of cooking meals for my family that are good for ALL of us and are fun to eat around the table together.

On a recent Sunday at home, I began with some recipes that Kelly suggested. I served Banana/Peanut Butter Sushi for lunch and Black Bean Fajitas for dinner. I also took her advice to put everything out on the table and have the boys pick the items they wanted in their tortillas. It was a happy and delicious dinner together!

Some of the biggest changes that I’ve made since meeting with Kaiser is being more aware of labels on foods, reading all the ingredients and being mindful to make wise choices. I’ve also swapped out some “meat-lovers” dinners for some plant-based meals. Even my husband (who’s a big MEAT guy) was happy!

For me, meals around the table take top priority and I love that now I’m serving food that is good for our WHOLE selves.

This post is in partnership with Kaiser Permanente