It’s August! That means there’s still time to sit on the beach or by the pool and catch the last sunny rays. Before the back to school and work mindset pushes you into Fall, this month’s issue will introduce you to some cooling recipes, how to track your period, and the best podcast to help you enjoy the last month of summer. Here’s some fun things to finish off your August.
“Favorite Period Podcast”
Podcasts are a great way to pass time while you commute to work and workout. But there are so many podcasts to choose from, how do you find your favorites? I can’t get enough of all the bachelor spin off podcasts, but that’s just be me… One podcast that caught my attention recently is talking about our bodies, after all it’s 2019. I recently sat down with Mary Flynn, she has a podcast to destigmatize the “period” and I asked her some questions about creating Tampon Talk with Mary.
Alice: Where are you from and what drives you to create art?
Mary: I originally grew up in a small town in Maryland in a lower middle class family. It’s one of those towns were most people who grew up there don’t really tend to leave. Which certainly isn’t a bad thing; just means that everyone pretty much knows everyone. In terms of what drives me to create art, if I had to boil it down I think it as always been empathy. I use it in my acting and everyday life, and it was a huge component of starting Tampon Talk with Mary.
Alice: What gave you the idea to start a podcast about periods?
Mary: Periods having always been one of those topics that you just don’t talk about right? I majorly grew up in that. There was one time I remember, where my parents got into a fight because my Dad felt uncomfortable picking up pads on his trip to the grocery store. He never got them on his own, and my mom after it was done felt bad for asking and that’s how they made up. My parents are very different people now, but I remember thinking at that moment, because those pads were for me, his 12 year old daughter that, something was wrong with me. I grew in this shame of something that was outside of my control. This went well into my senior year of high school, where that “hush hush” of that topic was also perpetuated. I’ve always been really passionate about comedy from a very young age, and with these two topics cultivating, Tampon Talk with Mary was born. Around the end of my senior year I posted a series of snaps on my snapchat of a “public access show” style of a talk show called Tampon Talk with Mary, the show that only aired once a month. I posted it originally on this platform with the thought that “well if no one likes it, it will be gone by this time tomorrow.” The show ended up having 80 active and positive reactions to it. So I kept going and eventually expanded into a podcast which has helped me get connected to such amazing people and friends. And it has allowed me to literally use the show as an excuse to meet new people, and explore empathy with others.
Alice: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned from working on your podcast?
Mary: It has really become way more than just a fun hobby. I pretty much do everything myself right now to keep it going; it’s basically a lifestyle. I edit, record, reach out to new show guests. But it’s all fun and I enjoy all of it. I think I could not anticipate how much work it would be and how much it has grown within a short amount of time.
Alice: What’s your biggest success story from your podcast?
Mary: Truthfully, every episode is a success story. We’ve basically had a little bit of everything: We brought on a woman who was an advocate of a bill that would help to legally protect women who were negatively affected by Esure and Bayer, we’ve had a women come on who helped a Baltimore man get the sobriety support he needed, we’ve had the lovely people who make jubilance come on and talk about their revolutionary product for PMS, we’ve had a high schooler come on and talk about the impact of her sex ed website for her peers; its all been amazing. And these stories still continue. Our next project will actually be focusing on women behind bars and how they deal with their periods and the problems that come with our broken prison system; so you’ll have to look out for that!
Alice: Where do you see your podcast as it evolves?
Mary: Hopefully the podcast continues to grow more traction as it continues. Tampon Talk isn’t my full time job but if it got to a point where I could afford to do that it would be a dream. As it evolves I hope it continues to be more inclusive as well.
Alice: Are there any challenges you face with creating a podcast about women’s health?
Mary: Many. Many. Many. It’s difficult to create an inclusive platform on such a debated issue. And that doesn’t even include the stigma of the subject. We have guests on the show that contradict things that other guests have said. On first glance it may appear that the show has a struggle and challenge with its identity when in fact it’s fully inclusive. I like to think it is like feminism in that way; feminism should be for everyone. So if you are listening to an episode and many it just isn’t for you, there is another one that might be more resonating. So I think our main challenges are in the fight against the stigma, and finding the right ways to be inclusive.
Alice: How can people listen to your podcast?
Mary: It’s almost everywhere! Tampon Talk with Mary is available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Youtube, and most if not all android podcast streaming apps. We are also open to hearing listeners’ feedback and period stories through our email tampontalkwithmary@gmail.com. Episodes also get posted on our Facebook page Tampon Talk with Mary, and notices for when the episodes dropped are posted there as well and on our Instagram and Twitter both named @tampontalkwmary.
Be sure to check out Tampon Talk with Mary! It’s an amazing podcast doing great things to destigmatize the topic of women’s health. You can even hear our lead scientist and fellow marketing guru on the show talking about Jubilance for PMS!
photo courtesy of Mary Flynn
“Sharing the Contents of a Purse”
What do you keep in your purse? For a woman, the purse is her whole world, I often find things I thought were lost, things I didn’t know I possessed, and my thousands of loose pens.
Here’s what I have in my purse and what I wish I had so you can pack the best for your last days of summer!
- Almonds: I’ve gotta have a snack with me. As every one of my friends knows, I can get pretty hangry… so I always keep a snack in my purse to break out if it’s been a while since my last meal. Almonds are my favorite because they’re healthy and packed with protein. They also last in my purse forever!
- Lipgloss and mascara: I don’t wear much makeup, but I do wear a lot of lipgloss. I keep it in my bag so I can reapply throughout the day. And usually I have a couple of options so depending on what I’m wearing, I can move towards a certain color.
- Sample Perfumes: I have so many of these! I LOVE THEM! I always get the sample perfumes from Sephora and they are perfect for over the summer. It’s so hot and sweaty out, it’s so nice to be able to spritz yourself with a light, fruity smell, or a nice flowery scent. My sister makes fun of me, but I really love to change up the scent depending on my mood. I have a perfume for everyday, one for when I’m feeling more confident, one for date night, and one for when I wanna remember the beach. Give it a try!
- Mini Deodorant: I can’t stress the importance of this. I carry this everywhere in the summer. It is way too hot to be without it.
- Tiny brush: I have a foldable brush that I bring everywhere.
- Pens: If you just reach into my purse, you’ll find a pen. I have WAY TOO MANY pens just thrown into my bag, but they’re always useful.
- Business Cards: My business cards, other peoples business cards, all over my purse. I need to get a card holder to arrange them all!
- Extra T-Shirt: In New York, it is HOT. Hot and super humid. I always carry an extra shirt just in case I can’t take the sweat any longer.
- Jubilance: I always have my Jubilance in my bag. It reminds me to take it once a day!
“Heading back into the Fall with Becca”
You’re seeing more and more back-to-school themed commercials, the days are getting a little shorter, and your summer bucket list may be dwindling. All of these can only mean one thing—summer is coming to a close.
Perhaps you’re feeling a little blue with the thought that fall is here. If not—we commend you and pumpkin flavoring will be here soon enough. J As the seasons change, that glorious shiny sun is around less during those shorter days. All of the mental wellness benefits that come from sunshine are less available—perhaps leaving you a bit more melancholy than you’re used to. But no need to worry, you are not alone.
If you catch yourself being a bit sad with the idea that summer is ending soon, we recommend treating yourself with kindness and hopping aboard the self-care train.
Here are some ways that you can care for yourself to combat that end of summer blues:
- Go for a walk while the sun is still shining.
- Like we mentioned a few posts ago, the Vitamin D you receive from the sun is immensely beneficial for your overall mental wellness.
- Surround yourself with your community.
- Family, friends, partners, or whoever makes you feel good will do exactly that. It is important to be around people and avoid total isolation during times of sadness. Definitely take the time you need to feel, but if you find yourself backing away—reach out to someone you love!
- Eat good food and drink water.
- Fueling your body well can be helpful with maintaining your overall mental wellness. So go for that refreshing fruit salad by the pool! You earned it. J
If those might not sit for you, figuring out what you might like to do and doing it can be its own form of self-care! So take care of yourself, and enjoy these last moments of summer.
Becca Lantry is currently pursuing her MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from San Diego State University. She currently holds her MA in Counseling and Education and works with youth, young adults, and families around confidence, love, relationships, and empowerment. Becca has been taking Jubilance for the last few months and she is able to love herself more during those times of emotional PMS because of it.
“It’s Still Summer so I REFUSE to turn on my oven recipe ideas”
It is way too hot in the summer to turn on your stove or oven! And if you live in New York like me, you don’t want to heat up your whole house! I’ve been living off antipasti and anything I don’t have to cook. Here are some recipes that can help you stay cool and are easy to put together!
Caprese Salad
This is a quick and easy recipe. All you have to do is assemble! It’s perfect for a party or even to bring on a picnic!
Ingredients:
-Fresh Mozzarella
-Tomatoes
-Basil
-Olive Oil
-Balsamic Vinegar
Directions:
- Cut the Fresh Mozzarella into thin slices
- Cut the tomatoes into thin slices
- Place a mozzarella slice on top of the piece of tomato; add the basil to the top.
- Repeat until all of the ingredients are used.
- Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar all over the caprese.
- Voila! You’re done!
Summer Pesto
Grab some basil out of your garden and get started! You can put pesto on anything! It’s traditionally served on fresh pasta, but I also love it in my scrambled eggs, with toast, or even on top of grilled salmon.
Ingredients:
- 3 packed cups of fresh basil (remove the stems)
- 2 large cloves of fresh garlic
- ½ cup pine nuts
- ¾ cup fresh parsley
- ¾ cup fresh grated parmesan
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup melted butter
Directions:
- Place all the items in a blender on low, then medium speed
- Add the pesto to any dish you wish!
Thai Cucumber Salad
This salad is so refreshing and perfect for that summer taste. You’ll love this salad with its slight crunch and quick prep time.
Ingredients:
- 3 large cucumbers peeled and halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into ¼ inch slices
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- ¼ cup of white sugar
- ½ cup rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup chopped peanuts
- Add in red onions and carrots if you wish!
Directions:
- Toss the cucumbers with salt in a colander and leave in the sink to drain for 30 minutes.
- Rinse with cold water, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- Whisk the sugar and vinegar in a mixing bowl until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the cucumbers and cilantro, toss to combine. (add the onions and carrots if you wish)
- Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top before serving.
“I tried 5 period tracker apps so you don’t have to”
With so much technology right at our fingertips, there are now ways that can help you track your period! Now there are apps that allow you to track your period so you know when it, or your PMS is coming. I tried each of these and here are my favorites.
- Right when you click on the app you know you’re in for a different kind of period app. Their tagline keeps changing from “Your period positive squad” to “Your body positive squad” to “Your sex positive squad,” and to click on the button to get into the app it says “Get it, Girl.” I’m so on board. To sign up, it’s peppered with cute emojis and the app is easy to use. The app is free, but you can upgrade to premium to get a forecast of your symptoms and moods, but overall this app was awesome. You can connect with other users to talk about your periods and read great blogs.
- Clue also helps with tracking your cycle and your health. You can also connect with your friends to share when your cycles happen so you can talk about it which was pretty cool. The app was easy to use and you could track what kind of period you were having with the log. And it’s free!
- The Life app starts off strong. They ask you for all your information about your period before you get into the interface of the app. Unfortunately, it’s not all free. But they do explain that they don’t sell your party to third party data. It can also help you track other parts of your health from your weight to your fertility history.
- The cycles app is easy to use and just about tracking your cycle. If you want a simple, user friendly app that only tracks your period, this is it, and it’s totally free. I liked that it was easy to use and professional looking. Also it told me when my period was, when it expects me to be ovulating, as well as when I would have PMS! You can also add your friends or even partners (dudes!) to your calendar so everyone knows what your body is up to.
- Fitbit has an app and you don’t even need the fitbit device to use it. And… it tracks your period! Just go to the home page of the fitbit app and click on log your period. Not only does it log your period, but it can help track cramps and headaches! It was easy to use and perfect if you want to track the rest of your health at the same time. And the app is free!
“Back to School with Kellidawn”
I am really enjoying my last days of summer, I’m also thinking of what the fall has in store. As a mother of three boys and a high school English teacher my fall calendar is already filling up with sports and school activities. Here are a few tips this single mom with a full time job has discovered to make life less stressful.
- I’m always the first to sign up for post game snacks. The two reasons for this, #1; get it done early and no more worries, and #2; set the standard. When I mean set the standard, I’m talking to the Pinterest moms that cut the snacks into cute shapes and put them in perfectly decorated bags with each athlete’s name beautifully written. I set a mediocre standard and I’m ok with it! I provide store bought cookies (a mixture or Nutter Butters, Oreos, and Chips Ahoy) and car temperature Gatorade. I do not have time to prep an ice chest and I certainly don’t have the energy to carry it to the field.
- When the teacher sends out the electronic sign up sheet, open it right away and sign up for paper goods. I’m all over the paper plates and napkins. Don’t worry I get the cute ones! They are quick and easy and the easiest thing to transport to the school.
- Homework…..it’s coming! Yes, I’m a teacher. I teach seniors in high school. These kids are either working as soon as school is out, or they are participating in band, dance, or sports until late evening. I don’t give my students homework. I have them in class for 90 minutes. We use that time to get English completed. However, I know my children are bringing home reading and need to study. We take 30 minutes out of our day to settle down go over homework and questions that they need help with. If they need more time, they still have my attention, however, I will also be cooking dinner. Single moms have to multi-task!
- Laugh, breath, and rest! Just because I’m busy teaching, driving to and from practices and games, helping my kids with homework, and trying to cook healthy meals they will eat, doesn’t mean that I have forgotten that we need to live and enjoy ourselves. My favorite part of my day is bedtime. It’s the time that we talk about our day and share the fun and maybe not so fun (but discuss solutions). Laughing with my boys is the best! Once they are asleep, it’s my turn to breath and relax. Sometimes this is done reading, doing yoga, or just watching a television show. Laugh, breath, and relax….gives me focus and relief.
So here it is August and I’m ready to take on the fall schedule. I admit that I will miss summer, but football and Halloween are right around the corner. This boy mom has already been outside throwing the football with her boys and planning our Halloween costumes. They are still discussing our theme, I’ll share that in October!
Kellidawn is a true southern girl at heart. When she’s not wrangling her three boys, she can be found broadening the minds of high school seniors in her English class. This former college twirler is also an avid Star Wars fan and movie buff who loves spending time with family and friends.
“Jubilance Testimonial”
“I used to feel like I was constantly on the verge of ruining so many things in my life due to the irritability and mood swings I’d experience. I’m about to enter my 4th month of taking this, and it has been such a life-saver. I feel like a whole new woman!”
— Kristina
It’s August so you still have one more month to enjoy summertime! But don’t fret, we’ll keep you going into the Fall! Be sure to follow us on our social media and join our private Facebook group BYE PMS to talk to other women going through similar experiences with their PMS.
As Always, Live your Life with Jubilance!
Sincerely,
Alice
Alice is a Media Manager for Jubilance by day, theatre director by night. You can find her on a rock wall or frolicking outdoors most of the time.
Live Your Life with Jubilance!
