CONFESSIONS OF A FAT GIRL

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH: ADVEKIT

Disclosure/Disclaimer: I want to say right up front that this is not a sponsored post. I took this on purely because it's a tool I believe in and a cause I am passionate about. 

How do we reconcile the importance of mental health awareness with the stigmas attached to its challenges?

There is still such a stigma in this country attached to mental health issues and my friends, we gotta cut that shit out. There is such a lack of support for a community of people out there who desperately need it. And we have to stop making assumptions. People experience symptoms of mental illnesses differently—and some engage in potentially dangerous or risky behaviors to avoid or cover up symptoms of a potential mental health problem. When we engage in prevention and early identification, we can help reduce the burden of mental illness by identifying symptoms and warning signs early—and provide effective treatment. Simply having a sounding board is clutch here. A professional listener. 

But it's a conundrum to find someone, right? No one wants to ask out loud "can anyone refer me to a good shrink?" No one wants to attach themselves to that round of judgement. And believe it or not, there's not really a place online to find someone to talk to. I mean, there are 800 numbers and databases, but nothing with a personal touch, which is so needed in this space. You can call your insurance and ask for help, but, well, I don't know about you, but I hate having that conversation with a corporate representative. My personal life is none of their business.

So enter ADVEKIT, a mental health platform that assists people in matching with the right therapist suited to their needs. The previous ways of searching through directory listings for a professionals were exhausting and overwhelming. Advekit is a cost-free website that makes it easy and convenient to find support when you need it. You can punch in a few pivotal facts about yourself and the site shoots back recommended professionals to help. You can limit your search by insurance needs, by your specific mental health need, by geography... This is the kind of thing you read about and think, "WHY HASN'T ANYONE INVENTED THIS YET????"

 

 

I love it. It's like Yelp for your brain. This is needed and I wanted to get further details from the founders, Alison and Arielle. They have the chops, by the way -- Alison is a licensed Psychotherapist and Arielle is an Educator and Financial Consultant.

 

 

1. What specifically inspired you to create Advekit?
Alison: As a licensed therapist, I’m frequently approached by friends and family and asked the best way of finding a therapist. The process of finding professional help can be overwhelming and exhausting – often leading people to give up on their search. We created Advekit as a solution to these tedious alternatives, and our hope is that as many people as possible find the help that they deserve in a simple and straight-forward way.

2. Why do you think mental health professionals would be interested in Advekit?
Arielle: Many mental health professionals have a difficult time marketing themselves and showcasing their unique strengths, especially in saturated areas like L.A. We have found that listing your practice on directories is not the most effective way of reaching the public, as you can often get lost amongst the masses. Advekit matches people with three therapists best suited to their needs. The therapists who are part of our pilot group love that we are focused on showcasing their experience and strengths, and that we are matching them with people who are more likely to be a good fit.

3. Which areas is Advekit currently serving?
Alison: Advekit is currently live in the Los Angeles area, with plans to expand to other major cities within the next 12 months. We are encouraging people to send us feedback via our website if there is a specific city they would like to see us expand to next.

4. What has been your greatest challenge in creating the platform so far?
Arielle: We want every person visiting our site to know that you can search for a therapist completely anonymously and for free. Our goal is to make mental health treatment more accessible and we’d like everyone to feel comfortable looking for the help they need and deserve. We welcome feedback and people sharing their experiences with us – but there is no requirement to sign-up or give out your personal information.

5. What is your long term goal with Advekit?
Alison: Our long term goal is to aid in the mission of de-stigmatizing mental health. As lofty of a statement as that may be, we truly believe that if we can simplify one’s access to mental health treatment, then more people will be encouraged to seek the help that they need. I entered into the mental health profession so that I could support as many people as possible with their internal struggles. I find it to be extremely unfair that mental health has a stigma around it that makes people feel ashamed and embarrassed on top of their suffering. In addition, we have plans to create an interactive experience on our website, which allows for individuals to correspond and support each other through our platform. Keep an eye out for this in the near future!

 

For even more great, helpful information, take a look at Advekit's FAQ as well. It is really well assembled.I should tell you I am not a medical professional and if you are seeking help, please talking to someone. hough. Take advantage of this great, free service! 

Having a Beautiful Night With Bella Notte

Think about this: How much is a good night's sleep worth to you? What about a few nights? A week? A month?

There are a few things I always recommend one NEVER cheap out on:

• Anything having to do with your health. Especially dentists. Friends, if I ever hear one of you say "I found this GREAT discount dental clinic!" I'm probably going to shake you.
• Toilet paper. Trust me on this, guys. Single ply is not okay. 
• Electronics. Because a non-brand discount TV never worked out for anybody. 
• Bras. Amiright, ladies? You learn this with age. 
• Tattoos. That is going to be on your body forever. Think about it. 

And frankly, ANYTHING that contributes to a good night's sleep. Sleep is IMPORTANT. There is no price too high for a good night's sleep. 

I've been at war with sleep for a very long time. When I moved into my current apartment, I set some new rules for my bedroom to get a leg up on the battle. My bedroom would be a sanctuary. So first of all, no work in the bedroom. No desk and no laptop in bed unless it was to play a mindless game to lull myself into sleep. I've kept to that with very few exceptions. Second, grown-up furniture. That was an exciting purchase for me. My beautiful, "new" bedroom set is almost a year old and sometimes I just sit in bed and look at it because it adds a level of comfort and confidence to my home. The third rule was better bed linens. Like, SUPREMELY better bed linens. I considered this all a down payment on my sanity. 

But I fouled. I found a set of sheets on sale at Macy's and felt more like I was getting away with something, less like I was investing in my improved mental health (which is what I believe sleep does). And no sooner than I put those sheets on my bed did I find myself waking up to this nonsense almost daily:

DEEP POCKETS? I think not, discount bed linens. You are lying liars who lie.

But a stroke of good fortune found me at BlogHer, where I ran into a representative from BELLA NOTTE. Their brand represents a lifestyle that is chic, comfortable and inspiring. They offer vintage-inspired bedding, baby, and tabletop products that are crafted locally with attention to fashion forward details—from piping and pintucking, to ruffles, ruching, and laces—and then custom dyed to order. It's not a product line I ever dreamed I would actually own but now, my lying sheets be damned, I suddenly felt like I not only could, but SHOULD own them. 

Their website sucked me in. Everything looks exquisite. I wanted to sleep here:

I was flattered and ecstatic when they offered me a set of BELLISSIMA sheets. They even let me pick out my color so that I could be sure to have a gray tone that would match the rest of my room. The end result is the softest, most luxurious sheets I've ever owned. 

A couple things have happened since I put my new, fabulous sheets on my bed. I find myself even more excited to go to bed because now, it feels like a true treat to climb in! ALSO, I wake up every day not needing to remake the bed, feeling exasperated and annoyed and even stressed out about it. My bedroom is more welcoming overall and I do actually sleep better. Today, I was so happy and content, I had to force myself up. It's truly been a joy to sleep on my new Bella Notte sheets!!! 

The best thing you can do for yourself to improve your sleeping situation is shop Bella Notte. It's a worthy investment and you'll thank me later. From either one of the lovely boutiques who sell their brand or their online shop (the outlet), you can't go wrong! 

This morning I woke up and flipped on my light. I'm still getting out of the habit of immediately checking my corners to refit the sheet to the bed.... I smile every time I realized I don't have to do that anymore. REAL DEEP POCKETS FOR THE WIN!

VISIT: 

Bella Notte website

Bella Notte outlet

So what about you? Do you love your bedding? And what are your must-have investment-worthy items? 

Current Obsession: Hunting For Bargain Treats

Disclosure: This post is sponsored, but the brilliantly crafted writing and opinions within are all mine, guys. 

Retail therapy, amiright? Sometimes you just gotta log on and buy yourself something. I know the saying is "money can't buy happiness," but let's be candid -- MONEY can buy THINGS that make me very, very happy. 

I'm just truth telling. Don't judge. 

One of my obsessions in the pursuit of retail therapy is actually buying experiences. I love to treat myself to a blow-out, a massage, a mani/pedi or some other fun activity I can engage in with friends. It just makes your feel so great! It's a small way to make an ordinary day feel like a special ocassion or make a special ocassion feel extra special.

With my make-up and hair done, I feel like a million bucks!

I find myself getting a ton of use out of  health, beauty and wellness Groupons section. In that space, I can find everything I need to feel like my happy, feeling-good, pampered self. Everything from the massages I love to the experiences I enjoy with friends. The thing I like the most about using Groupon as a resource is that with their pricing being lower than the normal purchase price, I always feel incentivized to try something I otherwise might not consider! 

Trying a baking class with friends.

Groupon's motto is "own the experience," to which I say: YES.

Head Downtown to The ESPYS Experience

Before we all tune into The ESPYS on Wednesday, July 16 (9pm EST on ESPN), here in Los Angeles we have a pretty special opportunity to be a part of the experience with a series of special events downtown at LA Live.  From 12 – 6 pm, The ESPYS Experience will have events and activations free and open to the public leading up to the show.

Events include a dunk contest, a mascot dance off, performances from the world famous Jabbawockeez, one of my faves, ZZ Ward, and a special surprise, superstar performance. Wanna know who it is? GO CHECK IT OUT! 

But first, this epic mascot dance off from Jimmy Fallon, a couple weeks ago. Seemed relevant. 

 

Be sure to come early to get a free limited-edition gift bag. Fans will also catch a glimpse of the athletes and stars as they walk  down the red carpet to the big show. Which is really all I need to be convinced. Because hot guys in suits.

Swoon.

We're so lucky to live in Los Angeles, where opportunities like this pop up from time to time. It would be a shame to miss it! And please let me know if you attended and enjoyed the festivities. You may just seem me there as well. You'll recognize me -- I'll be the one stalking any guy remotely resembling a professional hockey player. 

Another Adventure Day and a Penguin Named Phil

Not so very long ago, I decided to create another "Adventure Day" and journey with two friends to the far and distant land of Long Beach...

I'm kidding, of course. Long Beach is 35 miles from my house. But we here in Los Angeles so often keep to a ten square mile radius, don't we?! One of the best things about LA (NO! It's NOT the traffic!) is its proximity to so many cool things to do and see right outside of town. You could day-trip and road-trip every weekend. 

This adventure also allowed me to check my very first thing off on my "14 in 2014" goals list and that made me incredibly happy.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is an aquarium on a 5-acre site on Rainbow Harbor, across the water from the Long Beach Convention Center, Shoreline Village, and the Queen Mary Hotel and Attraction. Their mission is to instill a sense of wonder, respect, and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants, and ecosystems. Their staff of over 900 people (650 of which are volunteers!) welcomes more than 1.5 million visitors each year.

It is a wondrous place. And I have to tell you -- it is a tremendous experience for kids; a great way for a family to spend a day, but I also recommend you grab your nearest adventure buddies and spend the day there with fellow grown ups as well. This is a place for everybody.  

Right away, I found my people. 

Clearly he wins for best named species at the Aquarium.

These guys win for the most magical. And note - this is a VIDEO. Not a video of a video. I mean, this is real. It looks animated or something -- it is not. They are really this cool looking:

 

Nuts, right? There are a lot of types of Jellyfish there -- even ones you can walk up and touch (I'm a pansy, but my friends did it). And there's a Sea Jellies cam on their website. 24/7 jellies!!!

See these guys? Also real. I swear. Who knew remarkable creatures like this existed?! 

And here are some rather intimidating fellows....

 

There are a lot of areas of the Shark Lagoon where you can walk right up and touch them and the Stingrays. But not in this one. You can probably guess why. Those are some scary looking dudes. But beautiful, no?

The Sea Lions and Seals, whose names are Parker, Milo, Harper, Shelby, Ellie, Troy, Bixby and Toby, were amazing. I could watch them play all day. We caught one of the shows and they are also clearly funny little (well, huge) geniuses.  

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Penguins and that certainly stayed true at the June Keyes Penguin Habitat Exhibit where I met Avery, Noodles, Floyd and more. There's even one named "Whatever." And then there's this guy. I don't know what his name is, but we named him Phil and I feel rather attached. 

Phil is one of the many Magellanic Penguins. He swam right up to us! I took a lot of photos. A lot. I want to go back and see him! 

I would also be very happy to go back and visit the Otters. I'm not ashamed to say I could watch these guys play for hours. They are so wonderfully happy and playful! 

 

Another amazing exhibit -- the Lorikeet Forest, a 3200 square foot aviary, home to 100 or so Lorikeets. For $3, you can buy a tiny cup of sugar water and a little attention from these colorful birdies. This was brave for me and I had a great time in there with my friends! 

These guys.

And the lovebirds. Literally.

Anne tried to make a new friend.

I had some short-lived success.

But let's get back to s'more weird looking guys. 

And before I leave you, I must tell you that in addition to a terrific, upscale cafeteria with a huge variety of food options, a Jamba Juice and several snack stands, there is a marvelous gift shop worth stopping through on your way out as well. 

I love the puns so much. 

Admission tickets are extremely reasonable and often turn up on Goldstar for discounts (they have one right now for afternoon-only admission but be warned that you may find you need more than a couple hours to take it all in). But you can also save a few dollars on special attractions by purchasing tickets online in advance. 

This was such a memorable, wonderful, educational, gratifying (ALL THE ADJECTIVES!) day. Thank you so much, Aquarium of the Pacific, for having me and my friends out for the day. 

I hope the next time you and your family, you and your friends, or even just you all alone need something new and different to do for the day, you'll put this on your list. 

More:

• Official website
• Follow them on Facebook and Twitter
• Stunning photography! Check them out on Flickr and Instagram

What Would You Do With A B'Zillion Dollars?

I was joking around on Twitter...

When I'm rich, here's how it's going down: Someone to do my laundry, personal hair washer, and maybe like a bi-weekly masseuse. What else?

— AJ (@AmandaJoy) April 2, 2014

 Responses included:

• Driver
• Chef
• On-call facialist
• Nail technician
• A tall, bearded man sans shirt to put said laundry away

I hate doing laundry (of course, that's what I was doing when I tweeted that last night). I hate washing and blow-drying my hair (and it's something I can't escape -- it I don't blow-dry it, we're talking major, unruly, frizzy mess), and I can always go for a massage (I'm just saying bi-weekly for now, but I reserve the right to adjust the frequency later)... 

Let me hear it, people! If money were no object; if you were one of those crazy rich people who could afford to hire a staff of people to do things for you, WHAT WOULD YOU HIRE THEM TO DO? 

Share in the comments. I can't wait to see what you wicked, creative monkies come up with! 

 

Black Tea on my Face - Say What?

One of my goals on the "34 in 2013" list (which I am hopelessly behind on) is to take better care of my skin. And it was one of the things I added as kind of an easy out. I mean, at the end of the year, surely I'd be able to check that one off because I wash my face almost every night (I know, I know - I'm horrible but you've soooo done it; admit it) and I moisturize at night and in the morning. 

Right?

So I've been trying to do a better job. I've been washing my face every night -- with the good stuff no less, not just wipes -- and I've been better about using the nighttime cream and the morning moisturizer with SPF. And I've been far better about washing my makeup brushes; a task that's gone sorely underminded in my life, I must confess.

A few weeks ago, the last event I advised for the youth group was a mini spa night at Fresh at The Grove, one of my favorite LA spots. I wasn't intending to get a makeover or anything but they invited me to do so and I did have a date later that night, so what the hell...

Right now, you're wondering why you didn't hear about this date until now. That is because ten minutes into it, he looked right at my chest and uttered "god you have nice tits." I politely changed the subject, ordered a second drink to make sure I at least spent more of his hard-earned bread before telling him I had an early meeting and ducking out. It hardly merits a whole blog post because he's basically the slimiest slimeball in all of slimeland. 

So clearly the highlight of that evening was my spa night with the girls. And when I woke up the next day, my skin felt marvelous. So muh so that when I returned to The Grove that evening for a dinner meeting, I went early to swing by Fresh and buy me some face mask magic. 

And thus, I felt like I should share it with you, dear readers. Too often I am pitched products or events and subsequently brag to you about them and let's be honest - I'm being honest but these are not products I find organically. So it's  nice when something excites me enough that I can bring it to you of my own volition. 

Ok, up front I must tell you, this is not cheap shit. Sold at 3.4 ounces for $88 or 1.6 ounces for $55, it is not a bargain, I know. I mean, I only splurged for the smaller one myself. But I'm still using it and still in love with it. I'm using it 2-3 times a week as suggested, and even spent one night sleeping with it on, as the nice lady at Fresh hinted to me I could do. I won't even bore you with the italicized description of what it contains and what it does from the website - I don't even care. But it smells like tea, which I'm a whore for, and it makes my skin feel silky fresh, so I'm a happy girl.

Does anyone else use this stuff? Or something else from Fresh you love? Share in the comments below. I'm a new fan. It may be something I have to save for and treat myself to on special ocassions, but I wanna know what to keep an eye out for.

My goodness, they have something called a brown sugar body polish that - I don't know about you, but - I think sounds like HEAVEN and I want to know if I'm right! 

Adventures in Ontario (of all places)

Not so terribly long ago, as a proud member of the "SoCal Lady Bloggers," I was invited to visit the Citizens Business Bank Arena for an Ontario Reign minor league hockey game.

AND, that's not all -- I was one of three very lucky bloggers to win an overnight stay at a nearby hotel.

So no, my life doesn't suck too much.

As I am suffering under the strain of NHL withdrawl (get your heads out of your asses, guys) this was a welcome outing. The Ontario Reign, at the very least, is, after all, the LA Kings-supported minor league team. 

GO REIGN!

Think of it as "mini hockey." Staples Center caps out at over 18K, CBBA caps out at 11K. The arena is smaller, the teams are less glamorous (although, admittedly, NHL teams are not that glamorous), the suites are less fancy... But it's a good time and I think even a non hockey fan could enjoy themsevles at a game. 

The arena is nice, though. And I found it interesting to learn it was paid for, in cash, by the city, at NO COST to the taxpayers. (You go, Ontario!) They've had the biggest acts you can imagine there (everyone from Metallica to Bieber) and I found myself wishing they had MORE acts through there because in a smaller venue like that, you can bet your ass I'd drive out for it. The parking is on the grounds as opposed to Staples where you have to pay a small fortune to park at small, off-site lots managed by morons (sorry, but it's true). 

After a very nice tour of the arena, we took over a couple suites where the arena staff had kindly provided some delicious snacks and drinks. I enjoyed the hell out of the game (we won - suck it, Bakersfield - your shooting accuracy was for shit) and save one minor issue where the lights went out in the bathroom while I was using it, it was a great, great time. (And not to worry, they were just on motion censors and I guess I'd kept too still.)

After the game, we went back to the nearby Aloft hotel where we'd met up for carpooling hours before, and where I'd be spending the night. The hotel graciously provided us all with a couple free cocktails (HELL YES!) and I really enjoyed the setting. The hotel is super cute. Very boutique-y, I guess you'd say.

My room was okay. I guess there's a big trend right now in hotel space -- hotels that are business traveler friendly wth capsule-like rooms, minimally spaced with lots of built-into-the-walls amenities to save space (I've stayed at similar places for business trips). I felt a little claustrophobic; especially when they had to move me from a pool-view room to a parking-lot-view room (so I closed my curtains) and I'm afraid the bed left me with a killer backache for a couple days.

But that's all subjective stuff - I know I am kind of a snob - so I am willing to bet most people would LOVE the hotel. And like I said, the overall vibe was very cool.  I wish I'd brought my bathing suit -- I thought the saltwater pool looked awesome. They had a pool table in the lobby, and all-night snack station, free WiFi... Lots of very cool amenities and some trendy looking accessories. 

Some photos...!

Something else you really wanna check out that I made a note to myself to mention, AXS.com. If you live in Souther California, AXS is AEG Entertainment's answer to everything that is awful abotu ticketmaster. And soon it will have a linear cable network so I'm a fan. I love multimedia ventures.

A very, very special thanks to Sue Oxarart, Marketing Director for the CBB Arena and our tour guide; Justin Kemp, the Ontario Reign's President; the Ontario Visitor's Bureau; and blogger Su Pak of IEShineOn, who orechestrated this whole, amazing experience. She's kind of a big deal, you guys. And frankly, I had no idea the Inland Empire was so awesome so big ups to her and her blog's mission (Victoria Gardens! Amazing!). There's plenty of nice stuff going on out there and I totally blame Kevin and Bean for any ill-will I previously directed at them. (For non-LA'ers, K&B are morning radio hosts who hate on the IE for funsies.)

Yay hockey! If the NHL isn't back soon, you'll see me at plenty more ECHL games.