Tabitha Marie Britt

It took me 14 years to receive an official endometriosis diagnosis. Unfortunately for me, I was in the (literal) honeymoon phase of my marriage and completely unable to enjoy it. My husband and I got married just two months before my laparoscopy, and let me tell you, the road was rocky.

Endometriosis, for those of you who may not know, is a condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, like on the fallopian tubes and the bladder, amongst other areas. If this tissue is present behind the vagina or has stuck itself between the vagina and the front of the rectum, penetration can stretch or pull it, causing an immense amount of pain. Read more...

The whiskey brands below have been recognized as the best whiskey, bourbon, and scotch in the world. Read more…

At least one person you know is obsessed with tacos. (It may even be you!) That's why we pulled together a list of gifts for taco lovers that'll put a smile on any enthusiast's face. Now pass the guac, please! Read more... 

Stargazers and night owls alike are in for a celestial treat this Good Friday.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, April’s “Pink Moon” is set to light up the sky on Friday, April 19, around 7:12 a.m. EST. But for the best view of it, experts recommend checking it out the night of Thursday, April 18.

And if that doesn't work for you, dreamers will still be able to see Thursday night’s Pink Moon on Friday night. (If we’re lucky, a few shooting stars may also glide across the sky as the Pink Moon rises just a few nights before the Lyrid meteor shower.) Read more... 

Two years ago, I was forced to quit not one, but two jobs, because I was in so much pain caused by a neat little gift endometriosis gave me: Interstitial Cystitis.

I was still in grad school, in the midst of finding a new apartment and planning a wedding. To say the stress was overwhelming would be an understatement.

I quit the first job out of pure humiliation. Thanks to my Endo — a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows on the outside of the uterus — it’s a memory I’ll never forget. Read more... 

For years, Ohioans have fought over the nation’s most restrictive abortion ban: the “heartbeat bill.”

The fight came to a halt on Wednesday, March 13, when the Republican-led Ohio Senate passed legislation to ban abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected–which can be as early as six weeks into pregnancy. (That’s before most women know that they’re pregnant.) There are no rape or incest exceptions. Read more... 

An Amy Winehouse biopic is in the works and rumors are spreading like wildfire. But we’re curious, who will play Amy? Thousands of little monsters seem to think Lady Gaga fits the bill, and if we’re being honest, we can’t help but agree. Read more...

In 2017, a web developer named Madalyn Parker wrote an email that not only started a conversation about mental health in the workplace but also ignited a self-care movement.

"Hey team,” Parker wrote, “I'm taking today and tomorrow to focus on my mental health. Hopefully, I'll be back next week refreshed and back to 100%.”

The email was simple enough, but CEO Ben Congleton’s kind response threw the Twittersphere into a frenzy. Hundreds of social media users flocked to Parker’s Twitter page to praise her for making such a “brave” move. The only question is, why are we so shocked to hear that it’s perfectly OK to take a mental health day? Our mental health is just as important, if not more important, than our physical health. Read more... 

Avril Lavigne is making a comeback, and this time she’s giving it her all. It’s been seven long years since the punk princess released an album, but she hasn’t been hiding out in vain. In 2015, Lavigne confirmed she had been diagnosed with Lyme disease – a bacterial infection that spreads to humans via infected ticks.

Despite her illness, Lavigne is fighting back. In a recent interview with Billboard, the Canadian singer revealed that she “knew death was coming” and shared how she felt during her lowest point. “I had accepted that I was dying,” she said. “And I felt in that moment like I was underwater and drowning.”

The singer isn’t just bouncing back from an illness; she’s reminding fans of her OG status as a punk heroine in the music industry. And so far, it’s working. Read more... 

In 2016, women quietly took to embroidery to express their deepest concerns and deal with their anger in a constructive way. (I mean, if stabbing an inanimate object repeatedly doesn’t show some kind of anger, I’m not sure what would.)

It didn’t take long for others to catch on to what quickly became a silent battle cry for resistance. Now, hundreds of women around the globe are using a needle and thread to voice their opinion. Read more... 

If you search for Lisa Marie Basile’s name online you’ll read that she’s an author, the founding editor-in-chief of the self-expressive online publication Luna Luna magazine, and a “poet-witch”—but what the internet doesn’t tell you, is that Basile is an inspiration and an advocate for those who are suffering, whether it’s from loss, a chronic illness, or being thrown into the foster care system.

I met Basile while I was in grad school; she was sort of like my mentor. At the time, I didn’t realize how much her writing would eventually help me understand and cope with the things I was forced to deal with in my senior year. Now, she’s helping others the way she unknowingly helped me with her newest (and very first nonfiction) book, Light Magic for Dark Times.

In the book, Basile opens readers’ minds by offering a glimpse at both darkness and light with more than 100 rituals and spells that have been carefully crafted for those in need of healing. In hopes of irradiating the importance of what she’s doing with her books and essays, I reconnected with Basile to talk about her new ventures, witchcraft, and the importance self-care. Read more...

Endometriosis (also known as “endo” for short) is a painful disorder that affects one in 10 women nationwide, myself included. Endo occurs when the tissue that lines the uterus grows outside of the uterus. It’s extremely painful and can cause a slew of new and uncomfortable conditions, like interstitial cystitis (which is exactly what happened to me).

It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with IC at 24 that I realized endometriosis was the root to all of my problems. Some days, the pain was so excruciating, I could barely get out of bed. Endometriosis is… we’ll say inconvenient, for lack of a better word.

For me, one of the most annoying aspects of having a chronic (not to mention, invisible) illness like endometriosis is finding clothing that’s comfortable – a.k.a. pieces that won’t accentuate your endo-belly or make you feel like you’re suffocating. But after dealing with 14 long years of misdiagnoses, I’ve found a few ways to breathe comfortably, without having to compromise my style. Read more... 

Today’s the day. Thousands, if not millions, of Americans will make their way to the polls to cast their vote in the midterm elections.

Not to be dramatic, but the future lies in our hands. It’s up to us to make a change—and we’re not the only ones who feel this way. According to Politico, more than 36 million voters cast their ballots ahead of Election Day this year, surpassing 2014’s early voter poll stats by 8.8 million. If anything, these numbers prove that this election is unique. Read more... 

Hampton Road’s favorite ice cream shop is getting national recognition yet again.  Doumar’s Cones & Bar-B-Q has been a part of Norfolk’s history for 111 years. In fact, the late Abe Doumar is credited with inventing the waffle ice cream cone at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis –and that very same machine is still standing at the entrance of the restaurant on Monticello Avenue today. Read more... 

Last month, Stormie and Jim Wright moved into their Chesapeake home to find a sweet surprise – lost love letters. Read more...