Another reason to love reusable

I've written on reusable menstrual products before. I reviewed Lunapads, I've reviewed the DivaCup... but this time, the entry isn't about me.

I have a couple friends that were open to (and dare I say even "intrigued" by) the idea of reusable menstrual options. It just so happened, I had 2 brand new, never opened before DivaCups from just before I got pregnant with Squiggle. I decided to give each of them a cup. I figured that, if nothing else, they might at least end up being able to inform other women there are other options out there... even if it didn't work out for them. Heck, I had no idea these things existed before I started cloth diapering, so why should I assume anyone else knows about them?

Well, it's been a couple of months since I gave them to my friends. I never asked about them after that. If they like them, great! If they let me know they liked them, even better! What I got was very unexpected, though. I got a very interesting story. Very brief, and just the facts... but something I thought I would share with you all (since I got permission). There are no names that will be mentioned.

I have been busy with my newborn (and toddler!), so I missed the FaceBook messages that arrived from one of my friends... but the chat log left me the following:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is now a good time for some menstruation talk?

No? Okay....here goes anyway...

I just wanted to thank you.

Love the Diva Cup!

But....here is the important part....

Yesterday, my friend had to have emergency surgery. She went to her gyn to complain about some pain. She was sent straight to the OR. A small piece of her tampon had broken off and lodged itself in her uterus. Amazing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Um, WOW. Seriously?! Wow was all I could say. When I got a chance to chat with this friend, she said she's going to mention the DivaCup to her as soon as she gets the opportunity, as she can't see her wanting to try tampons again after that.

Just another reason to love your cup (or cloth!), ladies!

LunaPads Review

I was very excited to be offered LunaPads for review from BePreparedPeriod.com. For those of you who don't know about BePreparedPeriod.com, they are a fantastic website with all sorts of options for you in regards to that time of the month. You can purchase any sort of cycle items you need (including disposables, should you choose to go that route), and you can have the products delivered right to your house! They offer mama cloth, menstrual cups (my favorite!), and more. Take a peek to see how they can help you out!

 

So, as excited as I was to partner up with BePreparedPeriod.com and review LunaPads for them, I was confused as to how I should go about reviewing them. You readers all know I am expecting Squiggle this summer, and many of you are well aware that I will never use disposables on myself again. Still, trying to figure out how to review the LunaPads wasn't a simple task for a pregnant woman... right?

Well, I was wrong. I figured I'd try them out just to see how they fit for comfort, and then later, postpartum, write another review for you to read on how well they handled. What I didn't expect was a lovely side-effect of pregnancy that I never experienced the first time around: leaking.

My lovely little Squiggle has been head-down for a while, and also looooooves moving around a lot. Hands hitting me in the bladder, head pushing against my bladder... and, of course, my muscles are already a wee bit weaker from having Bobble a couple years ago. Still, nothing prepared me for leaking. Seriously, nothing.

A couple droplets here or there. Nothing horrible, right? Surely that's not that big of a deal. Well, when the end of the workday arrives and you find yourself wondering if that smell (the smell of a wet bed) is YOU... it becomes a big deal. How embarrassing! Not enough to ever worry about your pants even getting wet, but enough to let you know it's happening... and maybe even letting coworkers know it's happening too.

HORRIFYING!

So, I figured it was a great time to try out the LunaPads. After all, if they can hold up to a period, surely they can hold up to a bit of urine leakage, right?

I got to thinking: What is it about periods (and items used with them) that women complain about most? Comfort, absorbency, easy of use, and odor control... right?

Many of you may remember my DivaCup review last summer. I'm a cup girl. When I used disposables, I was a tampon girl (you may remember my story from You ARE Loved a couple years or so back, too). I hated pads. They are just sooooo uncomfortable to me! Well, postpartum mommies don't have much of a choice. It's pad or nothing! I grabbed one of the cute LunaPad prints I was sent to try out (I had already prepped them, which was super easy.... one wash!), and snapped it on. They have very simple instructions, too, so I couldn't get confused if I tried!





After the initial "ugh, I'm wearing a pad!" feeling faded away (about 2 minutes), I couldn't feel the LunaPad! I was very thankful for this, because, as previously established, I was NOT a fan of pads! I was surprised at how comfortable they were once I got used to the feeling of having something there. You just snap them around your underwear and you're good to go!






LunaPads come in many different sizes, and have insert options to help customize the absorbency  too.  I tried them with and without an insert, thinking that maybe the cute little ribbon that holds the insert in place might be uncomfortable directly against my skin. Again, didn't notice it. What a relief that was! The inserts are easily put in and taken out, so adding absorbency is a breeze. How nice that it is so easy to customize! I was sent a couple for review, and actually had a few (never used since I got them while I was pregnant) from before, so you will get to see a whole array of prints and sizes in this review! The largest one (with the fold-out absorbent layer [pink]) is the postpartum pad.












While I cannot, yet, attest to how well LunaPads hold up to a cycle, I can say that they are good for what I tried them out for. My underwear were constantly slightly damp (which sucked, by the way) from the pressure of this baby's head, but the LunaPads kept ME dry. Nothing leaked through (though, as I said, I wasn't leaking a lot), and nothing felt like it was damp. What a lovely feeling to feel dry again! If you needed extra absorbency, adding to the pad is a breeze. You just slide the extra layer under the ribbon on either end, and you're set!

Storing used LunaPads was a breeze, too. You can use a small wetbag for storage, and you can just snap the LunaPads together when they are dirty. (See below)

Not only did the LunaPads keep me dry, but the days I would wear them were the only days I came home without being able to notice the smell of urine on myself. Might I add how embarrassing that is, again? Seriously. Sitting at work for 10 hours a day and feeling like others must notice it. After all, if I could smell it, they could, right? Even showering immediately before work didn't help any. I didn't think the LunaPads would really make a difference with smell... after all, it's still just fabric in the end, right? Well, they made a world of difference. No hint of smell at all. NONE AT ALL. If they are that great with urine, I can only but imagine that they will work the same for a cycle and odor.

These far surpassed my expectations for reusable mama cloth, and I will write again when I know how they hold up to my soon-to-be-tested postpartum wear.

If you'd like to check out LunaPads for yourself, head on over to BePreparedPeriod.com and look at their recently expanded mama cloth options! While the adorable prints may not matter in the grand scheme of things, it's nice seeing something cutesy like flowers or elephants. I think it's the same as wearing cute underwear when you know nobody else will see them anyway... it makes you feel better.



Disclosure: The product mentioned above was sent to me by the company in exchange for a review. This did not influence my opinion of the product in any way. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own.

BentoBoxes -- Keep It Separated!

If you've been looking for a lunch box for your child, have you checked out Laptop Lunches Bento Boxes yet? The bento boxes are a fantastic way to pack healthy, well-portioned lunches for you or your children. They are stylish, eco-friendly lunch boxes that are reusable, recyclable, long lasting, and dishwasher safe. Better yet, they contain NO phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), PVC, or lead. They are great for traveling, going to work, or going to school.

Laptop Lunches sent me one of their awesome Bento boxes to try out:




I was thrilled to find out that they were (top rack) dishwasher safe, as this would make it a lot easier to clean on those days where Bobble just won't stay in one place long enough for me to collect my thoughts before he makes another mess!

As you will be able to see from the pictures that will follow, Bobble wanted to make certain that he helped with showing off the Bento Box. I was thrilled that he was so excited about it, because it was for him to take to daycare, after all!

The box is easy to open, but not so easy that Bobble could do it himself. I find this a HUGE plus, personally, as he is in a "throw everything that you can" phase when it comes to food.

Of course, once it's open, he has no issues what-so-ever!

It was very difficult for me to get a shot without Bobble running in the way or grabbing items and moving them around, so this was the best I could do once it was open:

The compartments are separated and easily moved around inside the box to be however you like it set up best. You can see there is a compartment on the right hand side of the box for eating utensils, and three of the five containers have lids.

The lids have different pictures on them to show what's inside (assuming you want to follow the suggestion on the lids!) like fruits and veggies. The tiny container doesn't have a picture, but it's obviously for something like dressing, sauce, etc.

I love how well these containers seal, because nothing can spill from them, but they aren't difficult to open up. I also love the pictures on the lids because it makes it a bit exciting for Bobble. While this can hold much more food than the can eat in a day at childcare, this will be perfect for him when he gets a bit older!

Okay, I admit it. I've totally stolen this for myself until that point in time.... but at that rate I might as well just get him a new one! That doesn't mean he doesn't get to enjoy this while we are out and about, though! I can put some broccoli in one container, some ranch dressing (his favourite!) in the tiny container, and a few pieces of fruit (like sliced grapes) to enjoy while we're out running errands for an extended period of time.

While I don't have a carrier for the BentoBox, you can find them on the Laptop Lunches store page under Carriers, Totes & Sleeves.

The BentoBox is also the perfect companion to MOMables lunches (my review seen here), and are featured in many of the recipes they send out. (Such as the Philly steak sandwich that can be seen on their Sample Menu page.)

Laptop Lunches has offered to give one of my readers a $25.00 gift certificate to their store! You can enter below for your chance to win! If you don't win, don't be discouraged! These containers are durable and will definitely save you money by ensuring you don't need to keep purchasing a new lunch box (or containers for inside it!) year after year. Check out their store to see all the great items you can purchase, including their Bento Buddies (extra containers, all with lids!).


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Disclosure: I receive sample(s) for the purpose of testing and review. These opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Thoughts Of Fluff is not responsible for shipment of the prize(s).

The Unpaper Towel (review & giveaway)

How many of you use paper towels? C'mon, I know some of you do! Now how many of you cringe at how much you use them? They do cost a lot, and they waste a lot.... but do you keep using them? Possibly. We did. I hated it. I wanted something different, but still we fell into the trap of buying them over and over again. We then were given the chance to do a review of The Unpaper Towel. I was so excited for these you have no idea! In fact, I'm really excited to post this review for you... even more so, actually, because my husband was excited about it, and actually asked if he could write it. It's not going to be all his, but I'll make it a joint effort. I'll have his comments in blue, and I'll throw in my two-cents in purple. He wanted to do this, so I'll let the bulk be him! 

First, a little background:

The Unpaper Towel is one side cotton terry cloth, the other side either a stain resistant fabric or a cotton print fabric. They are held together by snaps to create a roll of awesome-looking, reusable towels for the kitchen! They are sewn in North Carolina by Bevin, and what an awesome job she does! Just look at my awesome roll of Unpaper Towels (straight out of the package!)

First appearances - looks really cool. Could be used as dinner napkin I guess, but the snaps discourage me from that somewhat. But still pretty cool looking as long as drying the instructions are followed.
I also really wanted to use them for dinner napkins, but that was before the logical part of me said that I'd end up scratching myself with the snap because I would end up forgetting they were there. His 'drying instructions' comment is because I let them sit in the dryer over night instead of taking them out and putting them on the roll immediately. I knew this would cause them to be less-pretty, but they would still be functional. Who'd have known that he'd care about them looking pretty! *laughs* They did still look nice, they were just folded over in spots, wrinkly, and didn't wrap as tightly as if I had followed the instructions to a T. I had a choice.... let them look a bit wrinkly, or go to bed in time to get 5 hours of sleep to work my 10 hour day the next day. You bet I picked the sleep! 


 

 

 

 

 

They work great for liquids and absorb considerably more than a paper towel, plus, you can wring them out like a rag without tearing them, so for spills these are superior.
(Says it all!)

 

 

 

 

 

Make great wipes in the kitchen for feeding time. As long as you pay attention to where the snaps are, these are great for cleaning up the little one after a messy meal. One, in most cases, is all it takes for that task.
Just like using them for a napkin for yourself, you need to watch out for snaps on the little one! These definitely do a much better job wiping up than paper towels!!! They are also a generous size of approximately 11"x11" (yes, approximately... being the genius I am, I didn't think to measure them before I let them wrinkle up!).

 

 

 

 

 

I would still always keep a roll of paper towels on hand. There are things I would not want to use cloth towels on, like cleaning the grill, or sopping up grease. I have always heard about how oils that sit in cloth can spontaneously burst into flames…. that is not really a big concern with me, but I can tell you after getting oil on massage sheets for years, it eventually will not wash out and leave a musty smell locked into the fabric. There are detergents specially formulated for removing oil residues, so if a person wanted to switch entirely to The Unpaper Towel, I would recommend such a detergent for keeping them in optimal condition.
This is where we disagree. I don't see a problem sopping up grease with cloth. I wouldn't want to use these for grease, however, as I like them looking nice and not smelling like grease! I don't, however, see any problem soaking up grease and then rinsing it out and washing shortly thereafter. That being said, laundry does tend to sit at our house before it gets washed.... but I'll blame the 10-hour work days on that one (and the fact that hubby lets me do all the laundry -- yes, lets. I like doing the laundry [so long as that doesn't include folding and putting away! hah!]). As far as the detergents, I have had great luck with Tiny Bubbles getting the oil smell out of his massage sheets!

These are SO much nicer looking than paper towels, aren't they?

 

All in all, these are pretty handy to have, and although I still would choose paper towels over The Unpaper Towel in certain situations, having these in the kitchen will drastically cut down paper towel usage. I will admit, I cannot stand using the same ol' kitchen towel over and over again, so I used paper towels for drying my hands off more than for anything else (after thoroughly shaking them off to remove as much water as possible of course). Using Unpaper Towels for drying hands off alone will significantly reduce the amount of paper towel usage, thus buying it much less! 
These are handy to have! I have no problem reusing the same towel (or Unpaper Towel!) for drying hands. My catch is when it's a multi-purpose towel in the kitchen, as then you're spreading germs if you wipe your hands off to dry, and also after cutting veggies or something. I would like to say these are simply great for wiping things! I was getting ready to leave for work the other day, saw something had spilled in our fridge, and grabbed an Unpaper Towel that was sitting near by (hubby used it to dry his hands). I got it a tad be wet, and voila! Fantastic for wiping stuff out! Took a second and it looked clean. Of course it wasn't "clean" clean since I didn't use any cleaner, but it will be much easier to clean when stuff hasn't been sitting there drying and gunking!

 

So there you have it: The Unpaper Towel! Durable, reusable, stylish...... what's not to love?

 

 Bevin was generous enough to offer a set of Unpaper Towels to one of my readers, too! You can pick the pattern, so long as it isn't one of the organic materials! Enter to win below!





Disclosure: The product mentioned above was sent to me [us] by the company in exchange for a review. This did not influence my [our] opinion of the product in any way. My [our] opinions are my [our] own and may differ from those of your own.



 

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Be Free with DivaCup! (review & giveaway)

Whether you look forward to your cycle or dread it each month, it is part of being a woman. I used to dread my cycle. Nay, I used to loathe my cycle. It was inconvenient to say the least. I wanted to swim, run around, go out for the day….. just be myself! Then there is this period thing getting in my way. It made me go to the bathroom every few hours, made me spend a lot of money on tampons (or maxi-pads if that’s your preference), and then there was the discomfort. The irritation from either type of disposable caused me numerous issues one way or another. Either way it went, I dreaded it.

When I had Bobble, I had already decided I was going to do cloth diapers with him. This research led me to find reusable options for myself, too…. including cloth and cups. Admittedly, I rolled my eyes at first, and then carried on my merry little way. The more I thought about it though, the more I was intrigued. I started researching and decided I was going reusable for myself, too!

It was 17 ½ months post-partum before I had my first cycle, and then it was only 3 days, too. It was that same month that I was offered a chance to review the DivaCup. I received my package right away, and excitedly opened it up to find my cup, little carrying bag, and a little “diva” pin. Since I have had a baby, I had to get a size 2 cup. There are two sizes, one for women under 30 who have never had a baby, and women who have had a baby or are over 30. I anxiously awaited my next cycle, hoping the first one (since it was so short), wasn’t a fluke. The proper timing came and went, and I found myself a bit disappointed I didn’t have my cycle. I really wanted to try the DivaCup!

Finally, a week and a half later, I got my chance! Of course it was the very same moment I finally took a pregnancy test to double-check…. what a waste of money on that test! The DivaCup, however, was super easy to use. I wasn’t a pro first shot since this was my first time using it, but a couple of tries and I had it inserted and ready to go! After the initial fidgeting to get it inserted properly, I had no idea it was there! What a nice change from that annoying feeling of tampons!

I was able to go through my entire day with no hassle to stop and find a restroom for changing, as the DivaCup can be left in for up to 12 hours. That meant I could take care of that when it was convenient for me, not when the device used decided it had to be done! Even better, that meant I could go throughout my day without the worry of Toxic Shock Syndrome being a consequence if I didn’t find a bathroom soon. If you’re a heavier bleeder, you can empty it more often if you need.  

Removing the cup was a lot easier for me than placing the cup. Since the cup has sealed off the area (yay for no leaks… successful installation!), it just made sense to me to use one finger and push in on the cup to ‘break the seal’. When that released, I just pulled gently down, and voila! Empty, rinse, re-use! It’s really that simple. No waste, no odor, no wrapping things up to hide in a trashcan, no worry about running out… it’s always there, always ready to use. Even if you opted to replace the cup yearly, you’d still save a boatload of waste AND money that would have spent on disposable products. The suggested cost of the DivaCup is $39.99 (USD/CAD), but compare that to how much you spend on the disposable products in one year. $100? $150? More? It definitely is the more cost-effective choice in the long run!

Hold up, did I say “no odor”? Why yes, yes I did! Since the fluid is captured in the cup, it is never exposed to air, meaning it never smells! The menstrual fluids only develop an odor when exposed to air.

It’s also surprisingly cleaner to use than I anticipated it would be. When I first heard of menstrual cups, I have no idea what I thought of, but I thought it might be gross. You’d get all messy, red everywhere… you get the idea. Thankfully, that was a complete misconception. You don’t get messy at all! It’s just remove, dump, rinse, re-insert. I have gotten waaaaay messier changing my son’s diaper! Even if you have a heavy flow, no worries! Did you ladies know that the average woman only flows approximately 1 to 1.4 ounces each cycle? The DivaCup can hold that entire amount! So even if you are a heavier bleeder than other women, they still have you covered!

Some research has suggested that the chemicals in disposable products such as tampons or maxi-pads can cause your body to bleed for longer, bleed heavier, and cause more menstrual symptoms like cramping. When I first had Bobble, I used disposable pads post-partum since you can’t use any inserted device for 6 weeks. After 4 weeks, I was still bleeding. I was uncomfortable, I was irritated (reacting to the chemicals), I felt BRUISED even! I had just happened across the above information and finally had enough and decided to just wear old underwear and let them get ruined. Within 24 hours of ceasing to use disposables, I stopped bleeding. I think the disposables lengthened my post-partum bleeding, as well as caused me great discomfort! I’ve had no cramping since using the DivaCup, though I didn’t have much cramping pre-baby, it’s been non-existent with the DivaCup.

So, are you curious yet? Do you want to try one now? I highly recommend giving them a whirl! You can use the store finder to locate your nearest DivaCup retailer, or shop online if there is nothing near you.

I will no longer be stuck interrupting my day to go find a bathroom, worrying about any smell, or worrying about leaks. I will be comfortable, active, and go to the bathroom on my own time. I will be free to choose when to worry about feminine issues, not have them force me to worry! I want the same for you, and so does DivaCup! In fact, they have offered a cup for one of my lucky readers! 

You can enter the giveaway below.

Don't forget to "like" DivaCup on Facebook and follow them on Twitter at @DivaCup for the latest news!

Have you ever heard of a menstrual cup before today or have you ever thought about trying a menstrual cup? If so, what is stopping you?

Disclosure: The product mentioned above was sent to me by the company in exchange for a review. This did not influence my opinion of the product in any way. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. 

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