Since I last updated this blog, I have bought my first house, left a great job, came back to an even better job, learned to roller skate, got involved with roller derby, broke my ankle, and started the process of (and still am) recovering from an ankle break. As you can see, I have found plenty to keep me busy. I would love to resurrect this blog again someday, but for now, I will be satisfied with being the one who introduced many of you to women peeing standing up, reusable menstrual products, the difference between octopus and squid, and more. Maybe I’ll impart you with useless knowledge again soon. Until then, enjoy the archives!
The results are in: Cephaloblog readers like reusable menstrual products because they are comfortable and convenient.
First, thank you to everyone who entered – I love hearing why women are interested in reusable menstrual methods and the response always impresses me. I have randomly selected five winners and emailed them asking for their mailing addresses. If you entered but did not win, I hope you consider purchasing Greenblooded yourself (for a mere $2, why not?!) – and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Because you ladies ended up being so creative with your one-word answers (which I loved, really), I wasn’t able to offer a list of top 10 reasons, as planned. Instead, I broke down your answers into six basic categories: Comfort, Convenience, Cost, Empowerment, Environment, Health and then an additional Other category to cover answers that couldn’t quite be labeled.
Other answers included, “Adventurousness”, “Bullshit”, “Shalom” and “Understanding”.
As far as age range goes, 35 women from 14 to 33 entered this contest and gave one-word reasons for their interest in reusable methods. See results by age after the jump!
Comment on this blog post with a one-word reason for why you’re interested in, considering switching to, or are already a user of reusable menstrual products
Include your age* in your comment
Include your email**
You have until Saturday, January 23rd to leave your comment on this post. I will then randomly select five valid entries (“valid” in that they include all three of the things mentioned above), contact the winners by email for their shipping addresses, and have a copy of the comic Greenblooded: An Introduction to Eco-Friendly Feminine Hygiene by Cathy Leamy sent to you! (If you win!)
On Sunday, January 24th I’ll post the top ten reasons given by age range, so we can see why women of all ages support reusable options during their periods.
I’m very lucky that I have a sister that doesn’t care that I blog about her (Kel: “Whatever. None of my friends read your dumb* blog.”). Because of this, I get to relay the very exciting news that, on the last day of this past decade, Â my little baby sister got her very first period!!! Of course, I had already prepared her with a stash of cupcake-adorned Lunapads and presented her with My Little Red Book as a menarche present, but needless to say, I was more excited than she. Her words: “I wasn’t that upset when I realized I got it.”
I will admit that I know it’s pretty fricking weird for me to get overly excited about my sister getting her period, but, unlike her, I grew up with a group of friends that pined for their first periods and treated who got it first as a competition. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret was our bible, and starting in fourth grade we eagerly anticipated the moment when one of us might find a spot of blood in her underpants.
Congratulations to Jeanna for winning the Lunapads Contest Giveaway! Jeanna, please check your inbox for an email from me asking for your shipping info and fabric choice for your Sampler Pack!
Everyone else who entered, please check your inbox for a small consolation prize from Lunapads!
Let me tell you, you ladies did not make picking a winner easy! Just know that I had to narrow it down several times, and then ask for help judging the final three comments! The top three answers were all so close, I honestly wish I could have given them all a Sampler Pack.
I thank you all so, so much for your amazing responses to my questions. The number of comments I received for this contest overwhelmed me, and reading each and every one of your answers was a personal reward for me. If nothing else, this post will be a great resource for women considering making the switch from disposable to reusable menstrual products! They will find 67 incrediblereasons why from smart, passionate, amazing women.
Of course, all women have the ability to pee standing up. Millions are probably doing it in the shower as you read this. (You know that it happens).
But few have the ability to do so without urinating all over their legs or feet. Or without having to completely remove their pants and underwear. Or without having to stand or squat in an incredibly awkward and unnatural position.
Well, hover over that disgusting porta-potti seat no more, because there are plenty of ingenious devices that have been created for women, by women, to aid in making peeing like the boys do easy and comfortable.
For those scratching their heads, wondering why a woman would ever want to pee standing up, here’s a few reasons:
Dirty, disgusting public bathrooms/porta-pottisÂ
Camping and/or hiking and you don’t want a bear to see your bare ass
Long road trips with no rest stops in site
Boating (because not everyone wants to have to jump in a lake to pee)
You could win this Sampler Pack!!! Photo Courtesy of Lunapads.com
Lunapads has given me a wonderful opportunity: to hold a contest for Cephaloblog readers* to win one of their Sampler Packs (a $25 value)!
If you’re already a reusable menstrual product user but haven’t experienced the comfort and reliability that is Lunapads; you’re already a Lunapads user but could use some more; or you’re new to reusable pads altogether, enter to win this contest!
Sampler Packs include a little bit of everything to get you started with Lunapads – one maxi pad, one maxi liner, one maxi wing liner, and one mini pantyliner – in a color/pattern of your choice! Be sure to check out Lunapads’Â fabric swatches so that you can pick your favorite if you win (I recently got my sister a set in the Cupcakes pattern, because she’s a baker – too cute!).
Here’s how to enter:
1) Leave a comment on this post telling me why you want to switch to reusable menstrual products; or, if you already use reusable products, why you think women should switch to reusable methods.Â
2) Be sure to include a valid email address with your post, so that I can let you know that you won and get your shipping address and fabric choice.
The best comment wins!!! A consolation prize will be awarded to all who enter (and provide a valid email address with their comment)!
The Lunapads Contest Giveaway IS OFFICIALLY OVER! Entries are being evaluated and a winner will be announced by June 5, 2009.
* Female readers, that is. This contest is open to any and all women, worldwide, so please feel free to share the link to this post with anyone. However, if a male reader comments and is able to make a great case for why his female significant other, mother, sister or daughter should switch to/continue to use reusable products (and will promise to give the Sampler Pack to the woman in question), I won’t discount his entry!
Just one more reason to love Lunapads: Not only do they make the best designed washable cloth pads on the market, they’re willing to share their secret.
Despite what a great tutorial this was, honestly, my favorite part of the post was their reasoning for providing such instructions:
“The videos and pattern download were created in response to two needs: first, as a possible option for those who can’t afford Lunapads, or to support those who prefer to make things themselves, just because. Second is to offer it as an instructional tool for women in Africa to make pads for themselves and/or as commercial products, as well as for crafters in this neck of the woods who want to make pads to contribute as donations to Pads4Girls.”
I just love that a company that makes money selling reusable pads is willing to provide a simplified DIY pattern for those who aren’t able to afford their product and to help others in need.
