Because of this, Seventh Generation has teamed up with the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) to dedicate one day as “Let’s Talk… Period” Day which aims to place more focus on this important issue and to educate women about ovarian cancer. Another goal of this event is to raise the donations needed to help educate women on the signs of ovarian cancer.

If you go to the “Let’s Talk… Period” Day website on September 1st (yes tomorrow) and register your email address, Seventh Generation will make a $1 donation to the OCRF, with an overall donation of $22,000 representing the women that will be diagnosed this year. The website has information on ovarian cancer signs, symptoms, risk factors and prevention, because the best way of prevention is through education.

As a thank you for logging in and participating, Seventh Generation will be giving each registrant a coupon for their organic cotton tampons that are not bleached with chlorine, free of rayon and don’t contain added perfumes or dyes. See the video below to find out what’s in most tampons…

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The bad news - there can only be two winners. Bummer. However, If you’re not a winner, I urge you to check out Moonpads anyhow – they’re a great deal in the long run, and Annie Rose (creator of Moonpads) even has seconds offered up at times.

Now, just as a recap here’s what our two winners will receive: a great starter gift pack from Moonpads Reusable Menstrual Pads. Each of our winners will get to choose her choice of 3 reusable pads in any style or color available.

And our two randomly drawn winners are…

Samantha Pruitt who said, “i think this a pretty interesting idea, ever since i heard about it i’ve been wanting to try it out. The materials of usual pads sometimes irritate my skin, so i think this would really help with that.”

AND

Melissa D who said, “I have to admit the idea of reusable Menstrual Pads is something I’ve never imagined! And now you have me thinking about all the waste involved in disposable pads. What a fabulous green idea!”

Congratulations to Samantha and Melissa! I’ll be emailing you with further details by tomorrow. I’ll need to hear back from you within a week or I’ll have to choose an alternate winner.

Again thanks to everyone who participated and many hugs to Annie Rose of Moonpads for sponsoring such a successful green giveaway here at Tree Hugging Family.

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• They don’t carry the cons of conventional products.
• In your life you’ll go through just how many pads and tampons. Tossing all those in the trash is such a huge shock to the planet. in your life.
• Reusable pads save you time. No running to the store at the last minute – or even each month.
• Need a $ shock about non-reusable pads: Disposable Pad or Tampon Cost Pad Calculator. You’ll save BIG bucks going with reusable pads.
  
• Good reusable pads last forever. As I’ve noted here before, in eight some odd years I’ve bought new exactly twice, and only twice because I bought two different kinds. That’s a huge monetary savings.

Here are some non-disposable options:

• Moonpads
• Glad Rags
• The Keeper
• Luna Pads
• The Diva Cup
• Make-It-Yourself Menstrual Pads
• Pleasure Puss Menstrual Pads – Singles
  
• Sckoon Organic Cotton Cloth Reusable Menstrual / Postpartum Pads

You can also find plenty of other reusable options on Etsy – just do a search for reusable pads.

If you’ve got any other pros of reusable pads, let me know in the comments. Next up winners of the Moonpads Reusable Menstrual Pads Giveaway.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

• Basic cons of conventional products
• Natracare Tampons & Pads Review
• Green Product Review: Seventh Generation Chlorine-Free Ultra-thin Pads with Wings

Really though, you don’t even have to go there. You can use reusable pads and cups. I discussed this before in an extreme green post here, but not in-depth.

Here are some non-disposable options:

• Glad Rags
• The Keeper
• Luna Pads
• The Diva Cup
• Make-It-Yourself Menstrual Pads
• Pleasure Puss Menstrual Pads – Singles (what’s with the name?) seriously?
  
• Sckoon Organic Cotton Cloth Reusable Menstrual / Postpartum Pads

You can also find plenty of other reusable options on Etsy and other sites. Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite not listed above.

Why reusable:

Why not is a better question. Do you realize how many pads and tampons you’ll go through in your life. Even with disposables that are more earth friendly that’s still plenty of trash and plenty of money out the door. You can save resources, time, and money by going with reusable options.

Need a $ shock: Disposable Pad or Tampon Cost Pad Calculator

I haven’t used too many reusable – why? Because they flipping last forever. At least the ones I have. In eight some odd years I’ve bought new exactly twice, and only twice because I bought two different kinds. That’s a huge monetary savings. Plus I’ve thrown away a considerable small amount of trash compared to other women who continually use disposables. I’ve used the reusable pads for travel even, although that honestly is more work, so I don’t always.

What I’ve tried:

Luna Pads – average flow: I liked Luna Pads for postpartum use because these suckers really work (and you know how the flow goes after childbirth). That said, I’m not a fan of them as everyday monthly pads. They’re a little thick for my liking. You can tell they’re there (way more than other pads.) Still, here’s the thing; I bought mine about eight years ago and when I checked out the website today, it appears they’re making their pads thinner. So maybe they’re less bulky now-a-days.

You can use these without changing the whole set-up each time. They come with liners and just the liner can be changed vs. the whole pad, which cuts down on laundry.

Pros: Hold up great. Wash and wash and dry them and they’ll still be in great shape. Also I like all the design choices and they also now offer organic. I’m not sure they had organic eight years ago. They don’t leak and wash right up. They come in all types of flow sizes, including panties, and liners.

Cons: As noted, bulkier than normal pads and other cloth pads. But this is questionable.

Here’s the newest image of the average pads – which really do look thinner than the ones I own.

Glad Rags:

I LOVE Glad Rags. The only thing I don’t like is that mine aren’t organic ( I can’t remember if they didn’t have them in organic 8 years ago, or if the place I got them didn’t carry them, but mine are basic cotton). I’d get organic if I were you.

Glad Rags are super easy and not bulky. Although, I have light to average flow, so if you have heavy they might be bulkier, because of how they work. You can use each wrap around pad (snap-shut) with one insert or two – so if you have a heavy flow and use two, it might get bulkier.

Pros: Last, and last, and last. I’m just now thinking about replacing my original nine pads. But more because I want the organic ones; overall they likely have a couple years use left in them. I’ve seriously washed these pads hundreds of times and the fabric is still in top notch shape and the snaps on every single one works. Comfortable, not bulky. Work well with no leaks (of course that will vary depending on flow). Wash well. Glad Rags notes that you should soak your pads after use, and I used to, but frankly, I got lazy, and quit. Yet, they still come clean – so good for lazy folks may be a pro. If I had white, I’d soak them each time though, to make sure they don’t stain. (I have violet).

Cons: Hmmm, cons. You know, there are very few cons. The thing I like least about them is that if you dry them in a dryer (I sometimes toss them in with towels), then don’t snatch them out right away, they come out a little too wrinkled, and don’t lay as flat. Overall though, I can’t think of any serious cons.

Below are regular cotton – they come in a ton of colors. And the white you see are the organic cotton, which also come in a variety of colors now.

As for other reusable pads, I haven’t used them, because there’s been no need to buy any more. I also haven’t ever used things like the Diva Cup or the Keeper because honestly, I can see myself making a huge mess with them, and more importantly I’m simply partial to pads.

However, I know women who have used and loved both the Keeper and Diva Cup. The only cons I’ve heard have been leaks once in a while and that there’s a learning curve with ease of use – but that doesn’t sound so bad to me. Still, I’m not comfortable really commenting since I haven’t used them.

If you have please feel free to contact me if you’d like to write a review here (either anonymously or not – if you have a blog we’ll let you link to it in your review) OR simply leave a comment. Honestly, I just don’t want to pay for one just to do a review here, so unless some of you have used them, reviews are out. Sorry.

I’ll be back this week with a round up of all the products we’ve looked at in the last two weeks.

Questions for you: Have you used reusable options for that time of the month – or are you considering it? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Well, I’m running late but have made it before Blog Action Day is over with the second installment of extreme green living ideas. For some of you the 15th is over — not me though. I’m a west coast girl! I’ve got an hour left.

I would have been back sooner but I had a lot of blogs playing green today and it’s been busy. That said, we should get going.

In the previous post I listed 4 extreme green living ideas. Here are some more. These tips are all centered around the same thing; waste.

5. Wear (and use) only organic natural fibers and shun anything that isn’t. Buy local-made whenever possible.

Why: Organic materials aren’t grown with pesticides obviously and many of the companies/individuals making these items practice cleaner production techniques.

Do I do it?: No, and here’s why.
A lot of green-minded friends have told me get rid of anything you own that’s not hemp, organic, etc. But where exactly should I put this stuff. I have skirts that aren’t organic but were thrift store finds from 10 years ago. Should I fill up landfills with stuff I had before I was a greener individual? And what about thrift stores. They don’t have a lot of locally made and organic items but they are in the business of recycling. That’s a good deal. I’m on the fence on this green living tip. I do buy hemp and organic now but shun old school thrift — I don’t know.

Here we go; number six is the biggie….

6. Create no waste by staying away from ALL packaging.

How: The how of creating zero packaging waste is a tough one. Here are some things you’d have to give up:

• Toilet paper
• Maxi-pads and tampons
• Ice cream in cartons
• Coffee
• Bought bread
• Toothpaste
• light bulbs

And a thousand other items that most homes use. Packaging is not eco-friendy it wastes energy, materials, and think about the factories who make packaging (yikes!).

Do I do it?: No; I’m not this extreme. Think no average family is this extreme; think again. There are plenty of families out there who have managed to live without packaging and not just rural-grow-their-own-food types either. Here’s a family trying in New York City.

Do I do any of it?: Yes, I am extreme on some packaging waste issues. Like…

Baked goods: You can buy the ingredients you need to make baked goods in bulk (using your own refillable containers) and make the items (bread, muffins, etc) at home. I do this a lot — not 100% but often enough.

Fancy Beauty Products: You can make your own sugar scrubs, face masques, soap, shampoo, lotion, toner and more. This I do all the time. BUT I also once in a while buy a product but I’d guess far less often than the average American. For items like toothbrushes I buy recyclable.

Reusable Maxi Pads and biodegradable organic tampons: I always use these. I can’t believe I’m blogging this — damn extreme day. Still consider this; thousands of plastic tampon applicators end up where they shouldn’t each year (like washing up on beaches). Think of all the months in a year and all the years in your reproductive years now think about the landfill size needed to hold all those used non-biodegradable pads and tampons.

There are other choices. For pads you can buy (or make) cloth ones. My sister is completely grossed out by this and so are other people I know but here’s the deal what’s grosser — a landfill full of millions of used pads or a drawer full of washed reusable pads? Hmmm. As for tampons if there’s one place you don’t want cotton pesticides it’s well, you know where. Buy organic and biodegradable.

Options:

• Glad Rags
• The Keeper
• Luna Pads
• The Diva Cup
• Chlorine Free Organic Cotton Tampons

Those are three ways we cut down at my house but we do buy some stuff in packaging. We try to make sure it’s all recyclable. If you were extreme you’d cut out all the packaging; there are ways.

There are more extreme green living tips obviously; quit your job, homeschool, toss the computer, downsize, turn off the electricity, and so much more — goals that are attainable for some but not for everyone.

Here’s the deal. Tomorrow; I’ll be back. Blog Action Day will be over and I won’t blog too extreme. I’ll go back to the small steps and mid-level green ideas. But that’s not a bad thing. We all need help in some areas of sustainable living.

I personally believe that living as extreme green as you can is a good thing. The world could use it. However, I also believe that each of our small steps can add up to one extreme. Although people do things differently and are on various levels of their green path the point is that they’re trying. There is no completely wrong way to try to be more eco-sensible.

The only wrong way is to not try at all.

I hope everyone had a great day and don’t forget to visit the other Blog Action Day b5 bloggers!

Post from: Tree Hugging Family