Jordan's Eco Alternatives 2nd Review

 Jordan's Eco Alternatives  has reached over 700 fans. Congratulations Jordan!!! To celebrate she had an awesome giveaway. Guess who won?!? Yep! This lucky lady did! When she announced the winners I was so excited. She promptly messaged me to confirm what pad backing I preferred, fleece or pul. How thoughtful to ask. Some ladies like both but I am really a fleece kinda girl. She got to work on them right away. The pads and wrapper where both surprise prints and I loved it! Waiting on them with much anticipation. When they arrived I couldn't have been happier.

I received two amazing pads and a pad wrapper. 

The first pad was in the awesome Cotton Knit Dr. Who print. I am a huge fan of cotton knit. I love how soft it is and how well it works on wicking moisture into the core. This is a heavy pad, her heavy day pad cores consist of zorb and bamboo fleece. This makes for a trim yet super absorbent pad. I chose fleece backed as mentioned above. This is a blue windpro fleece. Windpro is like the holy grail of fleece in my opinion. It is so soft, plush and super water resistant. I have never had a leak with windpro fleece backed pads. 

The second pad was this Galactica cotton acrylic knit print. This fabric is so freaking soft!!!! It has a jersey knit feel to it but is twice as soft. Absolutely everything wicks through this pad into the core and man was this pad super easy to clean!!! New favorite topper? Why yes I do believe so. Again this is a heavy pad with a bamboo fleece and zorb core and backed in the same beautiful blue windpro fleece.

She uses a color coded snap system to indicate the pads absorbency. Red is used for all of her heavy day pads. 

Each pad comes with two snaps so you can customize the pads width. They snap at 3 inches on the first snap ( left side of photo) and 2.5 inches on the second snap ( right side of photo).

Second pad snapped again at 3" and 2.5"

Jordan's pads are so very well made. They are super durable and hold up fabulously even after many washes. This heavy pads can hold a lot of fluid and I have never ever had a leak with one of Jordan's pad. They fit me very well and are super comfortable. 10.5 is perfect for me on heavy days. I love the two snaps as some days I like to have my pads just a little wider for that extra protected feel and 3" is perfect for me. I really love the shape of her pads and the slight contours at both ends when snapped. 

Oh I almost forgot the pul pad wrapper I received. It is so cute and so well made. It holds one heavy pad or two liners easily and is the perfect thing to store a clean or dirty pad in while on the go. 

 Jordan is amazing to work with. She is so nice and always responds very quickly when contacting her. Custom order speeds are fabulous and shipping speeds as well. My order shipped on Friday and was received that following Monday ! 

I highly recommend Jordan's Eco Alternatives! She makes all sizes and absorbency's of pads, she offers fleece backed pads, pul backed, hidden pul and corduroy backed, she has all kinds of fabrics for pad toppers in all kinds of amazing prints. She also sells pad wrappers like the one above in a variety of prints. 

If you haven't order for Jordan yet go, go and order something now. I promise you won't be disappointed.    

   

JuJu cup Giveaway ( Closed )

I am doing a giveaway on the model 1 JuJu Menstrual cup and the winners choice of either the blue, pink or green satin storage bag. 

The giveaway is open world wide to anyone 13+. The giveaway will run until October 31st.

Entry-Form

Rub's Red Wash review

Ruby's Red Wash is a product specially formulated to remove menstrual blood stains. The maker of this product Carolyn Frost came to the realization that there are no products on the market made just for women and menstrual blood stains. Why is this ? Well its a mans world to be frank. Periods are looked at as gross and something we should hide. There is a great article by Gloria Steinem about menstruation See here . To paraphrase the best part to me  " If men had periods we would all get that week off work and how much and long you bleed would be a sign a superiority . Well if that isn't the most truthful statement I've read today. So Carolyn stepped up and created a product just for menstrual blood.

Ruby’s Red Wash is made of a biodegradable mixture of bacterial cultures, an alcohol-based detergent, and essential oils for fragrance. It has a pleasing scent and is safe to use.  

It can be used on anything from panties to bed sheets. Also can be used on blood stains from injuries as well. But It can be used on reusable cloth menstrual pads and this is what caught my attention. I almost never have leaks now thanks to cloth pads and don't have to work really about stained panties of sheets anymore. Some of my cloth pads do stain though. I switched to cloth because they work better, feel better and are better for me but that doesn't mean I want to sit in the bathroom forever scrubbing stains either.

My normal routine goes something like this. Remove soiled pad and rinse it under water till it runs clear, allow to air dry then put it in the wet bag. At the end of my cycle I miss some detergent and water into a small trashcan I use as a bucket, dump in my pads and let them soak over night. In the morning I wash as normal. This works pretty well for me and I normally have no stains. Well this last cycle a few of my pads did stain :( . 

I received my Ruby's in after my cycle was over but was anxious to try it so I pulled out the pads that had stained and followed the instructions on the bottle.

✓  Rinse the blood stain with cool water.
✓  Gently mix Ruby’s in the bottle to even out the ingredients. Don’t shake- just gently turn the bottle over a few times.
✓  Place stained garment in a bowl or basin and add Ruby’s to the stained area (a capful for most stains).
✓  Most stains disappear in a few minutes, but soak as long as needed for tough stains.
✓  Rinse and wash as usual. Yay! You’re done!

Warning going past this point you well see used and stained menstrual blood on a pad. If you don't want to see this then don't go any farther.

Still here huh? Good for you ! 

So here is one of the pads that stained last cycle. It is a Cotton knit topped ( like what most panties are made of). Not sure why this pad in particular stained even though my other cotton knit pads dint but oh well .

I used an old wipe container to soak it in. Here it is soaking with the Ruby's.

After 3 hours of soaking:

And after coming out of the washing machine!

Wow! And this is one a pad that had already been washed and dried.

I next cycle I will be trying this as my soaking solution and see how it compares :) very excited to have a product that works so well on blood stains. 

Rockin' Green $50.00 Giftcard giveaway

Rockin' Green is giving away a $50.00 giftcard to one lucky reader.

A little info on Rockin' Green taken from Rockin' Green's Website:

Finally, It’s Cool to be Green!

Rockin’ Green eco-friendly cleaning products are for families that care about their health and their planet. Unsatisfied with the “green” cleaning products on the market, Kim, a mom of three, created her own special non-toxic laundry soap formula that works tough on dirt and stains while being gentle to the environment, your family, and your budget. From Kim’s kitchen to now a well-known brand, Rockin’ Green is a family favorite for cleaning all types of spills, messes, stains, and funk around your house.

What makes Rockin’ Green organic cleaners the best? They are…

• Biodegradable and made from recycled materials
• Recyclable Packaging
• Phosphate-Free
• Gluten and Vegan Friendly
• SLS- and Parabens-Free
• Free of optical brighteners

Did you know that Rockin’ Green was created for the most sensitive skin (great for babies!) and made from distillations of natural essential oils? Learn more about our rockin’ eco-friendly cleaning products here.

Entry-Form

Woolzies wool dryer ball review and giveaway

Since starting my cloth menstrual pad and cloth diapering journey I have learned just how bad fabric softener can be. Traditional fabric softener liquid and dryer sheets contain nasty chemicals and coat your clothes in these chemicals this same chemicals will also destroy the fire retardant qualities of clothing such as children's pajamas. Not to mention that fabric softeners are a big no no on cloth diapers and cloth menstrual pads. When they coat the fabrics it creates a repelling issue so liquid can not be absorbed as it is supposed to. Nothing like a cloth diaper that wont absorb yuck! This also go for all your towels, ever wonder why your towels don't absorb like they did when they where new? You can thank the build up of fabric softener on them for that...



So where to turn? Well there are alternatives and they are Wool Dryer balls. The ones that I am currently using are made by Woolzies. Woolzies are handmade in New Zealand out of felted wool.

They work by adding them to your dryer as you would a dyer sheet. They bounce around in your clothes naturally softening your clothes as they dry and because they separate and create space between your laundry they also are helping air to circulate better. This helps to cut down on your drying time by as much as 25 % in large loads and 35-40 % in small loads. This is saving you both time and money. So great for those thicker clothe diapers such as aoi's that seem to take forever to dry.


Miss the scent that fabric softener provides ? No problem simply add your desired amount of your favorite essential oil to a few of the dryer balls and toss them back in. let them tumble dry on low or no heat and your clothes will have your favorite scent. Also great for aromatherapy, try some lavender on your little ones pajamas for a great nights sleep.


It is recommended that you use 3 xl Balls for a small load, 6 for a large load and 8 for an extra large load. Know what else makes them environmentally friendly and great on your wallet? Your Woolzies are guaranteed to last for 1,000 loads! Woolzies Dryer balls are some of the largest I have seen making them great!

Allergic to wool? That's ok! Since the wool is not toughing your skin and the wool does not shed everyone can use Woolzies!

I use them in every load of clothes I do. My clothes and cloth diapers come out so soft and dry the first time without having to start the dryer again. As a cloth diapering momma I highly recommend them for everyone using cloth diapers and to anyone looking for a great alternative to conventional fabric softener.

Want to try them yourself well your in luck one lucky winner will receive their own box of 6 XL Woolzies dryer balls.

Entry-Form

I received this product free of charge in return for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own personal thoughts. I received no other compensation for this review. 

Menstrual cups - What are they and how do they work?

Menstrual cups are small flexible cups that are folded and inserted into the vagina to catch your menstrual flow. Most are made from FDA approved medical grade silicon. There is one brand made from TPE thermoplastic elastomer which is also FDA approved.

So why would you chose to use these over other products like tampons and pads. Well for me there are three main reasons.

• First they are better for your body. Tampons and pads contain all kinds of nasty chemicals. We have know for years the risks of Toxic Shock Syndrome when using tampons which is just that. Your body absorbs everything in the tampons chemicals included. The fibers in the tampons shred and leave fibers in your vagina, fibers that many different bacterias feed on. Which can lead to many infections. The FDA does not require feminine hygiene product companies to list what are in their products. It's very hard to find an exact list of what is in them and what the products are treated with. Try googling it. Also the assumption that tampons and pads are sterile is false. They stink of plastic and chemicals and are wrapped in plastic but they are in no way sterile. Menstrual cups leave nothing behind and can be completely sterilized after each cycle. The cups do not absorb your menstrual fluids but rather catch them. This allows your vagina to keep its natural state without drying it out and throwing off your ph levels. 

• Second they are better for the environment. The average women throws away 11,000 menstrual products in her lifetime. Products that go into our landfills, sewer systems, lakes, beaches..... There are 153 billion women in the USA alone that's 1,738,000,000,000 tampons and pads. When you combine that with all the resources need to mass produces them and the pollution from the factories making them well its really no surprise the earth is in the shape it is. One menstrual cup can be used for 5-10 years and causes no waste waste each month. 

• Thirdly the cost. Most menstrual cups cost between 20 and 40 dollars. Now that may seem like a lot when compared to a box of tampons but when you only have to buy one every 5 to 10 years the savings add up. Now for me I was using a box and a half to two boxes of tampons plus a pack of lines every cycle. That's about 12 bucks a month after two to three months you've payed for your cup. Everything after that is savings.  That's approximately 110.00 a year and 1,100 dollars in a lifetime.

So where to begin? There are many cups on the market like the mooncup, Diva, Lunette, MeLuna, Femmecup, Ruby Juju, femmycycle and others and while all of them are generally the same product there are many differences between them.  Style, shape, stiffness, stems etc.... You can find many reviews and YouTube videos on the different cups. I'm in the process of trying and writing reviews on an array of different cups and will post them as soon as I can. I don't believe there are any bad cups but different cups work better for different women and bodies. 

There are many things to consider when looking for and choosing a cup. knowing your body and how it works is the first step. 

Now if you are going to use a cup you need to be completely comfortable with knowing and touching your own body. To insert and remove a cup you are going to have to put your fingers in there. There is no reason to feel awkward about this. There is nothing gross or wrong with touching any of your body parts. They are yours and to be completely in touch with yourself and how you function you need to know your body.

One of the first things you need to know is where your cervix is. Why? Well because if you have a high cervix you won't need to worry about the length of the cup you choose. If its low a longer cup will not work for you and can cause pain and leaks. So how do you tell? well first wash your hand then stick your finger in there and see. You are looking for a small firm circular nob. Just take you time move your finger around and carefully fill for it. When checking your cervix for menstrual cup use it is best to check your cervix while on your cycle as your cervix moves up and down during different times of the month. Yes you might get blood on your finger. No it won't kill you. That's why there's soap ;) . So you've found it, how do you know if its considered high or low? Well an easy approximate is if its above the bend in your finger ( where a ring would sit ) its high, if it's under the bend it's low and you can reach it with only your fingertip it's very low. Now take these it too consideration when choosing a cup. Measure how far in your finger went until you felt it and use that a a basic start point for you cup. Every cup has a different length.  Check out this size chart.

Now remove the ones you don't think will work for you length wise. Now we can move on to the rim size. If you are a young female that isn't used to inserting things into yourself for example a virgin or not very sexually active or haven't given birth you will want to go with a small to medium size rim. If you are a older female that is comfortable with insertion has been sexually active for some time or has have a baby it should be easy using a medium to large cup comfortably. Only you know your body an what your comfortable with. This should give you a good estimate on rim size. 

Finally you will want to look at capacity. This is how much your cup will be able to hold before emptying. Tampons use grams to show capacity and menstrual cups use Milliliters. But the gram to milliliters conversion is one to one meaning 1 gram = 1 ml approximately. 

Tampons capacities are as follows:

Junior/ light absorbency - less than 6 grams (1 teaspoon equals about 5 grams.)

- Regular absorbency - 6 to 9 grams

- Super absorbency - 9 to 12 grams

- Super plus absorbency - 12 to 15 grams

- Ultra absorbency - 15 to 18 grams

So even the smallest menstrual cup has the capacity to hold as much as a super tampon absorbs. If you have a heavy flow an don't want to empty as often choose a cup within the length and rim size you picked with a higher capacity. If you have a lighter flow you can choose a smaller capacity cup. 

Finally you will want to look at firmness. Now this one is very personal for your body. If a cup is too soft you might have difficulty getting it to open. If its to firm it might cause you discomfort. If you are again a younger female not use to inserting things, someone who has a sensitive bladder, or weak pelvic muscles you might want a softer cup. If you are comfortable with insertion, have no bladder sensitivity, normal pelvic muscles and want a cup that is easier to pop open I would go with a normal to firm cup. If you are very active and have super strong floor muscles you will want to go with a very firm cup like MeLunas sport firmness so that your pelvic muscles do not collapse your cup and cause it to leak. So as you can tell just going by large or small / before or after birth won't get you a cup that fits your body perfectly. 

Now you've picked a cup, received it, and sterilized it . How do you get it in and use it it. Well there are many different folds and everyone likes a different fold. Here is a link for a video that shows you all the folds. I use the c-fold and the punch down method. It just depends on the cup I'm using. You don't have to place the cup as far up as a tampon but you want the whole cup to be fully inside of you where you can just reach the bottom of your cup .Once you insert it you are going to want to make sure it has fully opened and that the cup made a good seal and won't leak. To do this its called "stirring" you will take your finger and run it around the cup while its inside you. It should fill smooth and not have any indents in it. If you fill and indent you can grab the base of the cup where the grips are a gently twist or spin the cup this should help it to open the rest of the way. You can also fully insert your finger up to the top of the cup am allow a channel of air to reach the cup. That can also help it to open. When it's time to empty it you will reach in and feel for the stem. If you don't feel it just relax and push gently like your having a bowel movement. One you feel the stem pull on it gently just enough so you can grab the base of the cup. Get a firm grip on the cup and push it in. Then you will want to stick a finger in and push on the side of the cup to break the seal the cup made. Now you can pull the cup out wiggling it slightly from side to side working it down and out of you. Empty the continents into the toilet an rinse out you cup with cool water to prevent staining. Some women like to wash it after each use and some just rinse it thoroughly. If you want to wash it use a unscented mild soap and make sure to rinse it completely so you don't cause yourself any irritations. Then just simply reinsert and your ready to go. I suggest using a small thin liner until your  100% comfortable with using your cup to catch any leaks you might have. I use a small cloth liner every time just in case I get busy and don't remember to empty it. 

Menstrual cups are an amazing product and will completely change the way for look at your period. Are cycles are an amazing part of what makes us females. It shows us our bodies are fertile and is an amazing process. Women are amazing creatures and we shouldn't hate something so amazing as our body cycles. Getting in tune with your body and knowing how it works is incredibly liberating. Take charge of your body, your health and this amazing place we call earth. Do what's best for yourself an the environment! Hope you have enjoyed this post. Have a great day ladies you deserve it!!!!