Hello!  You have reached GladRags’ Menstrual Monday.  You’re one stop shop for all the newest menstrual news, art, politics, musings, and more!  Let’s get right into it and see what we have this week.

• Dr. Machelle Seibel writes about vaginal pH and how different events and items can effect it.  He notes that tampons can absorb the natural fluids that vaginas need to maintain pH.  Read his very interesting and short article if you need another reason to not use tampons.
• The Diva Cup commissions a fun informative video about why eco-conscious ladies should use alternative menstrual products in Eco Menstrual Innovations: Diva Cup Give Pads and Tampons the Green Boot.
• Animal New York brings to light what happens When Men Create PMS Ads (see photo) shows us some confusing imagery and targeting techniques.  Apparently, a Chilean ad campaign for a midol-type product is attempting to market their product to men to buy for their female significant others.  What do you guys thing of this ad?  Funny?  Disgusting?  Sexist?  All three?

Bonus: Truth Be Told blog is hosting a GladRags giveaway and review.  You can win a color pad sampler pack!  Find out the many ways to enter here.

Author/Artist: Cathy Leamy

What it’s all about: This cute comic begins with Kitty, who tries her hardest to be green in her daily life, — we see her carrying a tower of empty bottles to recycle, standing on a city bus, shopping at a farmer’s market, and so on.  While browsing for  eco-living tips she notices they never address a certain important topic: feminine hygiene products!

Who it’s for: If you’re new to reusable menstrual products, you’ll love the user-friendly reviews of cloth pads, menstrual cups, and sea sponges.  Each product type has step-by-step instructions on how to use it, plus the pros and cons — complete with cute comics, of course!

Why you should check it out: Leamy does a great job explaining the impact of disposable products in terms of waste, resources used, health, and cost. Her drawings are infinitely likeable, and she presents information in a fun, no-pressure tone.  This zine would be a great resource to help introduce friends to menstrual alternatives!

Take a look: Pick up a copy of Greenblooded from Metrokitty.com and be sure to check out Leamy’s other comics while you’re there!

Make a zine you’d like to see reviewed on our blog?  Have a suggestion for a great book we should read?  Let us know in the comments!

Girl Zines: Making Media, Doing Feminism by Alison Piepmeier

Welcome to Menstrual Monday!  Not to many stories for you today, but all good ones!

• Ascics shoe company comes out with a running shoe that changes shape based on where a woman is on her menstrual cycle.  Read more about how our arches change here.
• Blogger Stumptown Crunch has a great article on why the Diva Cup is so awesome!  The article include some striking visual aids (see photo).
• Frugal for Life reviews GladRags and offers Color Sampler Pack giveaway in a recent post!
• Crunchy Chicken discusses a new product, the glass menstrual cup.
• More menstrual humor (this time from a woman!) in the video Aunt Flow from Let’s Talk….Period from humorist and blogger Bern This.

• Occidental's Feminist blog heralds the arrival of the Vaginal Monologues on their campus with a delightful article on the benefits of using menstrual cups.
• Blogger Crunchy Chicken shares with us her Sex and Sustainability seminar slides (woo alliteration!) from a recent talk she gave in Eugene.  She discusses eco-friendly menstrual products, toys, lube, and more! PS: Think twice before opening this one at the office.
• If you are in or around Chicago be sure to check out the lecture tomorrow (2/9) on "Sanitary Technology in Nepal: Menstrual Cup Adoption and Effect on Education" by Emily Oster, Ph.D. at the University of Chicago.  This talk looks really interesting and makes me wish I was in Chicago!  If you go, please tell us about it.
• A writer on the staff of The Pitch, Kansas City's News Blog, has found an old copy of Cosmopolitan in which the article "Are Woman Troubles Out of Style?" appears.  Anthropological hilarity ensues here.
• One Green Generation takes on Greening Your Menstrual Cycle in one of their latest articles.  The author surveys all the different types of alternative menstrual products in this great review.
• The blog A Month Without Monsanto gives GladRags a shout out in Monsanto Out of My Panties!
• There was sure a lot of "humor" about the new Apple iPad, unfortunately it was mostly at the expense of women.  Following are some great article addressing the issue:
  • "The iPad: A Product from the He-Mans Woman-Hater's Club?" on Bust Magazine
  • "It's the subtle things: iPad edition" on Feministing
  • "The Guy with a Good Attitude Toward Menstruation" on Re:Cycling
  • "Misogyny's Last Frontier: Feminists and the iPad" on Gourmet Goddess an open Salon blog
  • The image is from Jezebel's "Graphic Humor with Apple's New iPad"

February Monthly Friend: Teresa M. Stillwell

Name: Teresa M. Stillwell
Age: 37
Hometown: Conover, NC
Current Location: Conover, NC
Occupation: Help Desk Analyst for IT dept at a busy local Hospital

Interests: Nature, saving the environment, green living, photography, and reading. I also love to spend time with my cat baby, Gus, and my husband, Chad.
Dreams: To one day own my own company or be able to work for myself in some self-sustaining way.

How long have you used reusable menstrual products?: I have used reusable menstrual products now for 3 years, and I wish I had tried them 23 years ago (of course they weren’t marketed then). I had wanted to try them for years, but every time I mentioned to any friend or family, they would say: you can’t be serious – reusable menstrual products you have to wash – no thanks! I’ve suffered for years from irritation, infections, rashes, and discomfort and dread every month. Now since I’ve discovered GladRags, I almost look forward to my monthly friend. I’ve never felt so comforted and comfortable and not worried in my life regarding my menstrual cycle. For years I’ve worried about leakage, TSS, and other side effects of plastic and chemically altered products that aren’t meant to go in or on your body. Before my cycle was so heavy, and now since I’ve stopped using tampons and plastic pads, not only am I more comfortable, but my periods last about 1/3 as long as they did before and they are not as heavy. My cramps I’ve suffered with since I was 13 have also greatly diminished. I am in awe! I will forever be a GlaRags customer, until I go through menopause, and then will still be grasping my pantiliners till the end . I have told all my friends and family and coworkers about reusable menstrual products. I have even brought new boxes and packs for them to look at and have given some as gifts to get them interested in buying. I love the products and I know if every woman would try them, the disposable feminine product business would go broke! I’m on a crusade to save the private parts of all the females I know from the injustice of rayon, polyester, and plastic, as well as a list of chemicals.

A day with out a GladRag, is a sad day indeed!!!

GladRags are your friends
Up until the menstrual end
No more rash on those private parts
No more worries about those chemical darts
No leaks to ever cross your mind
As long as GladRags are on your behind!