When I first heard that many canned foods are now known to contain BPA leeched from the can lining, my mind immediately went to my favorite last-minute party snack: homemade hummus.  I always have a can or two of garbanzo beans, some garlic, and olive oil and can easily whip up a yummy batch in ten minutes or less.  What would I do without canned beans in my pantry?

I’m a little embarrassed to admit I’ve never used beans that didn’t come from a can.  It’s so convenient!  And fast!  And apparently, filled with dangerous plastics.  Of course, the added waste of the cans (even when you recycle) and the greater cost compared to dry is even more reason to steer clear of canned beans.

So I hope you’ll join me this week in committing to replace a can of beans in your cooking with dry beans!  I found a great chart that tells you how long to soak and cook many types of beans here.  Be sure to let us know in the comments if you try this week’s Green Goal — and share with us any green tips of your own!

Here are a few tasty-looking dishes to inspire you:

Spicy Two-Bean Vegetarian Chili
White Beans with Roasted Tomatoes
Adzuki Bean Miso Soup

What’s your favorite bean recipe?

A short and sweet Menstrual Monday post today is coming at ya!

• Sify News presents a great article about artist Ashmina Ranjit.  She grew up in a conservative household in Nepal and now creates menstrual inspired artwork designed to educate and challenge long held beliefs about impurity.  Read more in Woman’s Blood Inspires rebel Art in Nepal.
• Did you know menstrual blood contains stem cells?  You can learn about the latest research in this area in the new article from the Santa Barbara Independent, Stem Cells in Menstrual Blood: They Can Even Become Neurons. 
• Despite the odd name, the chapter called Vulva Care–Keeping Your Kitty Happy actually contains some good advice from Psychology Today.
• Actress Eunice Wong shares her take on switching to alternative menstrual products here.
  

Congratulations to Laura, for winning the Rolling On the Floor Laughing My GladRags Off contest!  She won a Color Pad Sampler Kit for submitting the funniest period-related story.  Congrats also to Kate, who won a Color Pantyliner 3-pack just for commenting!

Thanks to everyone who participated — we loved reading your submissions! Here’s Laura’s story once more in case you missed it:

When he was little, my nephew would come stay with my husband and I. We would meet my sister at a convenience store about half-way between our houses.
This one time when he was about 4 or 5 we met at our usual place and I loaded all his gear in my car and then sat down in the driver’s seat and looked over at him in the passenger seat (this was before passenger side airbags) Because he was still so young, his feet stuck straight out, and there, tucked under the shoelaces of each of his shoes was a tampon-cotton part only. I casually asked him what he had in his shoes. He responded, “Those are my ROCKETS!” I motioned for my sister, who was parked next to me, to roll her window down and then told her to look at her son’s shoes. Through her tears of laughter she said, “I wondered why everyone in the store was looking at us so funny!”
My nephew is now 20 but we still love to remind him of his “rocket” days!

If we’ve learned anything from the amazing Bea of The Zero Waste Home, it’s that recycling should be a last resort; out of the 3 R’s — reducing, reusing, recycling — reducing the amount of waste you produce has the most positive eco-impact.

While cutting back on what we choose to consume is one step, what about things you didn’t even want in the first place, like junk mail?

This week’s Green Goal is to analyze the contents of your mailbox.  Take some time to really pay attention to the items that go straight from your mailbox to the recycle bin, then follow the steps below based on your findings!

Junk Mail

Register with DMAchoice to handpick which direct mail offers you’d like to receive — or remove your name from its direct mail lists entirely.

Credit Offers

Head over to OptOutPrescreen.com to stop receiving unsolicited offers of pre-approved credit or insurance.

Statements

Many utility companies, banks, and credit cards offer paperless billing.  Take advantage by signing up for e-statements whenever possible.

Catalogs

Removing your name from the Direct Mail list won’t stop you from receiving catalogs from companies you’ve purchased from in the past.  You can either contact the company directly or see if you can cancel the catalog through a site like Catalog Choice.

Yellow Pages

Enter your zip code into The Yellow Pages Association’s site to get information on how to opt-out of the yellow pages delivered in your area.

Everything Else

You can try writing “refused” and sending the junk mail back, or call the company responsible for the mailing and request to be taken off their list.

Keep in mind that most of these tactics to eliminate junk mail can take up to six weeks to go into effect, so you won’t necessarily see a decrease right away.  But with a little bit of monitoring, effort, and patience, soon the only things you’ll find in your mailbox will be birthday presents and postcards from friends!

This week’s Menstrual Monday is slightly irregular (pardon the pun) but better late than never, right?  We’ll be back to our regular schedule next week!  And now the news:

• From The F-Word comes an article about the weird (but effective) advertising techniques used by disposable feminine product manufacturers, from blue liquid to tampons with “skirts.”

• Kotex launches a new advertising campaign — watch a video clip and read responses to the ads here and here.  Is this campaign hilarious or obnoxious? Discuss!

• There’s a great conversation about teaching kids about their bodies happening in the comments of Execumama’s post on menstruation.  Go share your two cents or just see what others are saying!

• Get serious about tracking your menstrual cycle with these detailed instructions for creating a chart in Excel.

• Have you checked out our reading list yet?  We want to know which books you recommend, too!

• Find out what experts say about vaginal discharge during pregnancy — and why you shouldn’t use a tampon or douche to deal with it.

• Here’s a great review of reusable menstrual products, including the Lunette cup, from a self-proclaimed Period Proselytiser.

*Rolling On the Floor Laughing My GladRags Off

Well, we’ve read your funny period stories and have painstakingly selected our favorite four.  Thanks to everyone who submitted a story for this contest — we loved reading them all!

Now it’s up to our blog readers to decide who will win a Pad Sampler Kit for sharing their silly anecdote with the world!  Vote for your favorite story using the poll below.  Click “Read the rest of this entry” to read each finalist’s entry.  This poll will close 3/24, so vote now!

Be sure to comment after voting — one lucky voter will win a secret prize!  Please include your email address when commenting so we can get in touch if you’re the winner.

The daffodils are blooming and the first robin of the year has been spotted hopping on the lawn — for lots of us that means one thing: spring cleaning!  If you’re like me, you might actually secretly look forward to this yearly tradition of scrubbing your home from top to bottom; the feeling of renewal combined with a sparkling bathroom just can’t be beat.  But is it possible to do it all without harmful cleaning products?

The answer is: of course!  GladRags Gabbers, your Green Goal this week is to try out at least one of the below eco-friendly — and budget-friendly! — cleaning tips.  Be sure to comment on this post to let us know how you did!

• Wash windows and mirrors by combining equal parts white vinegar and water.  Spray mixture onto surface and wipe off with scrunched up old newspapers for streak-free glass!

• Sprinkle baking soda on bathroom countertops, sinks, or in the tub.  Scrub with a damp sponge or cloth to get rid of grime and build-up.  Cut a lemon in half and rub it on tough stains for some extra elbow grease.

• Mix 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil with 2 cups of water to create a great kitchen disinfectant spray!

• Thirty minutes before vacuuming, sprinkle baking soda or cornstarch on carpets to help eliminate any odors in the rug.

• Add 1/2 cup white vinegar to a gallon of water to safely and effectively mop hardwood floors.  Don’t like the smell?  Add a few drops of an essential oil, like soothing lavender or uplifting citrus scents.

*Image by Suat Eman

Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning by Deirdre Imus

We’re excited to announce that GladRags has joined the partner program of Powell’s Books, one of the greatest independent booksellers around!

What does that mean to you?  For starters, have you noticed the new link in our sidebar to our GladRags Reading List?  Check it out to see a list of our recommended reads in a variety of topics — and be sure to check back frequently as we’ll be updating the list as we come across new books!  Also, expect to see links to related books at the bottom of upcoming blog posts.

And, when you make any purchase from Powells.com after clicking on a link from this page, we’ll receive a portion of the sale — so you can support GladRags and Powell’s!  You can also sell books you no longer need back to Powells.com for cash or store credit.

Do you have a great book you think we should review or recommend?  Please comment and let us know so we can share your suggestions with the rest of the GladRags community!

Menstrual Monday is your place for menstrual news, art, musings, and more!

• Mona Eltahawy has collected a variety of very interesting stories and poems about menstruation into five blog posts: Menstruation, Menstruation II, Menstruation III, Menstruation IV, Menstruation V.  If you are looking for an engrossing read, check them out!
• The New York Times shares an amusing and insightful article on what menopause is like, called Fast Forward to Old Age, Please.
• Plasticcupcake has an adorable whale menstrual cup pouch (see picture) for sale on Etsy.  On her blog, Sugar n’ Stitches, you can see other super cute menstrual cup pouches, including a hamster and a fly!
• If you’re feeling crafty yourself, we found this great knit menstrual cup pouch pattern on All is Full of Yarn.
• This article about a Professor [who] Discusses Men’s Roles in Menstruation Ads makes me wish I could take his class at Marymount Manhattan College.  How interesting!  Academics should tackle the role of menstruation in our culture more often.
• Going on a trip soon?  Travel Insights 100 has an insightful article called No Tampons, No Problem: Alternative Products for Female Travelers.
• Wild Mother Arts posted a fabulous article on Moonwise Monday: Washable Cloth Pads.
• Consumer Reports has an article on Tampon Alternatives!

Eliminating the “dirty dozen” from your personal care products can be a tough chore that leaves your head spinning with ingredients like imidazolidinyl urea and thimerosol.  Your challenge this week is to check the label on at least one of your personal care products.  Does it contain any of the ingredients listed in the Green Guide’s dirty dozen?  If so, start thinking about how you can replace that product when it runs out — and ask yourself if you really need to use it at all!

One of the most fun ways to ensure your bathroom cabinet stays chemical-free is to skip buying commercial products altogether!  Making your own beauty products is simple, inexpensive, and eliminates any worry that your new facial cleanser contains scary cancer-causing agents.  And when you make it yourself, there’s no added packaging to be tossed into a landfill when you’re through.

Simple Facial Mask & Scrub*

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sugar
• dash of ground cinnamon

Instructions:

Mix the ingredients well in a small cup or bowl.  Smooth mixture onto face, avoiding eyes and sensitive areas, and scrub lightly for a moment.  This can be a little drippy, so be sure to apply it while over a sink or in the tub! Let the mask sit on your face for 5 to 10 minutes, scrub lightly again, and rinse with water.  Pat face dry with a towel and enjoy how soft and moisturized your skin feels!

*As with any new skin care product, always do a spot test on a small area of your skin first.

Did you try this recipe?  Leave us a comment and let us know what you thought — or share DIY beauty tips of your own!