Now that it’s finally summer in most parts of the country, fresh produce is in abundant supply.  If you’re not able to grow your own, why not check out the farmer’s markets in your area.  Farmer’s markets are an easy, fun way to stock up on local fruits and veggies while supporting small farms in your area.  An added bonus is that many farmer’s markets focus on organically and sustainably grown crops, and the price is generally comparable — or better than — prices at the grocery store.  And many markets have vendors selling more than just produce; you may even be able to find locally made cider, honey, and cheese!

For your Green Goal this week, visit the Local Harvest website to find a farmer’s market in your area.  Bonus points for buying an item you’ve never tried before!

Summer is here, and so is our summer fun guide!  We’ll help you meet your menstrual needs for the most comfortable, eco-friendly summer ever!

The first thing I want to do when summer comes is go camping!  There is nothing like cooking over a fire, roasting marshmallows, and sleeping under the stars.  When I still used disposables, I went on a week long camping trip that started the first day of my period.  I didn’t know what to do!  If only I had known about the convenient Moon Cup: along with the Menstrual Cup  Bag, the Moon Cup provides a compact (for easy packing) solution that enables you to “leave no trace” while enjoying nature!

 

With record-breaking temperatures being reported in many cities this summer, Jade & Pearl Sea Sponge Tampons are perfect for when there is nothing you want more than to take a dip in a cool, refreshing lake. With no tampon string, you can wear any swimsuit you want without worry!  Easy to insert and remove, these comfortable tampon alternatives will win over even the most committed pad user.

 

 

 Just because it’s summer, it doesn’t mean that you should put your yoga practice on hold!  Yoga enthusiasts love the Keeper Cup for allowing a free range of motion and keeping your body free from the chemicals and toxins found in many disposable.  Exercise worry-free with this natural gum rubber cup that holds up to an ounce of flow — keeping you safe from leaks longer than any tampon!

 

Sometimes you just need to take a break, reflect, and enjoy a good book.  GladRags soft Night Pads and Day Pads are perfect for kicking back on a night devoted to taking care of yourself!  Brew a cup of Monthly Comfort Tea, soak in the tub with GladRags Bath Salts, or unwind with an Herbal Comfort Pac.  All three are specially formulated to soothe menstrual cramps, and are just the thing to help your body and mind relax!

• The Moon Cup: for All Your “Feminine Product” Needs is a great article with a helpful list of all the benefits and downsides to using the Moon Cup.
• The Women’s Rights section of change.org has a very interesting article presenting the idea– Subsidised Menstrual Pads: Good for Girls, Bad for the Plant.  What do you think?  Should the India government be supplying cloth pads or menstrual cups or do clean water concerns get in the way?  If you want to help girls in Zambia with their menstrual needs check out our donation partnership with Beth’s Girls.
• Diary of a Mom’s Green Topic #4: Going Paperless has a number a good ideas about different ways to have a paperless household.
•  A design/art student named Hiromi Ozaki invents a Menstruation Machine so that everyone can have the feeling of menstruation! (picture from the Wired article on the subject)

This week’s Green Goal came to me a few days ago as I was stitching a patch onto my jeans.  While fumbling with the needle — I may know how to sew, but that doesn’t mean I’m good at it — I grumbled to myself, “why even bother?”  My first answer was, because these are my favorite jeans. I don’t want to have to go shopping to find a new pair. 

But when I thought about it, I wasn’t just patching my pants because I hate the mall, but because making do with what you have is an important step in reducing your environmental impact.  Think about that old saying: use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.  Popularized during World War II, I’ve always associated that motto with negativity, scarcity, and my mom telling me I couldn’t have something new I wanted.

When you think about it, it’s actually a pretty positive saying.  You probably have everything you need already so you don’t need to worry about buying anything new.  Don’t have what you think you need?  Time to get creative and make something work!  Or decide if you really need that thing in the first place.

It’s a pretty good feeling, knowing that with a little bit of effort you can make a previously unwearable item (pants with a hole in the seat) totally functional again.  “Making do” shouldn’t feel like a burden, but an accomplishment!

GladRags community, your Green Goal this week is to make do with something.  Mend ripped clothing instead of throwing it out, use a pretty glass jar to hold flowers instead of recycling the jar or buying a vase, or come up with ideas of your own!  Be sure to comment and let us know what you did!

The GladRags community keeps on showing its generosity!  As of today, we are only 85 pads shy of our goal of 300 pads for Beth’s Girls.  With 300 pads, each scholarship girl will have three GladRags of her own.  But we only have one month left before the EBZEF founders make their annual trip to Zambia and bring the girls their new cloth pads!

If you haven’t already, please help us give Beth’s Girls the tools they need to succeed by donating pads through our website.  It’s quick and easy to donate, and we’ll be sharing photos and stories after the pads are given to the girls, so you’ll get to see the results of your generosity.  If you’ve already donated, thank you!  We hope you’ll pass this link on to your friends so they can support Beth’s Girls as well.

This week’s Menstrual Monday is short and sweet, but we hear it’s summer, so you should be outside enjoying the weather anyway!  To everyone (like us) in the Pacific Northwest: don’t worry, someday we’ll get a summer, too.

• Need to convince a friend to try the Moon Cup?  Send her a link to this comprehensive blog entry by a happy Moon Cup user.

• 27 films, 7 minutes, 1 theme: Jezebel presents a video entitled “Period Pieces,” a compilation of menstruation-related clips from movies ranging from Boys Don’t Cry to Superbad.

• “A vagina by any other name isn’t a vagina.”  Euphemisms for women’s bodies and their functions explored.  Also, a lot of talk about “vajazzling.”

• Help Alyssa name her zines about menstruation!

Did you know that the United Nations has stated that the meat industry is one of the biggest contributors to carbon dioxide emissions?  Or that consuming just one pound of meat is equivalent to driving an SUV 40 miles?  Or that you’ll save more water by not eating that one pound of meat than you will by not showering for an entire year?

No matter how you look at it, skipping the meat in your meals is better for the environment — and your health!  Even if you aren’t ready or able to go completely veg, limiting meat consumption to just a few servings per week can make a huge impact.  Your Green Goal this week is to try replacing bacon at breakfast with veggie sausage, the turkey on your sandwich with hummus and avocado, and serving a bean or quinoa-based dish as the main course at dinner.

Of course, even with the plethora of fake-meat products on the market, it’s always better to substitute whole foods like grains, beans, or veggies for meat.  You can even make your own “burgers” from black beans!

Hi! I’m Alyssa, GladRags intern for the summer! My job is to create an informative and fun zine for young women, and another for young girls about alternative menstrual products. I am hoping you, fellow GladRags followers, can help me come up with a great name for each zine. I’m hoping to have the title be straightforward, but witty. Thanks for your help!

We are back from our Seattle Green Festival trip to bring you the triumphant return of Menstrual Mondays!

• Hobo Mama brings us an in depth comparison between the Instead Cup and a reusable Menstrual Cup in Instead vs. DivaCup for your Menstrual Cup Needs.  Keep up with her blog for a GladRags review coming soon!
• A lovely Ode to a Diva from FemineUs.
• “You’re Going to Bleed: Period” Educating Young Girls about Menstruation is a great article written by a research psychologist.  I rarely get to read articles like this about menstruation!  It comes at the topic of Western cultural interpretations of menstruation from a scientific background with research to support its conclusions.
• Great article on Reusable Sustainable Feminity from Frugal Vegcafe.
• Journalist Ann Douglas brings an interesting article on how today’s disposable menstrual product companies see their costumers in These mother-daughter websites about menstruation fail, period.
• Useful article on Going Green: Simple Idea for Busy Mamas from the High Heeled Mom.

Alex and I had a blast at the Seattle Green Festival this past weekend!  We were crazy busy, but it was so much fun to meet everyone — from women who’ve been using GladRags for years, to those who’d never even heard of us before.

One young woman spotted our booth and ran up to tell me that she had only heard of the Green Festival because her sister in Minneapolis had told her that GladRags would be there.  Another told us, “I hope this isn’t too much information, but I’m using a GladRag right now!”  Funnily enough, about five other women told us the same thing over the course of the weekend!

The other exhibitors were just as friendly as the festival attendees.  Our fellow Portlanders Honest Tea kept us supplied with delicious beverages (have you tried their kombucha??) and Sandrine swapped two bags from her June 15 collection in exchange for a set of GladRags.  Organic Essence let us try their brand-new lip balm (in awesome biodegradable packaging!) and we shared some pantyliners with our booth neighbor to take home to his teenage daughter.

Overall, Seattle was a great experience and one I hope we can repeat at the next Green Festival!  More importantly, it reminded me that living a sustainable life shouldn’t be a solitary pursuit.  On that note, your Green Goal this week is to get involved with your neighbors, friends, and community to talk about what you’re doing to save the planet.  Make connections, get inspired, and support each other in the pursuit of sustainable living!