Here we are back from a bit of break to bring you the latest menstrual news, art, and more!

• In Which I Discuss Periods in which one mother/blogger shares her thoughts on the Keeper Cup.
• Interesting take on the attractive male type of advertising campaign– Disposable pad ads featuring shirtless dudes: creepy?  funny?  condescending?  What do you
• Great blog, EmpowHER explores the menstrual cup in this article.
• Easy to read, Fast Facts about alternative menstrual products.  Informative and fun, especially designed for teens!
• GladRags was featured in the Better World Shopping Guide and we got an A! Their highest grade!
• Green Your Period: Menstrual Cup Replaces Disposable Tampons gives some well deserved love to the Lunette Cup.
• On the nature of writing The fantastic, the mundane, and menstruation.
• The new Chinook Books are out!  They have tons of great coupons along with an awesome one from GladRags.  So if you live in the Bay Area, Boulder/Denver, Portland, Seattle, or the Twin Cities pick one up today!

If your day is as busy as ours has been, take a quick time-out for this week’s Menstrual Monday.  We have a good mix of funny and informative links this week, so grab your coffee, make sure your boss isn’t looking, and take a minute to see what’s new in the world of menstruation!

•  EmpowHER explores the menstrual cup.

• Stayfree uses shirtless dudes to sell menstrual pad in their new viral marketing campaign.  Reactions are mixed: creepy? condescending? or totally hilarious?  You decide!

• Blogger/mom Katy considers the Keeper after having her first period in two years.

• I’m always amazed at the sheer quantity of information at the Museum of Menstruation website.  Today I stumbled across this piece about how women dealt with menstruation before the 19th century.  Interesting stuff!

If you’re trying to reduce your contribution to the landfill, composting is a great way to go!  Perks of composting include saving money on trash pick-ups, better soil in your garden, and lowering your garden water needs by up to thirty percent!

Still need a reason to give it a try?  Consider the fact that yard trimmings and food scraps accounted for 25% of all solid municipal waste in 2006 — that’s one quarter of all trash that could have been turned into fertilizer for home gardens!

Depending on where you live, you may be able to get a compost bin for a reduced price.  If not, you can inexpensively build one of your own.  Once you’ve got your compost going, read this list of astonishing items that can be safely composted!

Composting doesn’t require a huge lifestyle change, either. Just keep a small bin in your kitchen where you can toss food scraps as you cook.  Then empty it into the larger bin outside.  You will need to pay attention to the ratio of things you put in, however.  Compost works best when it contains equal amounts of “green” and “brown” organic material.  Green materials are things like fruit rinds and grass clippings, while brown materials include twigs or dead leaves.  Keeping your compost moist at all times will also help to break it down quickly into super fertilizer!

Are you already a master composter?  Leave us your best tips in the comments!

This spring, we asked the GladRags community to help us supply girls in Zambia with cloth menstrual pads.  Tons of you stepped up to the challenge and donated over 300 GladRags to the Elizabeth Bowers Zambian Education Fund (aka Beth’s Girls).  Linda Bowers, Beth’s mom and executive directory, sent this email today to share with all of us the response from Zambia:

Our trip to Zambia was more successful than we could possibly have imagined! Beth’s Girls were thrilled with their GladRags packets, especially since they were prepared by the South Salem High School Beth’s Girls Club.  To think that women on the other side of the world were concerned about their health, safety, and school attendance touched them deeply. In addition, they were delighted by how beautiful the GladRags were, and knew immediately how to use them.  There were actually enough left over after each Beth’s Girl received her packet for each of the female teachers– who were also just thrilled with the gift.

The packets contained (everything donated):

Three GladRags
Pamphlet composed by SSHS Beth’s Girls
Plastic bag for used napkins
Soaps
Comb
Emory Boards
Toothbrush and Toothpaste (in separate plastic bag)

Thank you again for a most wonderful and appropriate gift for these extraordinary young women who are making a new future for themselves through education.  You simply cannot imagine what it means to them to be cared for by people halfway around the world.

We often hear from young women who want to try GladRags, but are afraid that living in a college dormitory will make reusables impossible.  Whether you live by yourself, with roommates, or in a coed dorm, it’s totally possible for GladRags to be a simple, convenient part of your life.  Here’s a few tips for using cloth pads and cups in less-than-private living situations:

Use a menstrual cup
Alicia M. writes, “I usually empty my DivaCup twice a day! It’s that easy. Even in the dorms there is usually a time when the bathroom is empty.”  You can also bring either a small water bottle or damp paper towel into the stall with you to discreetly clean your cup.

Presoak your pads
Nadia R. advises college students to “just have a small tub (like a plastic basin) that when you’re done with a rag/pad you can put it in to soak.  Use an old dark t-shirt to drape over the top while they soak — it won’t smell if its just a day or so — then pop them in with a load of laundry.  Good luck! You can do it!”

Try the “dry method”
“I don’t actually soak my pads until I am ready to wash them (so they don’t sit around and mildew while wet). I’ve never had a problem getting any “stains” out and if you throw them in with underwear at a communal laundry room, chances are no one will even notice,” says Jennifer W.

The facts about disease
Occasionally women are concerned about the possibility of disease transmission by using cloth pads.  Fortunately, there are very few viruses or infections that can survive outside the body or a wash in soap and water — including HIV.  Keep in mind that all kinds of bodily secretions (mucus, semen, and fecal matter to name a few) are often present in clothing that is washed in shared facilities, and that the chances of getting sick from a shared washing machine are incredibly slim!

It’s your choice
Whatever you choose to use for your menstrual cycle, remember that it’s your choice!  No one else has the right to decide for you, so choose what’s right for your body and your life — and be proud, not embarrassed!  If you still need some encouragement, Amanda S. say, “DO IT.  Seriously one of the best choices I have ever made… start a dorm movement!”  And you can always find more support and tips here on our blog or on our Facebook page!

Readers, what tips do you have for college students who want to try GladRags?

September’s Monthly Friend is Cathy L., the author of
Greenblooded: An Introduction to Eco-Friendly Feminine Hygiene.
Pick up your copy in the Books & Zines section of GladRags.com!

Name: Cathy Leamy
Age: 32
Hometown: Boston, MA
Current location: Boston, MA
Occupation: Web developer and cartoonist

Interests: Comic books, travel, dancing
Dreams: Still under construction! Mainly I’d like to live in balance and still squeeze as much as possible out of every hour of the day.

How long have you used reusable menstrual products? About 12 years

Reason for making the switch to reusables: I first tried cloth pads when I was on a frugal kick and found recommendations on pennypinching websites. Once I got into the swing of using them, I learned more about their health and environmental benefits – that’s when I became more committed to them and to spreading the word among friends.

Funny anecdotes, deep thoughts, or anything else you’d like to share: After using cloth pads for so long, it’s neat for me to take a step back and see the routines I’ve developed that I don’t even think about anymore – wearing just a holder as a pantyliner for the few days before my period starts, stocking up my backpack with pads for the day (“long day ahead – better grab a few squishies!”), the soaking, doing laundry, and stacking the clean holders and pads tidily in their box when that week is finished.