What If. . . I dared discuss feminine hygiene products?

Brand names often become unofficially the 

 “official” name of a product.

Gelatin is Jello
Adhesive bandages are Band-Aids

Sanitary pads are Kotex

 Last November, before I was as old as I am now,  I posted my version of "When I Am Old. . ."  If you care, you can check it out: 

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011_11_20_archive.html

Today is my birthday.  Today I am 70! Being that old gives me the right to discuss unmentionables if I feel like it ----- and I do.

When I was a young girl you would think I was created in two sections.  Section one was my head and everything below my mother always delicately referred to as "my body."

I thought she was weird. 

As I was preparing this blog I decided I needed to do some research and it was very enlightening.  For one, I discovered my mother wasn't the only weird one. Here is another:

"I got my period at the age of 11 when I was in fifth grade. This involved wearing an uncomfortable belt of stretch elastic which had even more uncomfortable metal gadgets with teeth in front and back to grab the “tails” of the bulky sanitary pads. Having any part of this contraption show through one’s clothing was unthinkably embarrassing, and we would pile multiple petticoats under our voluminous circle skirts to hide any accidents. 

"My mother was so leery of anyone hearing her mention the word “Kotex” that when she made a shopping list, she would write that word in the Gregg’s shorthand she had learned in secretarial school."

Speaking of accidents, let's go back further and discover the "first" accident.

• Disposable menstrual pads grew from Benjamin Franklin's invention designed to save soldiers with buckshot wounds

• In 1916, Kimberly Clark began concentrating on creped wadding paper. This was five times more absorbent than cotton and could cost half as much. With the war in Europe provoking cotton shortages, Kimberly Clark developed creped cellulose for use as a filter in gas masks and bandages.

• Disposable pads had their start with nurses using these wood pulp bandages to catch their menstrual flow.

Marketing!

Society’s prim attitudes made it difficult to market sanitary napkins and  turn-of-the-century morality  made advertising of the product impossible.

In 1920, Kimberly Clark, worried about their image, organized a different company to market Kotex just in case it failed. 

The ads that accompanied the introduction of this consumer good would set the tone for the next century. They were expensive for the "common" woman. Print ads for Kotex featured women from high society, often wearing evening gowns, always white, with copy that read, “Eighty percent of all women in better walks of life have adopted this scientific way.” 

By 1925 the product was beginning to gain acceptance. Finally, in 1926 Montgomery Ward advertised Kotex in their catalogue and millions of women began to use and accept sanitary napkins as a way of life.

The Plain Brown Wrapper  

When they could afford them, women were allowed to place money in a box so that they would not have to speak to the clerk and take a box of pads from the counter themselves. A small card sat in front of the wrapped boxes, stating 60 cents for 12 napkins. 

Apparently when the Modess brand arrived on the scene, the package included a card you could present to the clerk for your next purchase so you did not have to speak the unspeakable.  The card also suggested you seek out a female clerk for the transaction.

When I was young the packages had made their way to the regular store shelves but they were still cloaked in plain wrappers. 

We've obviously come a long way and it has been wonderful. But (doesn't there always seems to be a but?) our comfort and ease comes at a high dollar cost, the huge expense of trees and many other "ingredients"; the landfills, and possibly our health. There are reports of chemical reactions from the many chemicals included in their production.


Continued next Tuesday's post . . .

Back to the Basics


I am Simply, Gail and so once again, I must apologize for some of these sentences  showing up with a white background. I have not a clue as to why it is happening or how to fix it.

What If . . . you consider going Back to the Basics?

If you have not read my previous post please do so first.
It is the introduction to this one.

1. You will save lots of money --- first on pads for menstruation and by the time you have finished that stage,  if you are like me and millions of other women, you have entered what I refer to as the laughing-sneezing-coughing-leaking stage of life!

2. You would do your part for our landfill problem --- "The average woman will throw away 15000 sanitary pads and tampons over her lifetime. That adds up to about 12 billion pads and 7 million tampons yearly in North America (alone)."
http://groovymama.net/blog/


 "More than half and some say as high percentage as 80% use some sort of incontinence product. There are adult diapers, absorbent pads and a variety of products in between. If we estimate only 2 items used daily over a 15 year period, that comes to 10,950 items per person from 65 years- 80 years of age."
http://www.naturopathscottsdale.com/2012/02/

and, what was news to me

3. You will be safe-guarding your health --- Although we don't hear about it much "Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is still a risk for anyone using tampons. The risk is much higher with disposable products. This is why they are required to warn you on the label and on the instruction sheet inside the box. Experts agree that TSS is under-reported, despite the fact that all states are required to report all cases."

"Despite the bleached white appearance, tampons and pads are not sterile. They are not sterilized - no disposable menstrual products are sterile.

"The FDA does not require disposable menstrual pad users to list the ingredients on the label so you do not know exactly what chemicals are being placed against your sensitive and absorbant tissues for several days each month."

http://www.comfyclothpads.com/

What started out to be one simple post (as the result of my discomfort and a Wal-Mart discovery*)  has certainly evolved!

Personal Confessions of Simply, Gail

I do sneeze-cough-and definitely laugh regularly. . . therefore I, uhmmm leak.  I hate putting out the money for incontinence products but more importantly they make me ITCH "down there!" 

No matter how thick it is or how much I pay for it---toilet paper SHREDS!

The internet is an amazing tool --- often with TooMuchInformation! And, we have a filter that blocked some of the sites. Searching the internet I discovered. . .

•  I am definitely NOT ALONE!
• Many women suffer much more serious problems than itching.
• The products themselves, it is being discovered, cause/increase many problems, including increased cramping during periods and increased discharge the rest of the time --- naturally the manufacturer's won't admit it.   

I discovered the new trend toward "homemade" supplies you can buy on line --- if, like the days of the early commercial products --- you can afford them. While there are many offerings, I'll get you started with a couple of examples and you can take it from there:

Retro Rags™ pad measures approximately 14" long by 4.5" wide and is designed for overnight usage with heavy flow or postpartum usage, or plus size women.  $8.00 each

The Committed to Cloth Pad Stash Reusable Set of 24 $128.00

The first site I came across for DIY products is the HillbillyHousewife. 

 http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/sanitarypads.htm

Admittedly my first thought was "yuck!"  But later thought "why not" and made a few. Most of the pre-made pads on line seem to be patterned after those on the hillbilly site, although there are variations.  

http://diy-pads.livejournal.com/45190.html

http://lunapads.com/tips-and-advice/lunapads-overview/ 

Because I am simple and cheap  my favorite site is 

http://www.biblicalscholarship.net/menses.htm

This site has the most simple ones---but I simplified them further. 

* And, here is where Wal-Mart comes in:

They sell packs of 18 100% cotton, wight, light-weight washcloths for $4.00. Folded into thirds, they work out perfect for me. (The more you wash them the softer they become, but even after one wash they work for me---but do not use fabric softener because it decreased absorbency.) These washcloths are not huge but I am a plus-size woman and they are plenty long enough. 

The cost is 22 cents per washcloth pad. 


You can also use old towels and washcloths---free and already soft!

The pads on the site were stitched to stay pre-folded but I decided they might be more useful (especially for washing and drying purposes) flat. 

At the same store they had soft 45-inch-wide print flannel on clearance sale for $2.25 per yard.  I bought one yard and began experimenting. I cut a few rectangles the size of the folded washcloth and using a tight zig-zag stitch, sewed a piece down the center of the washcloth. On some I sewed it  along one side (eliminating the need to be precisely in the middle) of the washcloth.  Not only does this give you an extra layer of protection but folded with the flannel side up provides a softer pad. 

I also cut and zig-zagged the edges of squares of flannel and folded them into thirds to use as pads instead of the washcloths. They worked also.  

If you need a heavy pad you can layer a flannel square on a washcloth and fold the pair into thirds.

With close-fitting underwear these stay in place really well.  I feel the little bit of readjusting that might need to be made after going to the bathroom is well worth the effort. If you want added "security"  make a small loop of masking tape.   I also read that if you make the bottom section fleece, it will not move around any and it is waterproof. I haven't  checked those claims out yet. I would not put the fleece against your body because it is synthetic rather than 100 percent cotton.

Toilet Paper Replacement 

My research uncovered the following: the average sheet of toilet paper is 4x4 inches and that 5.9 sheets, on the average, are used each time.

I decided to cut another package of white wash cloths in half to use as toilet paper after urinating. A half cloth was too large. I couldn't imagine  1/4 would be enough but it is perfect. A simple blot does the job.  


Not being too precise, I cut each washcloth into fourths and used a tight zig-zag stitch around the two unfinished edges. The cut edges will shed when cutting and for the first couple of washings.

18 washcloths for $4.00 makes 72 reusable wipes at 5.5 cents each!

I toss both the pads and the squares in a covered container under the sink. On wash day I simply empty them into a large mesh bag to launder.

I guess I am another generation of tween.  Not old enough to have gone with the flow using rags but too old to have known about making my own pads during my productive years. 

The economy, as well as the horrible things we are learning daily about how what we eat (and now what we use) are created/manufactured, is making us think twice and---make changes.

What we once innocently thought of as “disposable” is in reality pollution, and what we once accepted as “sanitary,”for our most personal purposes, we are learning are not only without guidelines, but with problems---from relatively minor to deadly toxicity!

Prepare NOW: Realists are NOT Alarmists

I am still Simply, Gail and I'm baaack!

It has been 17 months since I signed off. I needed that time to handle some health issues. I keep coming across things I need, or want, to share with you.

In my  last post in March of 2014 I said  it was my understanding that old posts never fade away.  It has been gratifying to find that my inactive blog continues to be active in the  "hits" department. It makes me feel good to think that I have been able to be of help to some.

I am not going to add pressure for myself by setting a posting schedule. I will post whenever on (as previously) whatever.

I don't have anymore computer knowledge than I did two years ago (actually I have immediately discovered I have forgotten most of what I did know!).  This is to let you know that I still don't know how to let you know when there is a new post but if you are a previous reader you figured it out last time. . . and others manage to keep finding them so I guess it will work out.

I am a "Mormon" --- a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Previous readers probably figured that out. I joined the Church 53 years ago after a period of searching for the right one. I will write more about my conversion another time. I introduce the subject at this time because, as many of you know, Latter-day Saints are encouraged to be prepared for a time of need---to learn how to do practical things to ease any situations that might arise.

Many of my posts addressed ways to be prepared. Things that Dave and I have learned, practiced and taught over many, many years. All of them simple to do, cheap to do, and .. . doable!! Even quite quickly. The only hard part is getting started!!!

I was recently asked to prepare a hard copy  listing of the preparedness posts my blog has covered.

These hard copies are making the rounds locally and are seemingly helpful. Hopefully what follows will help you and others on-line.

                  Bad Things do happen!

Bad things happen! Somewhere, sometime, sooner or later, there will be an emergency that will affect you, your neighborhood or town, or even a wider area.

Often without warning.

Some global---others local---many personal.

Most caused by Nature's unrest---some by Mob unrest---Others by an Individual's unrest.

National emergencies and local emergencies that affect many --- that affect some --- that affect one.

You could be the one!

If you haven't already, it is important to begin to prepare now!

Although many would have us think otherwise, being a realist is not being an alarmist. Simply think of it as insurance. Do you hesitate to pay for insurance? Do you consider it a waste of money if you never have to use it?  How 'bout Thankful?

I posted at  thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com for 2-1/2 years. It is still accessible. Many of the posts covered topics of simple ways to help you prepare. To access these posts type what you want to search for in the small search bar box on the upper left of the blog.

In bold I have listed the subject as you would type it in, followed by what the post(s) covers.
Insurance Why are realists called alarmists? a photo essay
Begin now to prepare The whys of getting started
Human waste  Ways to prepare for disposing/supplies to gather (2 posts)
Water Importance of; storing/purifying of, quantity to store
Grab and Go Bags  Ways to be ready for emergency evacuations (4 posts)
Contact information: Need for keeping hard copy contact information
Cheapest survival foods Food for bare bones surviving
Bare first aid cupboard  Putting together a comprehensive first aid kit (2 posts)
Hydrogen peroxide Many first aid, home cleaning and garden uses of
Matches Matches to make for adverse conditions
Emergency lighting  Simple, non-flammable oil lights/other lighting/cooking sources & info (2 posts)
Disaster without a plan Things you need to plan for
Hurricane Sandy Many thoughts/suggestions from one who was there
Batteries: Dangers of improper storing/how to store properly
Personal products Making cloth wipes, sanitary pads and deodorant
Eating the elephant Getting started with a food storage plan
Food storage and canned goods Ways to obtains, maintain, and find places to store it (5 posts)

Plus, you can type in the following for all you need to know about these basic products.
#2 dry milk
#5 wheat
#6 rice
#8 eggs
#9 beans

I feel it is very important for each of us to be prepared to the best of our ability for whatever comes our way. Our level of preparedness may not mean the difference between life and death at the time but, at the very least, it will definitely increase our peace of mind and comfort.

There are many internet sites providing a wide array of preparedness information. This one                     gives you a quick way to access a variety of subjects from my blog that follow my priorities of being simple/quick/effective/cheap---tried and tested by myself and others. And, correct to the best of my ability.

Sooooo long --- I know this post has been that --- and I am sorry.   I promise the rest of my posts will be reasonable...at least their length!

I am Simply, Gail