I had to share this because I find it hilariously accurate to what people have been saying about me lately:
You Know You’re Going A Bit Too Green When
Well, my mom officially thinks I’ve gone overboard. This came first after I heard via proxy about Crunchy Chicken’s challenge to use cloth toilet paper. (This was an old challenge for her but a recent one for me.) And then I was reading through some of her other challenges and decided to save myself nearly $25 in organic menstrual pads by switching to reusable options.
Oh, don’t go all fifth-grader on me. I can’t hear you “Ew”-ing already. Anyone that uncomfortable with their body and its natural functions can stop reading now (or grab a mirror for some good ol’ Fried Green Tomatoes getting-to-know-oneself).
So because I think I’m so cool with my “Urban Homesteading” I decide instead of ordering a few rock-your-face-off organic menstrual pads from Etsy, my silly ass will sew them. I mean it can’t be that hard right? Yeah maybe for someone who understands what all those knobs on her sewing machine actually do. I have five knobs – FIVE – and I haven’t a clue what 3 of them do. And one of the two I do know, I really only half know. That’s right I can only understand one and a half knobs on this behemoth.
So off I traipsed to the fabric store and rummaged through the remnant stacks and come up with three different and dang cute fabrics that are absolutely perfect to be completely ruined on a monthly basis. I then remember my husbands old flannel pajamas that ripped in the waist and ask if I may recycle those. He kindly obliged with hardly a giggle.
At this point, I’m doing pretty good, and feeling perfectly capable of throwing together something rather fantastical that will never again be seen by anyone. “Oh, yeah”, I’m thinking as I strut around the fabric store pretending like I know my bobbins from batting and feeling like The Shit, “I can so totally do this.”
Oh-ho-ho, was I in for some humbling. I thought these free online patterns looked pretty simple on the onset. Ha. I quickly threw them out the window and opted for something heinously deformed. Why? Cuz I don’t have time for this crap.
My mom’s advice “If you’re getting so frustrated that you want to cry, just put it down and work on it another time.”
Well, you see Mom, I don’t have another time to get these finished because I only have a day or two before my period starts. Nothing like cutting it close, eh? (cutting, get it? he) And I’m NOT going to spend another $25 on a month’s supply of organic pads just to throw those bastards in the trash. Yes, it truly is nearly $25 a month, especially when you’re flowing like the Mississippi.
Perhaps attempting to learn a sewing machine, sew a wad of flannel without a pattern and play with scissors ALL WHILE PMSING wasn’t the most brilliant of ideas.
I ended up throwing it all across the room, stomping up and down while choking back tears then breaking down to buy some off of Etsy as well as buy a Moon Cup. Screw this crafty stuff.
I'm Tara Wagner, life coach and creator of the Digging Deep process, where I coach women out of survival mode to recreate their lives and families.
I want a cup, too.
Stephanie
(Way to start out a comment.)
lol
Hey – what I really came to say was it’s be great if we can SS, and also, I redid the html codes to the new site, growing naturally at blogspot.
I think SS will be helpful for a lot of people.
I use the Keeper. But I do need some cotton, reusable mini pads, because I have been using the disposable minis. I don’t use that many, as the keeper rarely leaks, but they irritate me. I’ve considered making them, but I’m sure I’d have an experience much like yours. Only I don’t have a sewing machine, so I’d have to do it by hand. I’m going to have to look into buying some cotton ones. I, on the other hand, have two weeks before my period. If I order them soon, they should be here by then.
Sorry – Sustainable Sundays?
SS?
Okay, I just about died laughing at your description of making your own pads. Been there and totally done that. It was hands down the worst experience ever. You described it to a T.
Tara, Tara, Tara. All you have to do is cut a rectangle, out of flannel like fabric, with rounded ends, say 6 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide, and stitch two or three of them together, then lay a couple or 3 or 4 of these pads in your panties, as needed, depending on your flow. They do stay in place and as each one or 2 or 3 gets saturated, you take those out and put in fresh ones (I put the new ones on the bottom). Can’t be simpler. Call me next time you are about to sew, ok?
What was I thinking Miranda? I should’ve known to call you! LOL
hehehe. i’m not laughing at you…no seriously i’m not. i went through the same thing about a year ago. my solution? i made them just a few at a time. they are butt ugly BUT they work. what i did, and still do occasionally in a pinch, is use face or hand towels that are not used for anything else but that.
You are so going to love your Moon Cup and cloth pads. I don’t know how I ever lived without mine. They are so much more convenient and I don’t worry about “overflow” messes with them. Also, those cloth pads are nice on hot days in the summer, or when you exercise, to help stay fresh.