Give-a-way- Diva Cup

Give-a-way

The Diva Cup

The DivaCup Features

Have you ever…(?)

• co-opted toilet paper from a public washroom as a temporary measure
• planned a vacation around your period
• avoided white pants for that one 'special' week of the month
• done a supplies hand-off with a girlfriend while the dates weren't looking
• cautiously tucked the telltale string into your bikini
• accidentally pulled a mystery object from your purse in front of a curious male audience
• scuttled to the washroom to survey the leak damage after a sudden 'surge'
• clogged your toilet with "flushable" feminine products
• left a party with a jacket tied around your waist...?

The DivaCup to the rescue!!! 
The DivaCup is a non-absorbent menstrual cup that simply collects menstrual flow. It is inserted in the vagina and sits at the lower base of the vaginal canal. It is worn internally, yet because it is soft and smooth, it cannot be felt nor will it leak when inserted properly.
The DivaCup is the most clean and convenient method of feminine hygiene protection. No need to touch the flow. It is worn low in the vagina, not near the cervix, so it is easy to remove. No mess!
The DivaCup ends hassles with unreliable disposables in endless absorbencies, shapes and styles. It is perfect for all activities – giving women true freedom without the worry, guessing and unreliability that disposable feminine hygiene products pose.
The DivaCup can be worn for up to 12 hours before emptying, washing and reinserting for use for another 12 hours. It can be used for light or moderate flows and is emptied more often to accommodate heavy flows.  Perfect for overnight use.
The DivaCup’s expert, proprietary, patent-pending features make it comfortable and assures ease of use and reliability. Perfect for traveling, running, biking, hiking, dancing, camping, swimming, diving, scuba, yoga, extreme sports and more...

• Latex-free, BPA-free, plastic-free
• No dyes, colors or additives
• Comfortable, reliable
• Clean, convenient, easy-to-use
• Worn for up to 12 hours at a time

Mission Statement

Diva international Inc. makers of The DivaCup® (menstrual cup) and The DivaWash®, offers women an environmentally responsible and economical alternative to tampons and pads, thereby changing the face of feminine hygiene around the world.

Billions of tons of pads and tampons are dumped into landfills each year, and consumers are becoming more aware of this every day. Because of this, women are looking for a cost-effective way to make a positive impact on the environment. The DivaCup® significantly reduces one’s eco-footprint while providing the most convenient, clean, reliable, and comfortable way to address the monthly cycle and the issue of disposable feminine hygiene.

Get Entered!

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Contest ends Friday February 4th @ Midnight EST.

This item will be shipped directly to you from Diva Cup International.

Go Green- Personal Care

Go Green!

Are Your Cleansers Really “Clean”?

Not long ago, the only beauty products available to most of us were ordinary soaps for our hair and bodies, toothpastes, and a few simple cosmetics. Today, in the United States alone, personal care products represent a $20 billion a year industry—and one that has changed dramatically in recent decades. The potions and lotions lining our shelves have morphed into chemical powerhouses pumped with dyes, preservatives, detergents, and antimicrobials, to name just a few of the agents promising cleaner, brighter, and disease-free living.

Contrary to their billing, however, many of these products have damaging effects on our health, as well as to our water and wildlife. Some of these impacts can occur during use, particularly to young children or to those of us with more sensitive bodies. Other consequences are felt far away, occurring only after the products are flushed down the drain. And almost all of these products come with extensive packaging that is quickly discarded, contributing to mountains of plastic and paper waste.

Look for product labels that indicate the presence of organic ingredients, or that note that the product was not tested on animals. Avoid using products labeled “antibacterial.”

Choose products with the smallest numbers of listed ingredients, avoiding entirely products that contain phthalates, detergents, and antimicrobial agents.

Consider the size of an item's packaging in relation to the size of the item. Opt for the paper-wrapped bar of soap, for instance, over a liquid cleanser packaged in a bottle that must be tossed out or recycled when the product is used up.

Ask your favorite stores to stock organic lines of personal care products.

Ask your local schools, workplace, and other institutions to think more critically about the cleansers and other products they buy. Large-scale purchasing can have large-scale benefits!

If the labels on your favorite products aren't clear about what's in the products and how they are tested, contact the company and express your concerns.

Spend an hour going through your home to identify any personal care products that may be hazardous to your health or your family's health—particularly products containing a wide range of potential toxins. The next time you go shopping, try to replace these items with safer alternatives that are free of these compounds. If they aren't available, encourage your retailer to carry them.

In the garden- Paperwhites

In The Garden

Now, if any of you are aware... Sunday here in Northern Michigan the temperature was a bone chilling -25 out side! YIKES! Well that didnt stop me from wanting a nice eco-friendly centerpiece for Easter. EASTER!? What? Its only January! I know I know, but these things take time.

While walking through the local convenient store today I found these boxes of paperwhites. Better yet... they were on SALE! Score! I picked up two boxes of this do it yourself planting kit. Tonight the kids and I put them together.

Now we wait! They have to sit in a cold dark place for two weeks so that they establish roots. Then we get to bring them out and let them grow! The box says they should be in full bloom within 3-6 weeks! I will be posting photos of the progress!

Go Green - Paint and Varnishes

Go Green!

The Freshest, Greenest Finish

Nothing brightens up a space like a fresh coat of paint. All too often, however, the “clean” smell of new paint is actually vapor released from the toxic ingredients used as solvents in conventional paints. Known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), these include benzene, formaldehyde, kerosene, ammonia, toluene, and xylene, all of which are known carcinogens and neurotoxins. The more VOCs the paint contains, the stronger the odor. Exposure to VOCs can worsen asthma symptoms and cause nose, skin, and eye irritation; headaches, nausea, convulsions, and dizziness; respiratory problems; nerve damage; and, in some cases, liver and kidney disease.

The VOCs emitted by paint solvents also contribute to indoor air pollution and the formation of ground level ozone. A study conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showed that VOC levels indoors can be 1,000 times higher than outdoor levels when an indoor paint is drying. Another study found that the application and drying of paint releases VOCs at a higher rate than any other product used indoors. In sunlight, some organic solvents used in paint react with nitrous oxides in the atmosphere to form smog.



When renovating or doing home maintenance, avoid exposing your family, neighbors, or pets to lead-based paint hazards. Test for lead residues, keep surfaces clean of dust and chips, and if necessary hire a person skilled in correcting lead problems.

For your home painting jobs, choose VOC-free, no-VOC, or zero-VOC paints. Ask your office or building manager to use these paints as well.

Avoid alkyd- or oil-based paints, even if they are labeled low-VOC, and seek latex paints instead.

Ask your local hardware store or paint store to carry low-toxicity paints. Many leading paint companies now offer full lines of these paints.

I found these helpful paint and varnish tips at http://www.worldwatch.org/ and tomorrow... I will be going through my paints!

Craft Swap!

Craft Swap!

Here we go! New year new ideas! This is an idea for a craft swap! I am excited about this, but I need willing participants to join in!

The Idea:

Every month I will post a theme for example "wearable" then I will ask people to "sign up". Simply post your e-mail in the comment space below and I will contact you for the rest. After a week of getting people to sign up I will randomly pick partners. These partners will need to be kept a secret so the person you have does not know who has them... therefor allowing pictures to be posted of what you are making throughout the process without the person knowing what they are getting! (for obveous reasons the person you have will NOT have you!) You will then have two weeks to make something for your partner that fits the theme that month. At the end of the two weeks you will then mail your item to your partner so by the end of the month they will have a package containing a new handmade item just for them! And you will get one too! How great is that?!?!?! And dont forget to post photos along the way. I will post a link to my flickr page where everyone can upload their phots so others in the swap can view them. I want this to be an interactive swap and will randomly post thing that need a response to make sure you are still with us! I want everyone that signs up to follow throught because nothing is worse than working all month to get your item to your partner and then never recieving one!

So, any takers?

Know anyone who would like to participate?

I will be posting my first theme February 1st ONLY if there are 20 people on board!

Spread the word... This is going to be fun!

Go Green- Clothing

Go Green!

The High Price of Fashion

Everyone needs clothes. They shelter us from the elements and define our personal style. Unfortunately, the shirt on your back may be more expensive than you thought—both for the environment, and for the workers that made it. The conventional way of growing cotton, the most common fabric material, relies on heavy inputs of insecticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers, many of which are known or probable carcinogens. Dyes used in clothing can contain toxic chemicals, while permanent press treatment can release formaldehyde gas, also a likely carcinogen.

Most of the world's clothing is manufactured in sweatshops in poorer countries, where workers earn less than they need to live, face cramped or unsanitary conditions, and are often subjected to physical, sexual, and verbal abuse. First-hand accounts from factories producing for many designer companies report that people often work more than 100 hours a week, and unions are not permitted.

As global awareness of the real price of fashion grows, many consumers as well as some clothing manufacturers are leading the push for more eco- and worker-friendly apparel.

Avoid clothing brands that have been known to use sweatshops. In the United States, these include Wal-Mart, Gap (Old Navy, Banana Republic), and Target.

Purchase at least some items from up-and-coming fair trade brands and makers of organic cotton and natural fiber clothing.

Donate your old clothes to thrift shops, or buy inexpensive “recycled” garments from these stores.

Write to sweatshop-using companies to tell them you won't give them your business until they stop outsourcing to sweatshops.

Next time you shop for clothes, check labels before you buy. Educate yourself about how and where these items are manufactured. Buy fair trade and organic/natural fiber items, or shun the mall altogether and take your next shopping trip to a thrift store.

I found these helpful clothing tips at http://www.worldwatch.org/ and tomorrow... I will be going through my closet!

Go Green- Cleaning

Go Green!

This year I decieded to make a resolution that I could stay true to...

Going Green!

What a better cause than our earth? Every SUNday I will be posting a new article on going green and hopefully you will get some helpful tidbits out of it!

This week is about cleaning products. Those toxic treasures that most everyone swears by... well not this little girl... not any more!

Here are some simple ways to use every day items for cleaning.

What's Behind the Shine?

Everyone likes a clean home, but few of us like the chore of cleaning. Even worse, we often rely on a cocktail of hazardous substances to make our bathrooms sparkle or our floors shine. Dishwashing detergents often contain phosphates that pollute the groundwater; wood polish generally contains flammable toxins like nitrobenzene; and laundry detergent may contain bleach and other corrosives. We lock these compounds away in closets or under the sink to keep them from our children—but we often don't consider what they may be doing to our own bodies.
Even as they help us pick up dirt and dust, many modern cleaners irritate our skin, eyes, and lungs. They can also leave toxic residues or pollute the water when we rinse them down the drain. But keeping our homes clean and avoiding toxic cleaners don't have to be mutually exclusive. Several companies now produce “green” cleaners that avoid ingredients that are toxic or don't biodegrade. Green cleaners can also be made from a range of safer substances we might already have around the house.

Stock up on a few safe, simple ingredients that can be used in most cleaning situations. Soap, water, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, borax, and a coarse scrubbing sponge can take care of most household cleaning needs.

Instead of using a standard drain cleaner, which likely contains lye, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid, try pouring a quarter cup of baking soda down the clogged drain, followed by a half cup of vinegar. Close the drain tightly until fizzing stops, then flush with boiling water.

For an effective glass cleaner, use a mixture of half white vinegar and half water.

Baking soda and cornstarch are both good carpet deodorizers.

To clean up mildew and mold, use a mixture of lemon juice or white vinegar and salt.

A paste of baking soda, salt, and hot water makes a great oven cleaner.

In the rare instance you need to use a hazardous product, use as little as possible and dispose of it in a way that will cause minimum harm—for example, by bringing it to a hazardous waste recycling or treatment center.


Get friends together for an Earth-friendly spring cleaning day. As part of this, replace your conventional cleaning products with items that are biodegradable and safe for children and pets. These products are available at natural foods stores, online, or through catalogues.

I found these helpful cleaning tips at http://www.worldwatch.org/ and tomorrow... I will be going through my cleaning products!

Bloggers Pillow Party

Bloggers Pillow Party

 Sponsored by Stitched in Color

 

Come join the party!

Spruce up your nest with the pillow of your dreams.  Then share it here!  Each month you can enter one pillow to win Fabric and the Honor of our judges.  Your pillow can be sewn, knit, crocheted - so long as you made it.  May your creativity know no bounds!

{January} Judged by Anna of Noodlehead with fabric prize donated by Sew Love Fabrics!

{February} Judged by Rita of Red Pepper Quilts with fabric prize donated by Fresh Squeezed Fabrics!

{March} Judged by Aneela of Comfort Stitching with Sherbet Pips fabric prize!

For all the information and how to enter go HERE.

Now for my pillow entry!

I made some pillows for my daughters bedroom. She is a true girly girl and wanted her room to reflect this!

Super simple to make flower pillows match her curtains and duvet cover that I made for her! I think they go perfectly with her bed too!

My inspiration came from Make-it Love-it's tutorial found HERE