29th May

When I started this blog I had all kinds of ideas for posting information about all kinds of things especially environmentally friendly info for home and body but this week making up orders has taken priority.
I've sold over 50 pads and 10 slings so my sewing machine is getting quite a workout and I'm getting cramps in my hands from all that cutting.
I hope to get some info posted soon - although the sales are nice :)

My Top 5 #2 - Movies

If I really started thinking about it, I'd probably come up with a lot more but these 5 immediately spring to mind.

1. Mama Mia - showing my age a bit but when I was a child I LOVED Abba

2. The Notebook - bawled my eyes out at the ending

3. All the Harry Potter Movies. I was just as disappointed as my 10 year old son when the release date was delayed at Christmas

4. Miss Potter

5. Any screen adaptation of a Jane Austen novel

Well not technically 5........

My Top 5 #1 Smells

I thought I'd blog about my favorite things (a bit of a Julia Andrews thing).

My first are smells, although maybe aroma's would be a better term!

In no particular order:

1. freshly mown grass
2. roasted coffee
3. the smell of rain after a hot summer's day
4. the smell of a new baby. They have a special smell all of their own that they lose after a couple of months.
5. chocolate

Benefits of cloth pads

Cloth menstrual pads that is. Now before you say EERRRR YUCK!!! GROSS!! Read the following, it may change your whole view on disposables.



Health:

Manufacture of disposable pads and tampons involves use of chemicals such as additives, bactericides, fungicides, absorbency gels, glues, fibres, and cancer causing dioxins the residue of which remains in the pads and tampons.

Use of cloth pads eliminates the concerns associated with the potential risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome resulting from use of tampons.

Many cloth pads have an inner core of bamboo. Bamboo has antibacterial qualities. This helps reduce bacteria that cause unpleasant odours.

Environment:

Disposable pads are made from chemically treated wood pulp – YUCK!

Disposable pads and tampons add to landfill. Not only are the pads themselves made from non-biodegradableable products, the packaging themselves (outer wrapper, individual wrapper, plastic strip!) also add to landfill. Even when cloth pads wear out because they are made from natural products, they can be composted!

There are approximately 5.5 million females in Australia between the ages of 12 and 51* (the average ages of starting and finishing menstration). If all of these used disposable pads and tampons, averaging 10 per month, that would add up to 660 MILLION pads and tampons added to landfill EVERY year. That's a big pile!!!

Manufacture of disposable pads involves bleaching resulting in pollution to waterways from effluent, not to mention the chemicals and gels that provide the ‘superabsorbancy’ claimed by disposable pad and tampon manufacturers. A lot of cloth pads have an inner core of bamboo. Bamboo grows quickly and requires no pesticides. With sufficient rainfall, no additional irrigation is required.

Economics:
Women spend on average $10 a month on disposable pads and tampons. This adds up to about $120 a year. For the cost of a few months disposable pads, you will have enough to last years with the potential saving of thousands over a lifetime.

Just for fun:

Instead of boring white, cloth pads are available in fun colours and designs.

Disadvantages?

You have to wash them!This is really not a problem. Simply rinse them in cold water and soak in a basin of cold water until you are ready to put them in the washing machine with any other load of washing! The soaking water can be added to your compost heap or used on your garden – it is a natural product after all! *statistics from 2006 Australian census of population

Book Review - Women of the Outback by Sue Williams

This book has impressed me so much that I've been telling everyone I know about it so I thought I'd share it with everyone else too!
Women of the Outback tells the stories of 14 women who live or were born in outback Australia.
These women are all an inspiration to me. The hardships that they have gone through and still come out on top and smiling is amazing. Death of husbands and children, loss of fingers and even limbs! That on top of living in one of the harshest climates on earth.
My personal favorite is Sharon Oldfield. She was raised in the suburbs of Sydney having been born in Scotland and migrated out to Australia with her parents as a child. Sharon met a farmer from the Birdsville area and went to live there after they were married.
She was left with 3 young children to bring up when her husband was killed in a light plane crash. Instead of packing it all in and moving back to suburbia, Sharon decided to manage the property herself despite knowing very little about farming. She was very successful in her venture and went on to be a leading force in setting up OBE, the organic beef company that is a colaberation between many farmers and now exports their products.
If you are interested, their meat is sold in Australia under the name Cleavers Meats in Woolworths and Coles and some IGA and Franklins stores.
Not to take anything away from the other 13 w0men, all of whom have become my personal heroines.
I recommend this book to everyone.