The Joys Of Using Cloth Sanitary Protection

Today, my family were featured in The Sun for using cloth toilet paper. A brave move. But that’s not the only cloth we use in our house. We also use cloth nappies, cloth baby wipes, cloth make-up remover wipes and even cloth sanitary protection (CSP).

I’ve been using CSP for around 3 years now, and I shall never go back to using the disposable versions. With just a few weeks until our 4th baby arrives, I’m finding myself getting excited about using the fluffy pads for myself once again.

What is Cloth Sanitary Protection?

The supermarket feminine shelves are filled with many choices of sanitary towels. The cloth versions are near identical to those purchased on the shelf, but instead of nasty plastics, they are made from soft cotton. Instead of binning them, you just wash and use again and again. No chemicals, no sweaty textiles, no added perfumes. Fluffy love for your vagina.

Oh… and they come in pretty patterns and colours!

When Can I use CSP?

For your whole period. There are pads of all sizes. A pad for every day of your cycle. Small liners, pads for light flow to heavily flow, pads for post partum use. Big, small, long short. There’s a pad out there for you.

Many ladies, also use them as incontinence pads too. They are super absorbent and far less prone to leaks!

Why Use CSP?

Many women have experienced:

  • Lighter periods
  • Shorter periods
  • Less cramping
  • Less infections (such as thrush)
  • Less odours
  • No rashes
  • Reduced endometriosis symtoms
  • No weird sweaty bits
  • They forget they are wearing a pad… as they are so soft, like knickers
  • Faster healing post partum (after having a baby)
  • Huge “fucks” thrown at the Tampon Tax!
Soft and fluffy!

Cloth pads don’t have such a nasty effect on the earth. According to Enviromenstrual, women use 11,000 disposable period related products in her reproductive lifetime. 200,000 tonnes of menstrual products end up in landfill every year. Feel bad yet?

Disposable pads are made of 90% plastic, and I genuinely have no idea what the chemical ingredients are. Cloth pads tend to just have 2 little plastic poppers to hold them in place… and no added chemicals. can see you see why women are reporting less menstruation related side effects from using CSP.

Tampons can dry out the vagina, by absorbing ALL moisture- including the stuff you need. Inserting and removing a tampon also causes tiny cuts to the vagina, leaving you at risk of infections and creating a breading ground for bacteria… including the deadly Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).

The initial cost of buying CSP may seem more than buying a box of tampons or pads, but they will save you £££’s over the years. Look after your pads correctly and you will be quid’s in.

Pads not for you? How about the Moon Cup?

3 Easy Ways To Get Your Kids Into The Summer Holiday Spirit

You may have taken a holiday with the kids in the beginning of the summer holidays, but afterwards it can be tricky to know how to fill the remaining weeks of the school holidays. Nothing is going to live up to that carnival on the beach in Costa Dorada or the camel safari trip over the sand dunes in Morocco… or even the donkey rides on Skegness beach! At the best of times, returning from an incredible holiday can leave you with the blues. For your kids, the come down began the moment they set foot on the journey home. We went to Parkdean Resorts in Whitley Bay a few weeks back. It was only a cheap family holiday (and it rained the whole time!) but since being home, the whole family keep saying how we wished we were still there. Holiday blues suck. 

So, what can you do to ensure that the rest of August is as full and as rich as your family holiday? Here are some ideas to get your kids back in the holiday spirit.

We loved it so much, we stayed for an extra day!

Immerse Your Kids Into Something New

Variety is the spice of life, and when it comes to your little darlings, getting them trying new things day in, day out means they won’t have any chance of getting bored. Explore local family days out in your area and head off to have a go at a range of activities over the holidays. One day you might be bouncing around a trampoline park, the next you might be taking your car into the dreaded monkey enclosure at a safari park or having a mooch around a local history museum. Your kids will relish the new experiences, and you’ll enjoy getting out and about as well.

It can be tough as a parent to keep a happy face, especially when you feel confined to your own home. The kids get bored, they start to get grumpy and you just end up shouting. It’s not fun for anyone, so try and get out somewhere each day. Even if it is just to the local park for a picnic and a game of football.

Don’t Allow TV And Video Games To Be First Choice

It can be soul destroying to see your little ones, still in their pyjamas, sat in front of the TV playing some caricatured beat ‘em up on the Xbox when it’s twenty-four degrees outside and the sun is shining. Don’t be tempted to ban the gogglebox or the console. It’s up to you to make the sedentary indoor option seem unappealing by hyping up the options for activities outdoors.

If you know your neighbours well and they also have kids that zone out in front of the TV get together and set up something fun like a water fight. Even better, set up a parents versus kids water fight. There is no way that your offspring will refuse such a momentous challenge. Any activity outdoors that will allow you to spend time with your kids, while having fun and getting them active has to be a positive thing.

Get Your Kids Involved In The Planning

The joy of the Internet means that every iota of information is now at your fingertips. You can find out all the free child-friendly activities that are taking place tomorrow within twenty miles of your location within seconds. Encourage your kids to take a look with you at the range of activities that are available. By getting them involved in the planning rather than simply telling them what they will be doing gets your kids more excited and allows them to voice their ideas about what they would like to do and where they would like to go.

Pinterest has become my best friend. I can search age range, and what sort of thing we want to do. Suddenly, on my phone, I have hundreds of ideas for us to work through. Welcome to the 21st century, where there really is no excuse to ever be bored.

The summer holidays have always been a tricky time of year. Each time the end of July swings around, you have designed a well thought out timetable to prevent your kids from getting bored, yet for some reason every year, the schedule isn’t followed, and your cherubs wile away their days in front of the TV. By following these tips, you can make this summer different and see your kids having the most life enhancing summer of their lives.