Lunapads

“I got my Diva Cup a few months ago through the reference of a friend. I absolutely LOVE it!! So I recommended it to my mom and she just bought it a couple days ago.

On the drive to the airport with my mom she was asking questions because she was worried it wasn’t in right or the blood might “slosh around” while we were running. After I had reassured her that it was fine, we were listening to music while waiting in traffic and she turned the radio down, turned to me and said “It’s bubbling inside of me and it feels really weird!” and we both broke into a fit of laughter. We stopped at a gas station and after fixing it we continued to laugh and drive.

It made for some great memories of us together, especially as I was going away for 4 months!”

-Alysha

It was the thud of yet another new “green lifestyle” magazine landing on my desk that pushed me over the edge. At the risk of not having Lunapads reviewed (unlikely, as we’ll see), I’m not going to name names, but I do not exaggerate when I say that my desk here at Lunapads is literally, well - littered - with new green living guides, coupon books, magazines and books. Mind, we’re not talking about the likes of Sierra or E magazine, who have been practicing serious environmental journalism for decades, but rather a slew of glossy newcomers touting their version of what I loosely call the “new eco-chic lifestyle”. As the marketing gal around here, I’m the lucky recipient of their ad soliciting and am becoming a bit alarmed by the sheer volume of this mushrooming pile.

Not to be too much of a grump, these magazines do have some good things to say ~ in case you need novel eco-ideas like eating organic locally-grown food, recycling and walking or cycling instead of driving (duh?!) But most of them have a conspicuous absence of harder-hitting issues, let alone information about cloth menstrual pads or diapers - I guess it’s just too “icky” to mention for modern eco-consumers?

Another source of concern is that the rest of these magazines is often just product “reviews” (undercover paid advertising) of things like “new” natural bodycare products (what’s new about another organic lip balm?), high-end home accessories, and one of my personal “pet” peeves: over-the-top “natural” pet accessories (organic cat toys, I ask you!) Read: “Shop your way to cleaning up the planet”!

Sandwiched between ads for cars and condos, I had to pause at full-page ad promoting Brita water filter’s newfound environmental consciousness (apparently using Brita filters is all about reducing the waste of bottled water, according to their new Filter for Good site - a great example of laughable greenwash marketing) For the more revealing side of this story, check out Take Back the Filter, where you can get the facts on how Clorox, Brita’s North American parent, has yet to devise a recycling program for those ubiquitous oh-so-green filters, despite the fact there has been one in place for years in Europe. So forgive me if I’m feeling a bit frustrated about what it actually means to be “green” these days, at least according to the material on my desk.

To me, at the end of the day all this information feels more like “10 easy ways to not really make a difference but look like you care”, which I guess is sort of OK, except for all that paper. I also have to ask - is it really that hard to figure out more environmentally responsible choices that we need a gazillion different guides? Whatever happened to common sense? Why is it that even simplicity itself is commodified (Real Simple, anyone?) I guess that having less magazines won’t be making it onto any of those “easy tips to save the planet” lists any time soon.

Hi Folks,

Just wanted to let you know that my life was made measurably nicer when I used Lunapads as extra padding when bicycling in Acadia National Park in Maine. Usually, I’m very saddle sore after spending the day pedaling away with my husband. But, after a day on the bike, huffing and puffing up and down the hills on the park’s famed carriage roads, only my knees ached, not my seat region.

For each of the rides, I wore an organic cotton maxi with the liners in addition to a pair of lightly padded bike shorts and nylon zip-off pants or shorts. Sincerely, they were the most comfortable bike rides I’ve ever had. I’m never going Luna-less again.

So, even if you aren’t in the red part of your cycle, try Lunapads when you cycle!

Your Pal,
Deb

A happy little post for a Friday afternoon…

Our first song has just been sent to us, courtesy of Filmmaker and Mom extraordinaire, Camille Brown. You can see a trailer for her teen period movie, “A Period Piece” by visiting her site. She’s pictured here with her daughter - what a beautiful photo.

When she sent me this song this afternoon, I just had to post it - enjoy!

“La La Lunapads”

My Lunapads are coming from outer space

they’re going to replace

my disposable ones

my disposable ones.

No more waste

No more waste

And so I sing, la la luna

la la luna

la la Luna

la la la lunapads

 

I celebrate my red with green

I celebrate my red with GREEN

my flow is like a teen-ager

my body is not in danger

anymore

I don’t buy pads from a store…

Reusable

Bubble Mosaic

Purple Stardust

Hearts

keep me feeling creative

It’s delightful to be recyclable

every month

every month

so I celebrate the Earth

I shed red tears of joy

Oh, la la luna

la la luna

la la Lunapads

I celebrate my moon cycle

while riding my bicycle

with two toddlers in tow,

Oh, la la luna

la la luna

la la Lunapads

Lunapads wouldn’t be here, as it is today, if it wasn’t for the amazing support and inspiration we receive from 2 very special people. Pictured here is me and Carol Newell and Joel Solomon of Renewal Partners at the PEAK awards honouring Women in Finance. Carol was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her pioneering charitable work and social investing. Over the past fifteen years, she has placed over $60 million in organizations, individuals, and businesses working toward sustainable economic development and social and environmental justice throughout Canada. One such organization is the seed capital company Renewal Partners, of which Lunapads is an investment.

Her acceptance speech was addressed to an audience of primarily women with highly successful financial careers devoted to helping their clients manage, account for, or grow their wealth. And she delivered a passionate, important and inspiring message to them: think about what you do with wealth and consider putting it towards social profit enterprises.

She asks “can we find a way to do our work in community on this planet in a way that honours and respects our mothers and our sisters, and our daughters, as well as the planet that provides for us?” She challenged us to go from “simply making more, to making better” and using money as “a fuel - a catalyst - to help restore the health of the planet, and re-connection among ourselves.”

As I looked around the room and chatted with colleagues whom I hadn’t seen for many years (my former life was a full-time finance professional helping a big company keep track of and create wealth) it felt incredibly satisfying to know the direction I have taken my career at Lunapads has not only served me well, but serves others. When I met Madeleine 8 years ago, I intuitively knew I was ready for a change - and her powerful vision for Lunapads was the spark for me to move on. Today, I feel fortunate to be able to use my financial skills to do meaningful work and to be part of the greater vision that Carol holds: to stimulate a soically just and environmentally sustainable economy and way of life.

Are you a student looking for a summer job at a cool, progressive, feminist place of business?  Lunapads will be hiring a summer student this year under the “Canada Summer Jobs Program” to assist with community outreach and customer service (ie: working in our office assisting with sales, customer service and shipping as well as attending local community events to share the Lunapads story).  To learn about what it is like to work at Lunapads, just check out the ‘about us’ section on our website.  To qualify, students must have been registered as a full-time student during the preceeding academic year and intend to return to school on a full-time basis during the next academic year at a secondary, post secondary, vocational or technical program.  You must also be a Canadian citizen (sorry, it’s in the fine print of the paperwork!) between the ages of 15 - 30.  We look forward to hearing from you!  Apply at jobs@lunapads.com with a resume and cover letter telling us why you’d like to join the team.

This is an awesome 20-minute video all about - you guessed it - STUFF! The creator and narrator, Annie Leonard, has done her research and breaks down the linear structure of how we make our Stuff to how we buy our Stuff to what we do with our Stuff once we’re done with it. It’s a system that does us and our world no justice but by understanding how it is wrong we can work together to fix it. Watch the movie - you won’t be disappointed.

The Boss of You is here! As many of you are aware, we are huge fans of our fabulous web designers, Lauren Bacon and Emira Mears of Raised Eyebrow Web Studio. Not only are they talented web designers (no bias here!) but they are also brilliant writers and have written a fabulous (it’s just how they do things, fashion included) book, the Boss of You: everything a woman needs to know to start, run and maintain her own business (Seal Press), now available at Amazon.com, or better yet your local (preferably woman-owned bookstore.

We love this book for so many reasons: the witty-yet-brisk tone that is a perfect balance of inspiration and practicality, the numerous examples of women-owned businesses defying conventional business practices and having the courage to succeed on their own terms, and last but not least, that we now have the perfect book to recommend to all the gals who come to see us for business advice! - I almost forgot to mention that we happen to be one of the businesses profiled, which we are beyond chuffed about. We actually had the opportunity to gush about them live at the book launch party (see photo) the other day.

Because we think every budding (or new) woman entrepreneur needs to read this book, we’re having a contest to win an autographed copy (well, actually three of them!) Here’s the deal: write to blog@lunapads.com and tell us what inspires you most about having (or the idea of having) your own business and what success looks like to you. Bonus points for telling us the name of Lauren and Emira’s e-zine and blog that they collaborated on from 2000-2006. We’ll pick the winners by the end of June - good luck!

We’ve been on a very lucky streak as of late (well, for several years, now that I think of it!) with respect to staffing here at Lunapads. But the orders keep coming and frankly we’re falling behind and need a new set of hands on deck. Are you the next Lunagal? Ask yourself the following questions: are you passionate about natural menstrual products, environmental issues, attachment parenting, women-led businesses and suchlike? Are you handy with a computer, willing to work with little kids running around, want/need a flexible work schedule, have experience perhaps with bookkeeping, customer service and/or order fulfillment? Send your resume with cover letter explaining what draws you us to jobs@lunapads.com today!

A good laugh for a Friday afternoon!