party in my pants--the giveaway!

what are you thinking right about now?

well, thankfully (for you and me both), "party in my pants" is a cute little company making top-of-the-line, reusuable menstrual pads. nothing x-rated coming from your loyal blogger, people. let's keep it that way.

i've posted some about cloth pads before, but to catch everyone up, here's a bit of a timeline:

• 1993-2009: i hold firm in the belief that i am not a "pad girl."

• april, 2008: lucy is born. no tampons allowed. i buy box after box of disposables in great dismay at the entire situation. hate sticking something to my underwear. hate the leaks. grossed out by the full trash can.

• summer, 2008: first postpartum period returns. invest in the diva cup. find it okay, but with a significant learning curve. buy boxes of disposable pantyliners to catch occasional leaks. eventually decide to ditch the diva on most occasions and purchase (expensive) chorine-free tampons.

• summer, 2009: pregnant. my great friend molly convinces me that we will use cloth pads after the birth of our second babies. not only that, we're going to sew our own. i wince and go along with her plan.

• fall, 2009: birth of hudson drawing closer with each day. worry that my home-sewn pads are going to suck. order a couple of PIMP pads to have on hand, just in case.

• november 6, 2009: hudson is born. i use the phone book-sized pads provided at the hospital. upon arriving home, i switch to cloth.

• november 7: i'm sold.

i highly doubt that i will ever buy a box of disposable pads again. there is simply no need--cloth pads are more comfortable, more effective, and not nearly as gross as you might imagine. much like cloth diapers--you don't want your baby sitting in what amounts to plastic and chemical-treated fibers, right? well, then you shouldn't want the same for yourself.

many users of cloth pads will attest to the fact that their periods are lighter, shorter and less painful than they were while using disposables. can this be? can the moisture-absorbing chemicals in cloth pads actually make periods worse? there aren't many studies done to provide scientific findings on the matter--beyond the obvious fact that the bleaching agents used to make pads bright white result in the production of dioxins. dioxins are a known toxin--part of the reason we've personally replaced bleach in most of its applications around the valleygirl home. dioxins: not something you want pressed against your sensitive parts.

other than that, all i've got to go on is personal testimony. i have a friend who was often bedridden during her monthly cycle--it was something she'd been dealing with for years. simply switching to a chemical-free disposable changed this. i've nagged her to take the next step and switch to cloth, but she's not quite there yet. we'll see.

as for me, i'm a believer. less waste, better function, a better feel against the skin. washing is a breeze--i simply keep them in a wetbag under the sink and wash every few days. stains are pretty much a non-issue.

party in my pants pads are great. so, so thin and yet surprisingly absorbent. the makers use nylon instead of PUL as the waterproof layer, which is pretty unique to the marketplace, at least in my findings. snaps are nickel-free. besides the 100% functionality of these pads, you've got to love the cuteness. all sorts of fabrics to choose from--even some organic varieties. with 10 different sizes/absorbencies available, picking out a stash will be the only tricky thing about switching to cloth!

have i mentioned that the gals at PIMP are super generous?

everyone is invited to try a PIMP pantyliner for free--just pay postage. click here to read about and participate in their "cloth curious" program. i happen to have one of these myself--it's the "go-to" liner in my stash.

good at coming up with original, witty descriptions? click here to "name that PIMP" and win a free pad.

the PIMP gals have also graciously donated a $25 gift certificate to one lucky blog reader. to enter, simply leave a comment here on the blog. giveaway ends saturday, 1/30 at 8 am PST. winner will be chosen by random number generator and announced shortly thereafter. good luck!