Paper or plastic … err … silicone?

In my limited research, I’m finding that many preppers suggest stocking up on feminine hygiene products. While I cannot argue with their benefits as dressing for wounds, I would disagree that stocking up on pads and tampons as a viable long-term solution. Not only would they take up a lot of room in storage, but if you had to leave your home for any period of time (no pun intended), then I’m sure you can find an extensive list of things you would rather bring with you.

I have personally used a menstrual cup for about 5 years or so. I switched after I had spoken to a number of friends who prefer them for environmental reasons (think of how much waste is diverted from landfills) as well as the natural silicone construction, making them free of chemicals and dyes found in the paper disposable products. I had never been a fan of traditional personal care products, so I thought I would give it a try. There is a learning curve, but it’s not all that different from using tampons. Actually, it’s less work. You only need to ’empty’ your cup when it’s needed. So if you have a light flow that could mean once every 12 hours. As there is no risk of toxic shock syndrome with menstrual cups, there is no need to check every so often. You will though. Your first cycle or so will be a little tricky. There is a technique to learn when inserting a cup, but you’ll be a pro in no time. Until then, you could use a sanitary napkin for your own piece of mind.

The cups I’ve used recommend getting a new one each year. However, with proper care, you can ensure the integrity of the cup for years. Clean the cup out with a mild soap and potable water as often as you can. If you are away from home rising or wiping it out will do the trick. At the end of your cycle, consider boiling your cup before storing it until you need it again. Even with the best care they will show some discoloration over time, but if that’s not an issue for you, then there is no real reason to keep buying new ones. That being said, I do like having a back up and I couldn’t pass up a good deal I came across. I keep one in the bathroom and one in my diaper bag. For use as a survival item, I’d suggest one for each of the little ladies in your home, regardless of their age, as they will eventually need one as well.

Another positive for using a menstrual cup I cannot vouch for personally. I have a read that you can empty the contents of the cup into your garden. I’m not at a point where I’m comfortable doing that, but if it’s something that interests you, there is more information out there.

How about you? Is trying a menstrual cup something you could see yourself doing? Or have you already made the switch? Let me know in the comments!

(Always read and follow the instructions pertaining to individual products as there may be some variance depending on the cup you choose.)

Walk Before You Run

I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Or burn out either! I have a lot of ideas and posts in the works so please check back with me. If you just can’t wait, find me on twitter @CdnMomPrepared !

And so, it begins

As a first post, I’d like to share what has inspired my decision to blog and the baby steps that have followed. As few months ago, in the middle of the summer, the power unexpectedly went out. It was after dark, and I was home alone with my 3 young children. Of course, none of them were sleeping and therefore were all acutely aware that the lights, fans, and air conditioner were no longer running. In ‘prepper lingo’, they often refer to when the SHTF (sh*t hits the fan). I know this is not what they mean, but it had to have been pretty close. I was clutching my newborn, and calmly (on the outside) scoured the house for a light source. I found plenty of batteries and candles. As a mom, candles were not my first choice. Do you think I could find a flashlight? I knew we had at least one … right? I quickly abandoned the search and brought everyone together, around the IPad. I fired up a story and the kids watched while I frantically texted my husband to come home ASAP! I was also texting my parents in an effort to determine just how widespread the power outage was. Between texts, I was also checking twitter to see if any of the news sources I follow had reported on the cause. As it turns out there was an accident about 20 km away and a car hit a hydro pole which blew a transformer. My Dad was able to lend us a battery powered lantern and my husband was soon home, but the seed of preparedness was firmly planted.

That week, we ordered 5 small battery powered lanterns and visited Costco for a pack of batteries (which were on sale!). I felt a little better about my preparedness, but as a mom of a very young family, there is no such thing as ‘over prepared’. Ask anyone who knows me and they know I’m over packer. You can tell by the size of my diaper bag. I guess you could consider it my first EDC (Every Day Carry) before I even knew what an EDC was. By the time you get to your third baby, you know what you need, what you could need, and what you didn’t have that one time, but could have really used in that specific instance. Im also a list maker and effective googler. Im also an avid pinner, but the rare kind, that actually follows through with a number of pins. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty that I pin and then forget about, but I also try a lot out for myself. So logically, the next step in my journey was to research and make some lists. I found some blogs and websites on how to get started, but there were very few that were reflective of my specific situation. Many seem to be written by single men (and some women) or couples. When I did find resources geared towards families, they originated in the United States. While they are an extremely useful resource, things are different in the far north. We do not have the same access to surplus, shipping from the States is often more expensive than the item you are purchasing (if they will even ship to Canada!), and we use the metric system! It’s not enough to calculate how much water you need per person per household, but then to also convert from an imperial formula, to metric. So one night, I was complaining to my husband, which is no new thing to him, and he suggested starting a blog. I argued that I was so new to prepping that I really felt that I had nothing to offer anyone else. But that was his point. For anyone out there in the same boat as me, or anyone a few months or a year or more down the line, there will be this blog. Not only will it help me to organize my own plans, but maybe they can lay the framework for others as well.

So here we are. I have high hopes, but have started many projects in the past and they have all fallen to the waist side (although as it turns out, those skills may come in handy in the future, so all was not lost) The difference here, however, is that endeavor will benefit my family and ensure their comfort and survival. How could I give up on that?

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