The Red Badge of Courage

Have you seen The Camp Gyno? Yes --> Isn't it hilarious and super cute?
                                                       No--> Have you been in a coma?

Either way, here's the video. (Shout to out Allison for showing me this!)

If the video doesn't play, here's the link.

I'm dying to know what your favorite line is. Were you ever "The Camp Gyno"? Did or do you know someone who is? Comment below!

PS, Check out this post about my Period Blues Playlist.

PPS, If you're an artist or know an artist, stay tuned for a contest coming soon to a Period Fairy near you (it's this one)!    

UbyKotex Period Blues Playlist

Hey there!

I was challenged by UbyKotex to break the cycle by making a Period Blues playlist. What fun. What mad, splendid fun!

First, let's define Period Blues. Here's the urban dictionary definition:

NOTE: Urban Dictionary does not YET have a definition for Period Blues. So, I typed in the synonym, and that is just Period. Because, I mean, if you're on your period, chances are you're blue. (Unless you're a masochist or possibly happy you're not pregnant.)

Here is their definition for Period:

1. A period of pure agony for a female, lasting way too long. Signs of this state include screaming at anything that moves, rolling around on the couch in pain, and spending hours with cold water and stain remover. 

So, what music helps me get through this?
Check out my UbyKotex Period Blues playlist here! Comment below to let me know any or all of the following:

1) How would you define Period Blues?
2) Which song on my playlist is your favorite?
3) Which song do you think I should add?

Cheers. 

BloodFest 2013: A Guest Blog Review about the Diva Cup

I'm so thrilled to announce that posts will be as frequent as Aunt Flow again since I now have a reliable computer. Yay!
So, what's new? I have an Author Faebook page and Twitter. Please "Like" and Follow me @Je55ieMullin5  Aw, thanks. You guys are the best. Now down to business.

You may remember guest blogger, Heavan (blog author of Classy Girls, a super cool blog about, well, keeping it classy). Remember her from this post where she encouraged you to name your uterus, and this other post about her first period? If you haven't read these because you were just born or just learned how to read or are simply new to Period Fairy, have a look!

You're in for a treat because--you guessed it!--she's written another one for us. (Thank you, Heavan!) Enjoy. 

Hello Fellow Period Fairy Readers!

I trust you all are doing well.  I am so honored to be writing for the period fairy again, and want to thank my GORGEOUS best friend for asking me to do so.  This month I wanted to share something with you all.

For as long as I can remember, I have always had a very long, very heavy cycle.  Complete with going through an entire box of pads (no worries ladies, I've talked to my doctor about this.  I'm just a little anemic, I promise. :D) I hated the beginning and the end of my cycle.  Beginning because of all the cramps, end because no matter WHAT brand I bought, I always had diaper rash. (Hold the comments until the end. :D)  It was the WORST!  I can't even begin to tell you the embarrassing moments I've had with this situation, but finally after a long week of bleeding, and diaper rash that was starting to get into the diaper sore stage (sorry, i know. gross.) I went to my doctor and said "WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH ME?!"

This prompted some talking with my mother.  Thankfully, she went with me to the doctor, and she asked her a bunch of questions. Does Heavan have sensitive skin? Did she have a lot of diaper rash? Are there soaps or colors she can't wear?  All of which my mom said YES.  Which prompted another realization by the doctor: I was allergic to pads.  When asked why I don't wear tampons, I had to explain to this lady that I cannot wear them because my cycle is so heavy.  She said she would "get back" to me, and I left the office with a very puzzled look on my face and a tube of desitin.  Flash forward to the next month, my cycle fast approaching, when I call the doctor back and basically say "look, my impending doom is right around the corner.  can we figure something out about my itchy rump before it happens again?" To which she replied "come in, I have great news for you!"

I. WAS. PUMPED.  Maybe they made special pads for girls who are allergic to them.  Maybe she was going to give me a non-hormonal birth control pill that would take control of my cycles and then I could use tampons instead. (I can't take BC because of a disorder I have) Nope.  She suggested a little plastic thingamajig called a diva cup.  I said "what the crap is a diva cup?"  Well, I have taken the liberty to include the website right here:

www.divacup.com

The diva cup is a plastic cup that is used to...well, catch menstruation. Yes, you read that right.  It's a cup (made of silicone so you can rinse and reuse) that is placed inside the vagina and is to be changed every 8-10 hours depending on your cycle.  You simply stick a finger in your lady bits, hook onto the cup, pull it out, dump it in the toilet, and then rinse and reuse.

I was absolutely MORTIFIED by this whole concept.  I said "you want me to what now?"  She laughed and explained the entire process to me one more time.  I took the pamphlet home, got on the website and made the decision to get one. (Shout out to my AMAZING fiance who decided to purchase it for me, even though he was completely repulsed by this whole process)  So I sat patiently waiting for the fairy, and one night, she finally came.  I put the cup inside, and let it work its magic.

In the morning, I woke up, and there was NO blood anywhere.  I was so happy, it felt like I wasn't even wearing anything and while I was cramping like a banshee, I didn't even know I was on my period.  But then, I had to change it, and I got nervous.  My first thought was "aw, I'll wait."  But then I remembered hearing that I shouldn't wait more than 10 hours, because it could overflow. (Note: TSS is NOT possible with this product)  And I went to the bathroom, stuck my finger in my lady bits, closed my eyes, hooked my finger on the cup, and pulled.  That's when a traumatic event I like to call Bloodfest 2013 happened.

THERE WAS BLOOD EVERYWHERE!  I wasn't looking or paying attention to how hard I was pulling, and flung the dang thing across my bathroom floor.  It was the most repulsive, disgusting thing I have ever experienced.  Not to mention, explaining to my little brother why he couldn't go in the bathroom even though I was done using it.  Or telling my mom we had to get new rugs because I soiled the ones she had.  Embarrassing, to say the least.  But after all was said and done...I rinsed, I repeated, I cleaned up.

So hey, how do I feel about the diva cup?  I FREAKING LOVE IT.  It is the best thing I have ever experienced with the period part of my body, and I will DEFINITELY be using it again.  Once I got past all the blood and the gory accident I had, it was wonderful.

So, try it.  You might like it. :)  No leaks, no paying for tampons/pads, etc, and it's just...amazing.  Props to the makers of the diva cup!

I love you girls.  Really, writing for this blog is ALMOST as fun as writing for my other blog.  Almost.  (Though I do love my Bestie Jess. :D)

Here's a diagram! How fun are diagrams? SO. MUCH. FUN.

 Have you tried The Diva Cup? Did you like it? Do you have any questions for Heavan? Comment below! 

 

U by Kotex: You Had Me at Hello

As you know, I adore U by Kotex. Madly. The very reason I love them today is the reason I was drawn to them in the beginning. THOSE COMMERCIALS. Am  I right? What IS it with the white clothes in the field of lilies? Gag. No thanks. Periods are horrendous! The uterus becomes our nemesis. And U by Kotex isn't afraid to say so. Plus, I'm not going to lie...I do love the little black box! It's the new LBD. Go Team U by Kotex! I love being a part of this. So, why do you love your favorite brand?

 

"...Like a flower!"

Yes. Exactly. 

Juliet

I have the pleasure of introducing the lovely readers of Period Fairy to my beautiful niece, Juliet! Juliet is almost three years old, loves Diego, and knows nothing about periods. Duh, she's three. Let it slide, guys. Thing is, she will know about periods one day. She'll learn wherever she looks, whether that is her parents, friends, favorite magazines and TV shows, school, or even her favorite aunt. My hope for Juliet and all future generations is that she will not only absorb what is taught on the subjects of periods and vaginal health, but that she will ask questions! That she will talk with her friends about it. This is why I'm with U by Kotex and Generation Know, breaking the cycle of awkward whispers and smuggled products into public restrooms. Let's be open about this now so that when Juliet hits The Age, it's not a weird shame thing. Periods are normal. For Juliet, let's start the change now.

Short but Helpful Period Advice

Period hint no. 113:

Don't try to break in a new pair of jeans while on your period. You'll just end up feeling fat because you're bloated, and then you'll cry.

Get in the Know: Sharks Don't Care

Look, I tried for, like, an hour to make a video of me showing of my Generation Know bracelet! But...my internet is being slow, so the video was a no go. Here, instead, you have this fantastically blurry picture. The little charm on the bracelet says, "I know" in case you don't know how to read blur.

"I know" what? How much my internet connection doesn't care if I'm long overdue on making a post? Yes, but other things, too. Much cooler things, like...

I know...

You're not more likely to get mauled by a bear while on your period! Good news, especially for those of us who often kind ourselves in the company of bears.

You can't lose your virginity just by using a tampon. 

Guys can't tell when you're on your period! Unless you, say, cry over a plate of spaghetti and ask them if you look bloated and ugly today because it's, you know, that time of the month, and you feel really bloated and ugly.

You will not get attacked by a shark while on your period because sharks have better things to do. What that might be, I'm not entirely sure...

No one has ever gotten an STD/STI from a toilet seat.

You can totally get pregnant on your period!

Coffee can actually make your cramps worse during your period. Sad face. Not for me because I drink tea, but maybe sad face for you. 

Bananas will make you feel better while you're moping along during your period!

Spinach doesn't shorten your period. (I've never even heard that it could...) In fact, no food does. 

You can have sex on your period if you're into it. 

How do I know this stuff? Oh, no big deal, really, but maybe you've heard of Generation Know! You should have at least heard of it because I mentioned it at the start of this post, duh. Generation Know is...well, here. This video will explain it! 

You really should go check out their site! I mean it. Don't even finish reading this. Go! Go on, get. (I'm trying to White Fang you because it's in your best interest to check it out, and that's what true love is.) Plus, you can get a (free!) bracelet just like the one I have, minus the blur.  

One of my favorite features on the site is called Dear Little Sister. You might be able to guess what it is by the name, but on this part of their super fantastic site, you can write little notes to your "little sister" i.e. all the girls who haven't started their periods yet and might not know what to expect. This is especially cool because every time a note is written, UbyKotex donates $1 to Girls for a Change, a non profit that empowers girls to reach their full potential. How can you not want to write a note now? It's so easy! Dear Little Sister:

I got my period when I was twelve. I didn't talk to any of my friends about, which made it Weird. It's only awkward if you make it awkward. Talk about it!

Periods suck, but you will live.

Sometimes it feels like my uterus is trying to fall out of my Vagina.

Please don't cringe at the word "vagina". It's not a dirty, so don't treat it as such. 

Stuff like that. 

I encourage you all to be more open with one another about your periods and vaginas...vaginae? Is the plural of vagina really vaginae?? That's what my spell check tells me...Anyway.  Ask questions! Get in the know. Knowledge is power. 

Thank you for reading! And if you're still here, maybe I can White Fang you with this gem. (I tried to get the actual part where Schmidt White Fangs Cece, but this is all YouTube had. Someone get on that.) 

  #iknow