Save 50% off Xtreme Pack G-Spot Bullet

EdenFantasys.com: They regularly have some really awesome sales and promotions where you can save serious cash on a wide array of products on their site. Some of their best and biggest discounts come from their regular  ‘Eden Friends’ promotions that offer two levels of discounts available for their facebook friends and fans.

The Current Eden Friends promotion is for the Xtreme Pack G-Spot Bullet where you can save up to 50% off the regular price – doesn’t get much better than a decent quality vibe for just $14.

The Extreme Pack G-Spot bullet is a corded style bullet – it is controlled via the handheld unit. So you can insert the bullet with its pointed G-Spot seeking nose and lay back and enjoy it, or add another toy for clitoral stimulation. It boasts an incredible 35 different functions and it’s an absolute little powerhouse for its size and its 2xAA battery power source.  Out of all of the many bullets and eggs on Eden Fantasys this is rated in their top 10.

Normally $27.95 Eden is offerring the Xtreme Pack G-Spot Bullet to pople who have ‘liked‘ EdenFantasys on facebook for $22.39 – a 20% saving. To get an even bigger discount of 50%, bringing that price right down to just $14 all you have to do is share the deal on facebook. There’s even a like and a share button included on the Eden Friends promo page to make it super easy to save.

You can find all of the instructions regarding this discount on the Eden Friends Promotion page. You need to have conected your Eden account with your facebook account¹ and liked & shared before putting the item into your shopping cart. Initially it will show up as full price but once you reach the checkout you will be prompted with a ‘check my discount’ button which will calculate your savings depending on which facebook actions you have taken. This Eden Friends offer is valis up until Nov 2nd 2011.

While you are there be sure to check out their other fantastic promotions and deals to help stretch your sex toy dollar further. Some of their current sales include 20% off Dildos, vibrators and masturbators – over 2,ooo toys on sale.

Also with every order you are entitled to a free gift such as your own Eden Fantasys T-Shirt, Tote bag, toy wipes or other toys depending on what’s available that day.

And if you are after something that isn’t on sale you can use the discount code N25 at the checkout to receive a 15% discount off of all regularly priced products.

1. I have a G-rated family facebook page & a NSFW one [↩]

Pleasurists #152

Self Exploration by OttoMarzo

Did you miss Pleasurists 151? Read it all here. Do you have a review for Pleasurists 154? Be sure to read the submission guidelines and then use the submission form to submit before Sunday October 30th @ 11:59pm Pacific.

Want a shiny new toy? All you’ve got to do is enter.

• Halloween Giveaway Deadline: October 30th @ 11:59pm
• Blogiversary giveaway: celebrating 200 reviews with 600 bucks! Deadline: October 31st @ 11:59pm Pacific.
• Pinktober Giveaway Deadline: October 31st.
• FunWares Fall Giveaway Deadline: October 31st.
• Win a OhMiBod Vibrator of Your Choice In October Deadline: October 31st.
• Win an Advanced Pleasure Pack Worth £100 Deadline: October 31st.
• Giveaway: Five TheTemp Glass Dildos! Deadline: November 2nd.
• All on Red Giveaway Deadline: November 6th.
• Win 1 of 2 $130.00 EdenFantasys Giftcards! Deadline: 199 entries.

Editor

Scarlet Lotus

On to the reviews:

Vibrators

• LELO Lyla by Mistress Kay
• My Mini-Miracle Massager Pleasure Kit by Cella
• LELO Insignia Tiani by Dangerous Lilly
• Doc Johnson iVibe Rabbit by Rose Rouge
• Meany by buzzvibe
• PicoBong Koa by Lucid Obsession
• PicoBong Honi by Nymphomaniac Ness
• bNaughty Bullet by Delia
• Toy Joy Cherry Blossom by Midnight Boudoir
• Rocks-Off RO-Val by Nymphomaniac Ness

Dildos

• Icicles No. 15 by Mistress Kay
• Fleshlight Freaks Drac by HotMoviesForHer Sex Toy Crew
• Metal Worx Curve by Nymphomaniac Ness
• Tantus O2 Cush by True Pleasures
• Galaxy G by Lucid Obsession
• Galaxy G by Bzzingbee
• Luxotiq Classic by Lucid Obsession
• njoy Eleven by Rose Rouge

Anal Toys

• Anovibe Plus by Rose Rouge
• Doc Johnson Mushroom Plug by Rose Rouge
• 4-U-Both Mini Waterproof Butt Plug by Nuts4Belle
• Pearl Shine by DIY Orgasms
• Sex Please Sexy Beads by Cella
• Booty Beads 2 & Mega by Cella

Sleeves, Rings, & etc.

• Tantus Stroker XL by True Pleasures

Lube, Massage Oil, Bath Stuff, & etc.

• Babeland Body Massage Oil Spray by Naughty Snow White
• Babeland Massage Oil Spray by Sammi
• Him Lubricating Cream by DIY Orgasms

BDSM/Fetish

• Pink Candy Jaguar Collar by Mistress Kay
• Jawbreaker Gag by Mystress Lady Evyl
• Babeland Bondage Tape by nichole
• Bijoux Indiscrets Passion Mask by DIY Orgasms

Adult Books & Games

• Sex! Coupons by Mistress Kay

Adult DVDs & Porn

• Anchorman – A XXX Parody by Ginger Leigh
• Hard Working Girls by J.D. Bauchery
• Bobbi’s World Disc 1 by Ginger Leigh
• Tristan Taormino’s Expert Guide To Advanced Anal Sex by J.D. Bauchery
• Pussycats by Ginger Leigh
• Tristan Taormino’s The Secrets of Great G Spot Orgasms & Female Ejaculation by Marilyn Beckett

Lingerie & Costumes

• Purple Mesh Bodystocking by Red Vinyl Kitty
• Foxy Bombshell Panties by Sea of Neptune
• Horny Devil Vibrating Headband by Naughty Snow White
• Bullet Proof Asymmetrical Babydoll & G-string by True Pleasures

Miscellaneous

• Lovers Rendezvous Kit by padme amidala
• Babeland Hand Tee by True Pleasures
• Clone-A-Willy Glow-in-the-Dark Kit by Mistress Kay
• Sportsheets Velvet Harness by PandaDementia
• Stallion Thigh Harness by key4belle
• Lesbian Honeymoon in a Box by Naughty Snow White

A break in the drought

I have a confession to make… For the majority of this year I’ve not had sex. It almost broke me. It might not seem to be that big of a deal, but for a girl who has sex on her mind almost 24/7 a three month long, continuous drought is a bit of a major deal.

I haven’t seen, let alone slept with -B since the beginning of the year and the tenuous relationship I tried to delicately piece together mid year fell apart in a spectacular fashion (although I must confess I didn’t mention it as I had a feeling that that particular person wouldn’t be in my life for very long).

Finally, after months of longing and even a few orgasmic dreams where I quite literally woke up having an orgasm (I shit you not) I have managed to break the drought and in quite spectacular fashion.

The who doesn’t matter as they certainly won’t be in my life for very long but it was out of this world fantastic!

It started with a spray can of creamy icing and went on to include the nJoy Eleven and my super strong mystic wand vibrator. He was quite the nipple connoisseur, he could do things with his tongue that no other partner I’ve been with could ever equal. I swear he nearly made me cum via his mouth on my nipple alone. It was a good, long, hard fuck involving a torrential squirting orgasm and the resulting huge puddle on the bed, ending with a mind jolting, bone shaking, screaming orgasm that I’m sure must’ve woken the neighbours. It left every single cell of my body buzzing, even the tip of my nose felt like it had pins and needles. Fucking rare but fucking awesome.

I’m almost sad to know I won’t get to have the same experience time and time again, but I’m in no state to even consider a relationship and he’s one of those take everything or take nothing kind of guys. None of this friends with benefits or no strings attached stuff will work for him, and nothing else will work for me. But then again you know what they say about mice & men….

Anyway the drought is over, at least for now and I’m going back to bed…

A Truck Load of Toys From Nexus

Nexus Range of Sex Toys have arrived Down Under

Upon signing a distribution deal for Australia the lovely folks from the UK based Nexus got in touch with me to see if I’d like to review some toys for them and help introduce them to my fellow Aussie natives – and of course I accepted. I’m not the type to turn such fabulouso propositions down. When a huge shipping container packed full of sex toys left the UK headed for our sunny little colony it had a huge box inside it with my name all over it. As you can see it was a pretty darn big box!

Nexus seriously don’t do things by halves – I think they sent me their entire line! But don’t go getting jealous just yet as some of them will be getting givenaway to some of my lucky readers!! whoo hoo!

It is definitely going to take me a while to get around to playing with all of these toys, let alone get all of their reviews written up so I thought I’d just share a sneak peek at just which toys Nexus have sent me to share with you – and if you have any questions feel free to fire away via comments or my contact form up the top there.

My collection of Nexus includes toys for everyone, no matter your sex or sexual orientation. Actually one of the coolest features of a number of the toys in their line, such as the G-Rider, is that their design is suitable for both male and female anatomy. Many of the toys are suitable for both G-Spot  and P-Spot (aka the male G-Spot, or the prostate) stimulation as well. As they are made of non porous, phthalate free, body friendly materials that can easily be sterilised they are perfect for sharing with a partner.

I’ve also got to tell you that their silicone is just awesome! It has a finish that they describe as ‘brushed’. A nice soft matte surface that is a little velvety and plush whilst still being beautifully sleek. It’s the nicest silicone that I have ever had the pleasure of fucking!

I think the most interesting toy that they have sent me is The Nexus iSTIM. An electro stimulation machine similar to the popular violet wand designed to be used for erotic electrostimulation. It can create sensations that range from soft, relaxing and even therapeutic right on through to the completely sadistic and painfully tortuous. It’s not a device for the feint of heart… ¹  but it creates out of this world sensations either through contact pads plasced on the  skin or via the attatchments that connect straight to some of the toys in the Nexus Range.

Two of the toys which I was sent easily attach to the iSTIM, The Nexus Neo and The Nexus Glide. Both of these toys are crafted from rigid plastic that is 100% body friendly and free from all the nasties such as Phthalates. They both feature a bulbous shaft with an angle that really helps it to hone in on the pleasure zones within both the male and female anatomy. Whilst they easily pair up with the iSTIM they are also great for non electrifying fun too.

Whilst these two don’t vibrate the Nexus Vibro is a different story. Fitted out with a 5 speed bullet that is controlled by its own little microchip it takes the concept of the Neo & the Glide to the next level of fun. And although I haven’t yet tried it with the iSTIM ((we don’t get along to well following a major electric shock, despite it being my fault it bloody hurt!) it does have the same shape and roller ball that the others have for connecting things up together.

The  other vibrating toys within the box include the Nexus G-Rider and the Nexus Ridge Rider – two toys that have bulbous shafts perfect to apply pressure to the pleasure points whilst backing them up with strong vibrations and unique bases. Both of these “rocking” toys have a curved base which allows you to really ride these toys against a hard surface such as a chair. With extra nubs on the base to help stimulate the perineum or the clitoris during use.

The shape of the two rockers is echoed in the Gplay trio. A beautifully boxed set of three soft silicone G-Spot vibrators in three sizes that range frim tiny to around a medium size. With the most amazingly soft silicone surface these could prove to be a perfect introduction for someone interested in experimenting with anal play, or those who prefer much smaller objects inside their vagina as opposed to me who likes to stretch the crap out of it!

Another vibrator included in my Nexus collection is the Nexus Isis – a sleek and sexy silver, stainless steel bullet like vibrator that features 10 different vibration patterns and vibration intensities. This really is a beautiful and well crafted piece. I feel somewhat honoured to have it in my collection. The combination of cold hard steel and vibrations is rather delectable.

The last vibrating toy I received in my box full of Nexus was the Nexus Max 5 which has scared the living crap out of the ex/flatmate. It’s another one of those G-Spot/P-Spot vibrators that is  quite large and a bit intimidating to look at for those who are anally inexperienced. To me on the other hand I love it as there are rows of bumps on the front that I can kind of grind against and the vibrations to the clit are quite intense as that is where the bullet sits in the toy.

The last two are also a little intimidating size wise. Whilst neither of them vibrate both the Nexus O and the Nexus Gyro do have large proportions. The Gyro can be used by any sex and it has a really cool spherical base, so just like the rocking toys you can sit down with this inserted and conjour up some unique sensations that you can’t get anywhere else. Although it has a shaft very similar to the other toys I’ve found that this is my favourite toy for anal play simply die to its weight as well as the funky roller base.

The Nexus O is one of the toys specifically for the bopys. Designed for one side to be inserted anally the other side applies pressure against the perenium right up behind your nuts. I’m yet to tempt the flatmate, or any other guy to take it for a wehirl for me… but I’m sure I’ll find someone up for the task.

OMG – I am such a lucky bitch!…..

Now that Nexus have officially arrived on our Australian shores their entire line are available from a number of great Australian sex toy stores and online sex toy retailers.

◆ number 96 ◆ LucreziaDeSade ◆ TwistedToys ◆ clubXshop ◆

 A huge thanks to the folks from Nexus for sending me so many awesome toys to review.

If you have a question about any of these toys from Nexus feel free to contact me via my contact form or comment below.

And because I’m a piscies and will just swim around in circles continuously rather than make a decision – what toys would you like me to review first?

1. like seriously if you have a heart condition it could mess you up! [↩]

The 100% Australian Menstrual Cup – The JuJu Review

The 100% Australian Menstrual Cup

When I first had the idea to do a period feature I knew I wanted to try out and review at least one menstrual cup. More importantly I wanted to review an Australian menstrual cup. One that was 100% Australian owned and Australian made, a claim that is only true of one menstrual cup… the JuJu Cup which is available from JuJu.com.au After receiving this for review I could barely wait to get my next period so that I could try it out.

If you’ve never heard of reusable menstrual cups before you should check out my recent post All About Menstrual Cups… don’t worry we’ll wait patiently for you to return!

Important Information

Manufacturer:  JuJu in Australia

Material:  Clear Medical Grade Silicone

Sizes: Like most menstrual cups the JuJu comes in two different sizes which cater to women of all ages and sizes.

• Model 1: a smaller cup for younger women under 30yrs old who have not given birth which has a capacity of 20ml
• Model 2: a larger cup for women of any age who have given birth as well as women over 30 which has a capacity of 30ml

Dimensions: There are 3 measurements here. First the diameter, or the width of the cup at its widest point, followed by the Overall Length from the rim of the cup to the end of the pointy tip and finally the height of the cup portion, not including the tip.

• Model 1: 40mm wide, an overall length of 65mm and a height of 46mm between the rim and inner base of the cup.
• Model 2: 46mm wide with an overall length of 69mm and a height of 50mm between the cup’s rim and its inner base.

Cost: RRP $62Au

Inclusions: Your JuJu cup, satin pouch in your choice of colour blue, green or purple and an incredibly helpful instruction guide.

The Company

As I mentioned, the JuJu menstrual cup is Australian made by Freedom Products; A company that is 100% Australian owned – It’s true blue, fair dinkum and dinky di.¹ The JuJu is the creation of two amazing Aussie women who are committed to helping women embrace their periods and provide us with environmentally clean, eco-friendly and cost effective alternatives to the disposable menstrual products that have traditionally been our only choices.

This is the perfect example of the kind of company I want to support with my blog – the smaller, more personal company that truly do care about their customers as well as the products they are making. They might only manufacture a couple of items, but they make them to an incredibly high standard!

The Unique name ‘JuJu’ comes from a term used in Western Africa to describe the positive energy and magical powers that can be contained within small object such as a pendant that is worn on the body like a charm. In this traditional sense ‘JuJu’ is created by positive actions such as good deeds and selfless acts and imbued into the item. This positive energy is believed to help heal the wearer and cure any ailments they may have.  An ideology that the creators of the JuJu cup strongly believe in.

We strongly believe that every one of us has the ability to heal our world, body and mind – thus the power of JuJu! So why not cherish every day as an opportunity to do a good deed by helping a friend, saving a kitten, and of course, wearing your JuJu – JuJu.com.au

The Cup

Considering the sort of products I normally review I can tell the difference between cheap, lower quality silicone and the pure, top shelf silicone and am proud to say that the JuJu is made from the premium grade silicone. It is a shiny, high drag style of silicone which is perfect for its purpose. For those who don’t usually read my blog Silicone is by far the best material to make a product which enters the body such as a menstrual cup.

The medical grade silicone used to manufacture the JuJu cup is 100% Body safe and 100% body friendly. It is Phthalate free, Latex free, hypo-allergenic, non porous and very easy to sterilise. The JuJu cup is also made within a clean room, compliant to the strict standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Like all medical and therapeutic devices sold within Australia the JuJu menstrual cup has to meet and adhere to the very strict guidelines enforced by the Therapeutic Goods Administration before it could be sold to the public – So you can feel safe and assured of its absolute safety.

The JuJu cup itself consists of 4 main areas; The Rim, the Ridge, the Stem and the Cup .

The Rim is the uppermost section of the JuJu menstrual cup. This is the bit that seals up against the wals of the vagina. It is thick enough to stay open during use whilst remaining soft and flexible enough to be folded and inserted for use.

The Ridge is the home of what is  possibly the most important part of the entire device – the 4 tiny holes that are equally spaced around the ridge. These small 1-2mm wide holes help to create the suction seal which makes the cup work so perfectly. Just like the rim, the ridge has the same balance of firmness and flexibility needed for it to function, but it is still slightly thicker than rim. Being so much more robust and rigid that the rim  it is what keeps the cup open once it is inserted and the suction seal created.

The stem is there so that you can locate the base of the cup in order to grab it and pull it down for removal. I haven’t felt the need to trim the stem of mine as I’m quite deep and my cervix sits very high whilst I’m menstruating, but those who have a more shallow vagina or have a low sitting cervix may possibly find the stem feels pokey.

From what I have read online some women trim their stem – but I would strongly warn against this for the first cycle or two as it’s not going to grow back, you could totally trash your cup before you get to reap the rewards. If it continues to poke you after you feel like you have got the insertion and removal down to a fine art then you could trim it back bit by bit until it’s at a length you are comfortable with. I have also read of women who are very shallow or have a low sitting cervix turning their cups inside out to use them as they are able to easily grab the cup without needing the stem.

The Cup is pretty self explanatory, it is this portion of the JuJu that collects and holds your menstrual fluid safely and cleanly inside waiting for you to change it – well empty it and re-insert is a more correct terminology but I think you all get what I mean when I say change in relation to a menstrual cup.

The cup section of the JuJu also features what at first glance simply looks like nothing more than a decorative touch – a ring of the JuJu logo butterflies flying around the stem at the base of the cup. Rather than just being a decorative touch these butterflies act as a grip point. When silicone is wet it is incredibly slick and can be hard to grip, these butterflies which are very slightly raised act as a friction point to help you grip your cup and break the seal in order to remove it.

 The Sizes

The two different sizes of JuJu menstrual cup available with sizing being based on age and whether you have or haven’t given birth, same as with many other menstrual cups.

Because I’m over 30 and have squeezed a 10.5lb whopper out of my Vag the model 2 is the one best suited to me. As women age the shape and size of the vaginal canal does change, even more so after you give birth – I mean yes it does go back to normal after giving birth and it’s not going to suddenly turn floppy, but as you get older the vagina is able to stretch further, you know like a well loved pair of jeans. Anyway…

So I have the larger sized cup which can hold up to 30mls which is fan-bloody-tastic (pun intended) for the ridiculously heavy periods I get. While it is the larger cup it still squished down into a size smaller than a bullet for insertion and once in place it springs back open again, forming a suction seal against the vaginal walls up near the cervix which prevents any leakage. From my approximations the 30ml capacity of the cup seems to last around as long as 3 super tampons.(remember though I have seriously heavy periods) The smaller sized cup holds 20mls, but without trying it I can’t say how many tampons it might equal. But just to put it into perspective the average woman looses around 35ml of menstrual fluid during their period, with a range of 10-80ml being normal.

 Inserting the Cup

The insertion process does take a bit to get the hang of, however with the leaflet included with my juju in front of me I found it quite easy to get the hang of folding my cup using the popular ‘C’ or ‘U’ fold (named because it looks like a C or a U). After pushing it up and into position a few quick kegels will help suck it right up in there and get it to fully open and create a tight seal. To ensure it is fully opened you just run a finger around the edges and give the stem a tiny tug to double check the seal.

It is easiest to first try the cup out before you get your period for quite obvious reasons. It is also far easier to insert a wet cup than a dry cup, so running it under water before insertion does help. Similar to tampons it can be easy to insert a cup whilst sitting on the toilet (unless you are clumsy like me!!) or with one leg up on the edge of the bath or on the toilet seat. But best of all is simply changing your cup in the shower. You can simply empty in down the drain, rinse and re-insert. It really culdn’t be easier. As it can be worn for up to 12 hours (dependant on how heavy your flow is) you may never need to change  it at school, work or anywhere other than home.

The information pamphlet included with the cup contains really great instructions on how to fold and insert your cup. It wasn’t until I was typing up my review that I discovered their educational online user guide along with some really amazing instructional videos that JuJu have available on their FAQ page . Although I managed quite fine without these they do show numerous other useful ways of folding the cup for insertion.

Removing the Cup

I find insertion way easier than removal but this is honestly simply due to my anatomy. With a rather deep vagina it can be a bit hard to get a hold of the stem sometimes, usually at the beginning of my period when my cervix is highest. I’ve found that squatting down and giving a bit of a push, aka bearing down will push the cup low enough for me to be able to grab a hold of it. Sometimes I can’t get a good grip on the steam because it’s wet and slippery, but I’ve found using a single sheet of toilet paper between my fingers helps to dry the stem so I can grab the slippery little sucker. Once I’ve got it down low enough I can grasp the butterfly area and pinch it to break the suction seal and out it comes.

If ever you have trouble removing a cup just remember not to freak out. It isn’t going anywhere. Your vagina isn’t a black hole and getting tense can make the process harder – it’s the same deal as with tampons If you have trouble take a chill pill and try again.

Once out you simply empty it down the drain or toilet, give it a wash and then re-insert. It couldn’t be easier.

Between Cycles

At the end of your cycle it is a good idea to sterilise your JuJu cup. You can boil it for up to 5 minutes, soak it in a disinfecting solution such as Milton, or give it a good wipe over with isopropyl alcohol followed by a good wash with straight water once the alcohol has dried – my favourite method of cleaning silicone products. Once fully dry pop your JuJu away until next month!

As it is silicone and non-porous you do not need to worry about toxic shock as you do with tampons so you are able to pop a cup in before your period starts so as to ensure you don’t miss the start of it. As long as you check and change it every 12 hours you’re good.

The only cases in which I know of that a menstrual cup is ill advised is if you have an IUD or have recently given birth. I’m guessing the suction could mess with your IUD and its string, and I know that after giving birth the cervix takes a while to properly close up. So in both of these cases one should check with their doctor before using any style of menstrual cup.

Product Life

The expected life of your JuJu cup is around 10 years. If the fact that a menstrual cup is kinder to your body and the environment than disposable pads and tampons isn’t enough to make someone consider switching maybe the cost implications might help. At a once off cost of $62AU+p&h  for a product that can easily last you ten years compared to the cost of at least $5 a month – within a year, if not earlier you will begin saving money.

It may be worth mentioning that unlike many of the other silicone products I review it is strongly advised that you do NOT share your JuJu cup.

The Packaging

As the JuJu cup is a very environmentally friendly product made by a company dedicated to being eco-friendly it should be no surprise that the packaging is made from 100% recycled paper  in a process that is carbon neutral.  There is no wastage or superfluous crap – like badges & stickers etc included. Even the inside sections of the box go unwasted as the cube shaped cardboard box opens up like a flower to reveal your JuJu cup along with extra information about the product with some great tips for use included. And if you can bare to part with the adorable box the packaging is also fully recyclable.

 Why JuJu?

There are many reasons why women choose to switch over to menstrual cups and ditch the disposable products, one of which is because they are a far more environmentally friendly. For Australian women JuJu is the most environmentally friendly menstrual cup as they are made in Australia rather than being flown halfway around the globe in a very heavily polluting transportation process. For those of us wishing to cut down our carbon footprint this is an important factor to consider. It is also important to help buoy up our local economy.

Like all other products I review I guess I  should award a rating out of 5 possible stars. It doesn’t take much thought as I feel the JuJu has completely revolutionised my period – I strongly doubt I will ever waste another cent on disposable products, nor do I think I’ll ever abuse my poor vag with another tampon. So the JuJu Menstrual Cup fully deserves a full 5 stars out of 5 stars and eco-friendly green stars at that!!

★★★★★

The JuJu cup is currently on sale for $55.99 in JuJu’s online store but the lovely ladies behind the JuJu have been incredibly kind and are offerring a further $6 discount off of the sale price for my readers who use the dicount coupon code ‘redoctober‘ at the checkout up until the end of the month.

A few Tips for using menstrual cups

During my first cycle I had a few fumbles – my fault not the cup’s. I managed to drop it in the loo, closely avoided a major flood and completely freaked my son out, so I have a few tips of my own

❤if changing it  over the toilet flush between emptying it and re-inserting just in case you get a case of the fumbles!

I stupidly fell asleep for12 hours after the very first time I inserted my cup. This was before I realised on super heavy days I need to change it every 8 hours or so. But thankfully as I had used a re-useable pad as backup so no sheets became involved.

❤use a pad as backup until you get used to how often you need to change on certain days of your cycle. As a cup is so different from a tampon you can remove and reinsert it as often as you like whilst you learn the ropes.

And because blood truly is thicker than water one time when I emptied it, the blood didn’t all flush away on a single half flush and my son thought I had developed some kind of cancer!!

❤ so if you have dual flush toilets, such as are very common here in Australia be sure to use a full flush after emptying your cup. I have also read that popping a sheet or two of toilet paper into the loo prior to emptying your cup will help to ensure a completely clean flush.

If you’ve got any questions feel free to ask away…

Violet xx

This Post is Part of my Red October Feature

1. Translation: It’s the real deal, genuinely 100 percent Australian [↩]

Other names for your Menstrual Period

What Do you call yours?

There’s just something unappealing about the words ‘Menstrual Period’. Perhaps it’s the way the word menstruation just doesn’t roll of the tounge well – that damn U in the middle turns it into a tounge twister. Mybe it’s because of the numerous layers of innapropriate shame that has been associated with our monthly periods for hundreds of years that makes people uncomfortablle to say those words. No matter what the reason, our monthly fow has been euphemised almost to death. There’s almost a limitless list numerous alternative names for that time of the month. From Aunt Flo to simply Women’s issues here are some of the different names from around the globe digested into a cute infgraphic.

From the politically correct, to the scientific and of course the crass, so many cliched and colloqiual terms for menstruation have been coined over the years. From bloody mary to wounded clam there’s so very very many of them. And hey, you know how I love a good infographic!…

As much as I love a good Infographic this one leaves out so many of the most popular pseudonyms we all love and regularly use. I have never heard the term ‘The communists have invaded’ or ‘The English are coming’, and although I have heard women say they have got the painters in the info part of this graphic leaves an awful lot out.

The one’s I use most often are simply my period, my rags and when I’m being polite and proper – usually in the company of a male I just call it ‘that time of the month’. But there are plenty more out there.

One of my favourites that I came across whilst trawling the web was submitted by an indian lady who said her mother and aunts often used the term  “Number 3′s” , being that #1 is to pee, #2 is to poop so #3 is the other reason to visit the bathroom.

Crimson tide,  surfing the red wave – because maxi pads are like having a surf board in your undies. I guess it’s also obvious I’m quite smitten with the term Red October too.

On the rag – because in times gone by they litterally were oon the rags as they used rags to soak up the bloody

Sunday, bloody Sunday

Uncle TOM – for That Time of Month

And cunt plug is possibly my favourite euphemism for a tampon – but then again I do quite like the word cunt.

Want more?? – check out the Menstrutionary

So how about you… What’s your favourite slang term for menstrual period?

Violet xx

This post is part of Red October – my month long celebration of “that time of the month” be sure to drop by my first Red October giveaway  while you are here too.

All On Red – Red October Sex Toy Giveaway

To help Celebrate Red October EdenFantasys.com have kindy sponsored a giveaway for a great sex toy that is in keeping with the whole red theme – The Roulette All on Red Vibrator from Evolved Novelties.

Made from sexy bright red silicone the All On Red vibrator has a beautifully textured shaft and nice strong vibrations. Powered by 2 x AA batteries the All On Red comes in Evolved Novelties trademark tin case – which I just LOVE!!! Valued at $59.99 it’s a great vibrator to have in your toy box.

Entering this giveaway is easy using the rafflecopter widget below (you need to have javascript active to be able to see it and on slow connections it may take a moment to show up)

The Giveaway is open up until November 6th when it will be automatically closed by rafflecopter.

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or send me an email.

A big thanks to Eden Fantasys for sponsoring this Red October Giveaway -  and be sure to keep your eyes peeled as I’ve got 4 more giveaways to announce before Red October ends

Violet xx

Menstrual Cups

For the first majority of my menstruating life I thought I only had the option of two different products – the disposable pads and tampons that are found flooding the shelves of the local supermarket. It wouldn’t surprise me if many other women also believed that these were their only options as well… but the truth is they aren’t our only options. In fact there are numerous other options available to us, from re-useable pads and menstrual cups to re-usable tampons and inter-labial pads.

One of my many reasons for wanting to do the whole Red October feature was so that I could help share and educate fellow females about some of the great ‘Alternative’ products that we can use when we get our period. I wanted to take a closer, first hand look at products such as menstrual cups as they are better for the planet, our pockets and our bodies.

I first discovered menstrual cups whilst I was on a strange journey through the web around 2 years ago when I discovered a site called the ‘Beautiful Cervix Project‘. Somewhere on there I read a mention of something called a moon cup as well as what I now know as the popular  US Diva cup. Not having a clue what they were talking about I hit google up for the answers and checked out menstrual cups on wikipedia – as one does these days!

What I discovered was intriguing – it takes a fair bit to make me go WTF? so I was really into the concept of a menstrual cup.

That day I spent the next hour or so reading all about these products and I even found what is possibly the most valuable resource regarding menstrual cups – a live journal community where many of the different cup brands and styles were being openly discussed and reviewed. The discovery of this whole new product had me excited, I was almost overwhelmed by how many positive aspects there were to using a cup instead of the traditional one use only disposable pads and tampons I’d been using my whole life.

So What is a Menstrual Cup?

A Menstrual cup sits inside the vagina and collect the menstrual blood halfway between the source – your uterus, and its destination – outside of your vagina. It is inserted and sits in place quite similar to the way a diaphragm does, but instead of preventing bodily fluids from entering the uterus it stops the bodily fluids being expelled from the uterus from escaping the vagina. Internally it feels no different to tampons but unlike tampons a cup can be worn for up to 12 hours at a time.  Once it is full, or sooner if you prefer you simply remove it, empty it into the toilet, rinse clean and re-insert.

There are now many different brands of menstrual cups and they are made of different materials ranging from pure rubber through to 100% silicone. Depending on the brand they also come in a range of colors and most brands have two different

Benefits of using a Menstrual Cup

There are so many advantages of using a menstrual cup instead of tampons but some of them include:

The Cost – a once of cost of between $60-$80 rather than the recurring cost of buying tampons and pads each month which both cost around $5 each. Within just a few months the savings start adding up. With a life expectancy of up to 10 years those savings are quite considerable. Also as the cup can handle the lightest right through the heaviest of flows you don’t need to have various sizes of tampons and pads on hand. You can even insert the cup before you expect your period to begin to ensure you don’t have any unexpected accidents allowing you to forget about needing panty liners at the start and end of your period.

The Environment – not only do cups create less pollution than disposable products due to their once off nature, they also mean that we aren’t throwing all those disposable products into landfills or polluting the waterways by flushing tampons.¹

Our Bodies – Number one is that there is no risk of the silent, but deadly TSS – Toxic Shock Syndrome which has been proven to be linked to the use of tampons – and yes it can and does kill otherwise healthy females such as Amy…  Unlike tampons, menstrual cups don’t absorb the natural vaginal secretions which keep the mucous membranes of the vagina moist. The area of the vaginal canal below the cup continues life as normal rather than becoming dried out, itchy and just generally pissed off as is often the case with tampons. (mind you though I didn’t know about this added benefit until I recently began to use a cup) One of my favourite pros is that as a cup fully seals the blood inside of the body it leaves your clit free and perfectly clean so that you can masturbate your way to a cramp relieving orgasm without making a dreadful mess.

The Convenience – Cups can hold much more fluid than a tampon ever could which means you don’t need to change it (or rather just empty it) as often. In fact you can wear a menstrual cup for up to 12 hours, including the overnight period when we’re warned to not use tampons. For those of us with extra heavy flows who are used to wearing two pads at night and having to get up and change tampons every few hours the switch to a cup is nothing less than revolutionary.

Because I was so blown away by how cool life could be with a menstrual cup I shared my find with one of my cousins and my bestie. My cousin also has ridiculously heavy periods caused by similar issues as mine and I thought she might be interested because of the convenience, & my bestie is a hippy chick right into having babies at home in the bath tub so I thought it would appeal to that ‘Earth Mother’ side of her.

I was quite flawed when both of them responded with the same ‘Ewww’ style reaction. WTF?

I’ve sat beside her father in law and watched my bestie give birth in her bath tub – which turns bright red due to the bleeding once the baby has popped out, but a menstrual cup is placed in ‘Eww’ territory? I don’t get it. Sadly though their reactions seem to echo the feeling of a lot of Australian women.

We are happy to stick tampons in with our fingers and stare at the blood filling up a pad, but a cup is too gross?

What I find truly weird though is that it’s the US girls who find tampons a bit messy and far prefer applicator style tampons are open to the cup concept, where as us Aussie gals are fine with getting a bit of blood on our hands and rarely use applicator style tampons yet the majority are grossed out by the concept of a cup.

I think it’s ridiculous – after all it is just a bit of blood, your own blood at that and in fact I’ve found the process of using a cup to be far, far cleaner than using pads or tampons.

When the idea for red october came to me I knew I absolutely had to get my hands on some menstrual cups to try so that I could hopefully help to introduce more Australian women to this marvellous invention that truly does revolutionise the way you view and deal with your period. I’d love to see those reactions go from ‘Ewww’ to ‘WOW! and hopefully this bit of education might help change those opinions.

For my past two periods I’ve been using the JuJu cup – the only 100% Australian menstrual cup and I’ve got to say I’m LOVING it. I’m absolutely loving it and the review is in the works.

When I first discovered menstrual cups I though they were some fabulous brand new, innovative invention. I was quite surprised to find out that they were first invented way back in 1867. For a short period the Tasette menstrual cups were available commercially in the late 50′s but by 1967 the company went out of business and the concept almost disappeared before it was re-introduced to the market more recently.

Today there are many many different brands of menstrual cups, many of which come in 2 sizes – a smaller one for younger women who haven’t had to push a baby out of their vag and a slightly larger size for those of us over 30 who know how hard it is to push a watermelon out of a hole the size of a lemon!

Some think they may be hard to use and extra messy, but honestly I found it to be quite easy to get the hang of. Certainly no more difficult or messy than it was to get the hang of tampons and pads. These two tiny cons that are really only an issue the first cycle or two are far outweighed by the numerous pro’s of the cup, where as there are so many cons to both disposable pads and tampons.

Tampons

• Toxic Shock
•  Disposal can be tricky at times and is environmentally unfriendly
• Can’t be used overnight
• They dry out the vagina and can cause irritation
• One use only so cost is an issue
• Smell Having to carry them with you til your period starts
• Running out of them when you need to change one
• leakage

Pads

• smelly
• uncomfortable
• can be visible through clothing
• difficult to dispose of
• cost
• environmentally unfriendly
• leakage
• no swimming and a few other activities are affected by pads
• You can run out of them & its a pain having to carry around spares

The only tricky bit with cups is the inserting bit, luckily for me the first cup I’m reviewing came with an amazing visual guide that showed me how to fold the cup in order to fit it into the vagina. I’m not going to lie, it is a bit awkward but it’s not difficult. It is a good idea to have a practice run before you get your period so that you have a better idea of how to do it when there isn’t any blood involved. Unlike tampons you can insert the cup and wear it even when you don’t have your period, that means you can pop it in early before your period appears and avoid any accidents what so ever!

Once inserted it forms a suction like seal just below or around your cervix and it feels no different to a tampon. It takes a while to get used to how often you need to change it but this is something you have to go through to find out as every woman is different so a little experimentation is required. I wore a re-usable pad as a backup when I first started using it to help prevent any major accidents.

The changing process is the bit that I guess puts most people off the concept and I’m not going to lie – staring your menstrual blood right in the face is a unique experience, it can also be messy to start with, but if you think back to your first few periods they too were just as messy and strange. I was somewhat fascinated to see that the blood had started to separate into the layers of different components. Anywho… you simply pour the blood into the toilet, give the cup a quick rinse clean and re-insert. It’s even easier to do the changing process of a morning or evening in the shower. It’s a far less messy or as yucky a process as using tampons.

Due to the required experimentation in your first cycle or two I wouldn’t want to be changing a cup at work or anywhere else  until you get the hang of it, but that’s really not that much of an issue due to it being safe to wear a cup for up to 12 hours. Once you do have the hang of it and feel confident with changing it, if you find yourself needing to change it without acess to a sink you can just wipe it down with toilet paper or baby wipes.

In between periods you can boil your cup to sterilise it, or give it a good once over with rubbing alcohol and rinse it in water after its dried. Then you can put it away until the next month.

A clean sterilisable piece of silicone or a wad of cotton shoved up your vag or stuffed down your knickers? Seriously though I know which options make me think eww!

I will never buy another tampon nor any more disposable pads now that I have some reusable ones from Lunapads.com to review. I’m now officially a menstrual cup girl, as are most women who have made the switch. I dare say that if you try one, you too will say the same!

For more info on cups or for extra tips and advice about insertion be sure to visit the Menstrual Cup community on live journal – it’s Fantastic! And another great source for information and reviews of the different cups there’s also the Menstrual Cup Blog.

Keep your eyes open for my upcoming review of the Australian Menstrual Cup – The JuJu and also be sure to check out my first Red October post so that you too can join in the discussion of periods and all things red.

So how about you? Are you an Eww or a Wow? Have you tried a cup? and if you have would you ever go back?

This post is part of my Red October Project – a month long celebration of ‘that time of the month’

1. yes I’m one of those naughty ones who flush tampons [↩]

Wanton Wednesday

Celebrating Red October

Considering that I’m celebrating Red October and all things periods it makes sense that I continue with the theme for this weeks wanton wednesday.

Although I wish that I could take credit for this image I’m afraid that I can’t – it isn’t me and I didn’t take it. The owner has been gracious enough to allow me to re-post it however they have asked to remain anonymous.¹

There is nothing shameful about periods and this beautiful and artistic photo says that in so many ways…

Be sure to visit the Wanton Wednesday site to check out everyone else’s wantonness.

Violet xx

1. So Shhh if you know who it is lol [↩]

Irony

It’s kinda strange for a blogger to disappear and virtually stop posting¹ during a blog feature that they are hosting themselves. But that’s been the case with me and my Red October feature. I’ve been in and out of the hospital for the past week or so in an ironic twist I think worthy of an Alanis Morissette song!

I have both endometriosis and Poly-cystic Ovaries  – a.k.a PCOS both of which are conditions related to my uterus and their disruption of my life is linked directly to my menstrual cycle.

Without pulling out a Gynecological textbook endometriosis is the over-excited growth and displacement of endometrial tissue – the stuff that falls away from the walls of the uterus n the absence of a fertilised egg and creates the stuff periods are made of. It’s also the most common of all menstruation related conditions, one that’s caused by periods as well as being made worse and being spreadby having your periods. A real catch 22 kinda deal.

With Endometriosis the endometrial tissue lining the uterus can be far thicker than usual  it can also manage to transport itself around the body, most often sticking to the pelvic cavity, but in extreme cases (like mine) they decide to take up residence in some odd and inexplicable places. I’m talking about areas such as the bladder, the bowel and even the lungs and nose² along with other places within abdomen. Where over time it starts to act like glue, sticking the organs together. Every month, no matter what its location the endometrial tissue bleeds. The lost pieces of endometrial tissue that didnt get the memo about staying in one spot form a much smaller patch than the stuff lining the uterus, so the bleeding is minimal but the havoc and pain it wreaks is anything but minimal.

So every month when I get my period not only do I have a period that’s 4 or 5 times the volume as a normal period I also get the bleeding in those other crazy places and the agony that goes with them having fluid building up in a place it shouldn’t. Occassionally I get dealt an even heavier period that lands me in hospital, often after an embarassing fainting spell.Basically I loose too much blood and pass out – I then end up in hospital needing a blood transfusion, sometimes they just give me fluids and a shot of hormones to try and stop my period. This month though, this was a bad month.

Endometriosis itself is medical irony. The bodily function which creates it also aggravates it and makes it worsen, then the best solution is made near impossible by the existence of the condition. The best thing to do for endo as it is often called, is to fall pregnant. Only problem there is that endo leaves around 40% of those it affects infertile.

I’ve been advised on more than one occassion to tear everything out and be done with menstruation for good. The same thing that every woman in my family tree above me has done, but I just can’t do it. I can’t quite explain it as my uterus is pretty pointless these days – Still I just can’t let go of it.

I can’t let go of the very minimal possibility that I’ll want to have another baby someday. I can accept that theres a 99.9999999% chance I’ll never ever be pregnant again, I can’t however stand loosing that teeny, tiny, miniscule of hope. I can’t turn that pin hole of hope into an absolute ZERO chance I’ll ever have another baby. As pathetic as it is I want to keep that 0.0000001% chance, even if it is reliant on the odds that go with doing IVF treatments.If I ever do meet the man of my dreams and he wants kids I don’t want to have that regret kicking me in the shins

So every month, sometimes twice a month depending on the hormones excreeted by my faulty ovaries, I put up with a week long pain fest along with the fainting spells, hospital visits and the occassional blood transfusion³ as it’s my choice. I know how easily it could all go away, I’ve listened to Dr after Dr call me stupid and massochistic and tell me just how easily they could rip my trouble making reproductive organs, but it’s not going to change my mind. My girly bits are staying put.

Hmm, can you hear my frustration? This was meant to be a quick ‘We will be returning to our usual programming shortly’ style post, one that poked fun at the fact my feature about periods was disrupted by my period, but along my way my frustration and and overly emotional head decided to have a mini rant.

Thanks for reading – Red October programming will return to its intended schedule soon!

Cheers

 Violet xx

P.S whilst I’m on the subject of Endometriosis and “menstrual issues” – If you too suffer from endometriosis or any other condition that screws with your girly bits I’d love for you to speak up and join the conversation I’m trying to cultivate with Red October

1. the breast cancer info-graphic was a pre-scheduled post [↩]
2. Ok so I don’t have it in my nose – but it’s known to go there [↩]
3. Mind you I’ve only had 3 in the past 3 years [↩]