A Special Day for Special Girls…..

Let’s face it…every wanna-be-princess-super-divalicious-fashionista-athletic-superstar-rock star young lady is special.  They just ARE!  These lovely little creatures are born to remind us that life is beautiful with their sparkling eyes, curly locks, tiaras, tutus, high heels and jewels.  Little ladies have it all–even those that occasionally go unnoticed because they look or act a little differently.

Today is World Down Syndrome Day – celebrated on this day (3.21) as a symbolization of the extra chromosome (+1) found on Chromosome 21 in all individuals with Down syndrome. Period Packs’ founder has a daughter with Down syndrome, so she knows well that every girl–even those with an extra chromosome, those that use a wheelchair, wear braces, those that sing in the shower, dance on the porch, wear their hair short, prefer sneakers to high heels, a basketball instead of a purse–ALL girls are beautiful, and biologically the same.

To help young ladies with Down syndrome and other special needs prepare for puberty, Period Packs now carries a new book, The Girls’ Guide to Growing Up, written by Terri Couwenhoven, M.S., who also has a daughter with Down syndrome.

In this beautifully written and designed guide, the author explains not only in words, but photo format, details about the diverse changes that young ladies will experience from breast development and How-To Buy a Bra tips, to the internal feelings young ladies experience–from mood swings to attraction. The book further outlines menstruation (period), how to use feminine hygiene products, and even when they should be changed. Ms. Couwenhoven even shares tips on hygiene and its importance as women enter puberty.  The easy-to-follow guide for girls with intellectual disabilities is an introduction to the physical and emotional changes they’ll encounter during puberty. It is filled with age-appropriate facts, realistic illustrations and photos, icons, and an included Question/Answer Guide.

Other moms have said:

“I really can not say enough about this book! If you have a young lady with a developmental disability, you really NEED this book.” ~Carol

“I purchased this book for my autistic tween. It has helped her understand  the transition from a girl to a young lady. Great book! I highly recommend it.” ~Chelise

**If you would like to send your special gift box with a copy of The Girls Guide to Growing Up, simply indicate so when placing your order.**

Not long ago, we welcomed a guest blogger/mom, Darcy Rubino, who has a daughter with Autism. She shared her and her daughter’s menstruation experience that just this week, received the following beautifully written comment/response.  The commenter wrote, “I have Asperger Syndrome (High-Functioning end of Autism Spectrum), and my mom says she thinks I handled my 1st period pretty maturely, even though I was only 10 yrs. 3 mos.  I put the pad on by myself, and I wasn’t bawling (I don’t cry too often anywho).  Of course my mom and I had read “The Period Book,” which talked about what menstruation is, what products women use when they’re on their period, how to use each product, how often to change, what to do when you’re out and about or there are no pads or tampons available, and how women might feel when they’re PMS’ing (a few days to 2 weeks before period).”

We were so moved that this young lady took the time to share her experience with us as it perfectly exemplified just how similar all young women are when they begin menstruating. We all go through the same changes, feelings, emotions, discomfort and worries. But, how we learn about puberty and how we learn about managing it makes a huge difference.

On this celebratory day for young ladies with Down syndrome, we simply raise our hands high in the air and give a great big CHEER to not only these young ladies, but ALL young ladies as each of us truly are, very special.

Well, Hello….vagina!

While reading numerous articles and blog posts to catch up on our news for the week, we stumbled across an article in Adweek of all places, highlighting UbyKotex’s “Break the Cycle”/Generation Know campaign (http://www.ubykotex.com/take-action/our-mission) encouraging young women to gain more comfort with themselves, their periods and most importantly, their vaginas.

For some women, discussion about feminine hygiene, health and vaginas seems ordinary course of business. To others, it’s akin to outright torture.  That’s a pretty significant range–especially since ALL females have vaginas and get their period. That set us to thinking….why are some women comfortable and others, not as much?

Most women agree that their comfort level with their femininity and all things associated can be directly connected to how they themselves were introduced to puberty and womanhood.

Was it a ‘hushed,’ hurried, or sidelined conversation under cover of darkness in a closed-door room, or was it more of an open, comprehensive discussion about everything from hygiene (body odor, shaving, showering daily) to the diverse array of feminine hygiene options available to women?

Each woman has her own story–and through her own personal introduction to puberty years ago–she developed a ‘tone’ about her femininity, menstruation, puberty in general, and of course, her comfort level (or lack thereof) with her body (her vagina, included)!

Have you yet seen these videos from the Generation Know campaign? Some of them are downright engaging (especially the ones with grandmas included) especially since it doesn’t seem that all that much has changed in 50 years. Really? 5-0 years!

The overall aura maintained here at Period Packs is one of both celebration and education–which is why we deliver products that are both necessary (educate) and fun (celebrate). But, we also believe that in this day and age, it is critical for moms/dads/caregivers to take the lead in all discussions about puberty (and sex) so that they may place their own personal context around each.

Puberty and sex are not married.

Puberty comes well in advance of sex and is a biologic certainty.  Sex, on the other hand, has all sorts of peripheral components attached including culture, spiritual/religious beliefs, and personal consent/preferences.

In our opinion, the conversations should not be had at once, but completely separately.  Puberty is more than just racing hormones, for example.  It’s about hygiene, emotional well-being and body image, too.  Positive conversations about puberty can also serve as strong foundations for more complex (and sometimes complicated) conversations with our children about sex.

In a recent Motherlode post, New York Times blogger, KJ Dell’Antonia, asks “Have you found books on puberty, bodies and sex that work at your house? Are girls more likely to read than boys? And when do the books work best?”  http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/are-body-and-sex-education-books-for-parents-or-kids/

If you have some thoughts, feel free to share them here, or via KJ’s blog. It’s probably worth considering…especially if you have  daughters aged 8-14, or even boys in the same age range.

CYBER MONDAY DEAL…

But of course we’re going to have a Cyber Monday deal of our own! Actually, not only are we going to throw in some lovely samples of very cool products including Ruby’s Red Wash (a lovely, fresh, eco-friendly stain remover) and Scensibles (sanitary disposal bags — and the best on the market!), we’re going to extend our Black Friday deal and knock $15.00 off your order! Aw heck, we’ll probably throw in some chocolate too. It IS the holidays afterall! Order your Period Pack today!

Happy Cyber Monday!

Period Packs are a perfect holiday gift!

Welcome to the start of the holiday season!

And yes, Period Packs too will be involved from today (11/23/2012) recognized as “Black Friday” thru tomorrow’s Small Business Saturday (11/24/2012) to Cyber Monday (11/26/2012).  Over the couse of the next few days, Period Packs will be offering discounts, promotions, and freebies/giveaways, so please join us on Facebook (Period Packs) and follow us on Twitter @ChiefMaxi for the most up-to-date deals and giveaways!

Taking a moment to say, Thanks….

Once the month of June rolls around, most parents across the country gear up for summer. June marks the end of the school year for many students, and the start of a new season filled with swimming, camps, movies, smores and more!  As the school year ends, many parents seek ways to show appreciation to the special teacher(s) or therapists who have worked with their tots through teenagers, and finding unique ideas can often be challenging.  After doing research ourselves, (and as a group of moms whose children are still in school), the Period Packs designers took the week off from working on premenstrual gift boxes for young women, and focused on creating some fun, end of the year Teacher/Therapist gifts.  It was a nice break for the team, and fun as well. We are certainly happy with the results, but happier with the responses each of these received upon delivery.

Happy Summer 2012! Let the fun begin!

“You are A&W-some” root beer mugs w/treats

 A Cup of Tea Bouquet

 Candy Sundaes/Bouquets (perfect for summer)

Preparing your daughter with special needs for menstruation…

There are so many mothers and fathers of daughters with special needs (our ranks included!) that we felt it very worthwhile to ask one of our special moms to write about her experience introducing a Period Pack to her daughter with Autism. This is the first of two (2) installments from Ms. Darcy Rubino, mom to Jessica, and supermom-of-three, who also serves as a family advocate in the state of Massachusetts, and is a former co-president of her home Parent Advisory Council (PAC). Ms. Rubino’s initial account is the ‘introduction’ of menstruation to her daughter, and the follow up will come likely a little bit after Jessica reaches womanhood.  We hope this is as helpful to other parents of daughters with special needs, as it was to us. Thank you Darcy (and Jessica!).

The first time I talked to my daughter Jessica about her period, she covered her mouth and giggled. 

She was 9 years old, and we were having what we call a Mama-Jessie day.  The plan for the day was to go to the beach, so I decided to take advantage of the 45 minute ride and have “the conversation” with Jessica. 

The fact that Jessica giggled and didn’t immediately yell “Stop!” was actually a good thing.  Jessica has high functioning Autism, and when she doesn’t want to talk about something, she will let you know it!  I asked her what she knew about periods, and she continued to giggle.  At that point, I knew that I needed to use my best friend “Google” to find out a more effective way to have a real conversation with her.

I got Jessica a Period Pack, and it was the best thing I did to facilitate “the conversation”.  The Pack was girly, pink, and packed full of information. 

Jessica has not gotten her period yet, but the book “Period” was something that we read together.  She really seemed to enjoy reading the book with me, and was struck by the clinical names for what is happening to her body. 

Her favorite word was “ovum”.

Don’t ask me why, but she thinks it is hysterical!  Jessica also enjoyed that there were many illustrations in the book, especially the drawings of cats.  I think we counted 7 cats in the book. 

The other part of the book that I found extremely helpful were the sections that talk about how a girl may feel when they have their period or when they are about to get it.  Because of Jessica’s Autism, it is hard for her to express emotions.  She was able to read the passages and let me know that she does feel grumpy or tired at times.  This was a fantastic revelation to me!

Jessica’s Period Pack was filled with fun things like pink hot chocolate (which we are saving to drink the day she gets her period), lip gloss, nail polish, sanitary napkins, panty liners, and wipes among many other things. 

I cannot explain how relieved I am that there is a product like Period Packs on the market. 

(I will make sure to update when Jessica takes her first step into womanhood!)

~Darcy Rubino

A Bloody No-Show!

Clearly, there are moments in our lives as women that we simply don’t want to publicize such as when we wax or shave our armpits, bleach troublesome mustaches, pluck untamable eyebrows or scrub our lingerie by hand.

For decades, our mother’s mothers suggested that we, as women, remain ‘mysterious.’ Yet, I get the feeling what they meant was: keep the gross stuff you do to look perfectly beautiful and desirable a mystery from the men we desire and adore.  Eventually, it is all revealed– which is why the recently published artistic piece titled “There Will Be Blood” (highlighted on VICE:  http://www.vice.com/read/there-will-be-blood) made me feel fairly liberated.

Many women who viewed the photographs (and several who commented on the link via our Facebook page), felt that it was absolutely unacceptable to post such photographs and suggest them as ‘art.’  What was even more shocking was that some women who posted are the most tattooed and pierced women we know, who also spend hours watching violent, albeit downright repulsive horror flicks, that wouldn’t allow me to sleep for years on end!  It struck such a loud chord in me that even in 2012, women quietly shuffle over to their co-workers cubicle to whisper ‘do you have a tampon I can have?’, while the media is, at the same time, completely filled to the gills with images of murder, rape and death.  Our fragile sensibilities cannot manage images of red liquid on a woman’s underwear or clothing, but we’re AOK with blood stained sidewalks on top of which lay victimized innocents whose throats have been cut with a box razor?

COME ON PEOPLE, WAKE UP!

Menstruation simply is not something to get uptight over. Seriously.  What is it that is so downright offensive?  Little bits of dead tissue within a liquid center that just happens to flow away from the body via a woman’s vagina?  That’s what has everyone in an uproar? (OKAY, the actual definition is: blood, as well as cervical mucus, vaginal secretions, and endometrial tissue). Somehow, none of that sounds as gory as ‘flesh eating bacteria’/Necrotizing Fasciitis, ‘perforated bowel’ where intestinal contents flow into the abdominal cavity, ‘Rickets’ or ‘feces’ (poop) among others—which are clearly more foul.   Yet, vision of menstruation somehow tops the list of those things that we, as human beings, cannot fathom to view because it is too abhorrent to handle.

I’m nearly at a complete loss of words.  Instead of simply using the proper medical terms and coming to grips with menstruation, we instead live in a society where we create juvenile nicknames for it including the ever popular “Aunt Flo,” “Crimson Wave,” “Red River,” etc. The closest Hollywood representation of menstruation that I can remember is from cult classic, Carrie.  Throw me some tampons and maxi pads in the shower stall at school girls!!

As a woman, I fear we’re continuing to live our lives in the backroom when ‘Cousin Red’ comes for a visit. All menstruating women are acutely aware when on our period. We have all experienced menstrual leaks (staining of our underwear, clothing, and even chairs!), we understand that we have options for coping, and while we don’t ‘put it out there’ for public consumption or scrutiny, I’m still astonished that so many people found the photographs so odious.

In my opinion, our discomfort can be directly connected to ‘desensitization.’  Thanks to aggressive media (TV, Internet, movies), many of us are desensitized to violence, aggression and terrifying images of blood and gore. Hollywood has romanticized these things in some way as we can visit a comfortable theater, drive-in, or our very own Lazy-Boy recliner with drink and snack in hand, and watch crude material for hours on end with little concern, if any, at all.  (You know you’ve all enjoyed a good vampire flick — thank you Twilight and Dark Shadows–where blood-sucking human-like beings bite the necks of other humans and we remain relatively unphased.

BUT, when photographs of real women menstruating surface (doubtful that any of them were actually menstruating save the colored corn syrup, markers and costume makeup which were highly realistic..), we take cover.

Hmmmp……Really? Seriously?

                                                                                   That’s all I can muster….

…..Aside from suggesting we all ‘get over ourselves’ about one of the most natural, non-violent, biologically healthy things to happen to women for 3-8 days, every month, and for a minimum of four decades.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/menstruation-photography-shouldnt-be-shocking

Period Packs Earns Prestigious Ranking

We couldn’t be more proud of this honor and simply wanted to immediately share the news. THANK YOU to all our fans, supporters and clients! xoxo

PERIOD PACKS™ EARNS PRESTIGIOUS POSITION AS A LEADING MOM-OWNED BUSINESS

North Andover Gift Box Company Ranks Amid Top 200 of StartupNation.com’s Entrepreneur Competition

 

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (5.3.2012) – Period Packs, Inc., a Massachusetts-based theme gift box company which aims to bring a sense of celebration and understanding about the onset of menses to young ladies around the world and pamper postnatal mothers, has been ranked among a prestigious list of the nation’s top mom-owned businesses. Announced this week,  Period Packs was selected from thousands of contestants entered in StartupNation.com’s 2012 Leading Moms in Business competition — sponsored by Web.com and Sam’s Club.

More than 350,000 votes were cast in support of the 2012 contestants, reflecting immense interest in moms building businesses at the same time they tend to their families. “There has been a sea of change among moms who come to realize that adding entrepreneurship to their lives brings exhilaration and immense gratification, not to mention supplemental—sometimes primary—income to their families in these dicey economic times,” said Rich Sloan, chief startupologist and co-founder of StartupNation.

The 2012 Leading Moms in Business ranking highlights some of the dominant trends, motivations and attributes among moms in business including:

• A great eye for providing attractive discounts, coupons, savings and value, all especially important to consumer moms of the recession era.

• A likelihood to come up with innovative products and solutions to address the challenging maze of motherhood. It’s an environment that demands resourcefulness.

• Conscience-driven business, where “doing well” is just fine, but the real rush comes from doing good.

• The attraction of being your own boss looms large for moms wanting to take control they just can’t find in a day job.

• Sustainable solutions and responsible business practices are increasingly paramount.

• Making the most of social media for business benefit is seemingly a birthright for the socially adept moms.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be ranked among so many superior mom-owned businesses across the nation, but even more proud to learn that we have such a supportive demographic of clients and fans who recognize the value in what we do,” said Wendy Bulawa Agudelo, chief maxi of Period Packs, Inc.  “Our hearts are filled with appreciation–which will fuel us to further build upon what we’ve already accomplished to date.”

The full results of the 2012 Leading Moms in Business ranking are available on StartupNation’s website at http://www.startupnation.com/leading-moms-in-business, and Period Pack’s winning profile (#175) can be found at: http://www.startupnation.com/leading-moms-in-business/contestant/11721/index.php.

 

About StartupNation
StartupNation provides over 175,000 pages of business advice and networking for entrepreneurs and serves millions of entrepreneurs annually. StartupNation is a free service founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs with the intention of providing a one-stop shop for entrepreneurial success, including blogs from a host of experts, podcasts, webcasts, eBooks such as 23 Hot Businesses to Start Right Now award-winning step-by-step advice, and more. StartupNation co-founders, Rich Sloan and Jeff Sloan, are two of the country’s leading small business experts. The Sloan brothers speak frequently at entrepreneurial forums and recently hosted a Public Television special helping people transform their passions into business opportunities. They are authors of StartupNation: Open for Business, published by Doubleday. The Sloan brothers are regularly quoted and featured in media such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune Small Business, Entrepreneur Magazine, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, FOX News and many others.

 

About Period Packs, Inc.

Period Packs™ specializes in theme gifts for young ladies entering menses and postnatal mothers. Based in Massachusetts, the company was founded by a mom with a pure mission to ‘welcome young ladies to womanhood.’ Through a series of uniquely designed gift boxes and similarly themed items, Period Packs aims to bring a sense of celebration and understanding about the onset of menses to young ladies around the world, and pamper postnatal mothers. The company strives to educate woman about global female-focused news through its blog, Pack Talk, and also offers gifts for girls in need via its Pink Packs program. For more information about Period Packs, or to order Period Packs merchandise, please visit www.periodpacks.com.

The value of early education…

This past week, news headlines included a story about the birth of a child whose mother is only 10 years of age. The new mom is a member of the Wayuu people, an indigenous tribe located in northern Colombia/South America. The media interviewed several physicians from across North America who were relatively horrified (as were we) about the situation. Yet, very few of us can speak to the cultural norms for the Wayuu tribe.  The relevance of the news in our humble opinions highlighted an increasing need to alert our young women of the responsibilities they have as they grow older.

Dr. Kimberly Gecsi, an OB/GYN at UH Case Medical Center in Cleveland, OH said, “ The average age girls in the country start menstruating is about 12 and a half, but that age keeps dropping. Typically, menstruation is the last thing that happens in puberty,” adding that girls typically go through a growth spurt and develop breasts and pubic hair before menstruating. Further, medical professionals acknowledge the fact that ovulation precedes menstruation.

Since the founding of our business, our focus has always been on celebrating a girl’s entry into womanhood. We don’t feel it is at all our place to discuss highly personal choices as we are not physicians, researchers or experts on biology or medicine. We are instead experts in creative gifting.

As a subset to what we do—which is to celebrate becoming a woman—we also seek to assist young ladies (and their caregivers) in opening the lines of communication about some of the most sensitive subjects—at a time when no one really wants to talk.  Celebration doesn’t necessarily require a huge backyard barbeque or flower-covered floats in a parade. Sometimes, it’s just the simple things—like a small gift, shared bonding moment, or dinner together.

A critical piece of information that came from the news this week highlighted the biologic fact that young women can begin ovulating even before the onset of menstruation.

Wow…!  That news highlights how relevant educating our young ladies is today.

That fact took us by surprise and gave us a little scare as well. Historically however, by the time young men and women were 12-15, they were marrying and becoming parents themselves.  Again, it was frightening to some of us here to even think about that given that we currently live in evolved industrious times with much lengthier life cycles thank goodness.

Smallpox killed millions....

However, as this was the reality years ago when humans didn’t survive much beyond the age of 18-25 young, women would perish during childbirth (their bodies not yet fully ready to do so), young men out on the range due to hunting accidents or wars, and many more courtesy of rampant diseases such as smallpox and other plagues and pandemics.So it is actually quite natural and innate that tweens and teens alike struggle to be more mature and in control—and resist all parents’ efforts to keep them children for as long as we can.  At the same time, parents/caregivers are in a unique position where they must educate their children about the responsibilities of becoming an adult.   Now, we’re not talking about sex education (although we definitely believe that should become a part of a future discussion). Rather, simply talking about body changes (hair growth on genitalia, breast buds, acne, body odor) and how all of those things play-in to increased responsibility for them hygienically and socially. 

What the news suggested to us this week is that we must learn from our past and those that have gone before us, and recognize how valuable conversations are about puberty (regardless of how awkward) – even before our children reach it.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/04/06/10-year-old-girl-gives-birth-to-daughter/

Moldy Feminine Hygiene?…..ICK!!!!

As most women know (and likely a good number of men as well), feminine hygiene products are made of mostly organic ingredients found in nature—cotton being the most prevalent.  News headlines this week included a very real side effect of using said ingredients—mold. Yes, you read that correctly: mold. 

Texas resident Danielle Parr found unusual black spots growing on an unused tampon.  According to her own blog, she indicated that she noticed them upon accidentally popping the Kotex tampon out of its applicator. YUK!  Upon seeing the unusual decoration on something supposedly relatively sterile, she contacted Kotex tampon maker, Kimberly-Clark Corporation to report the issue, and was told by a company spokesperson that it was a substance she shouldn’t be too concerned about. Hmmm….really?

Her blog reads the response from Kimberly-Clarke, “In instances where it has been found, we conducted tests on the product involved and have found the mold to be a common environmental species that carries no health risk. The vegetative mold is similar in nature to mold on vegetables or in baked goods.”  In addition, they wrote, “Nothing is more important to us than consumer safety. Any discoloration or abnormality with our tampons is extremely rare, and we want to do a full investigation to determine the source and follow-up with our manufacturing facility.”

This incident seemed the perfect catalyst for us to again highlight alternative feminine hygiene products—such as the menstrual cup. This palm-sized medical-grade silicone product is used more broadly in Europe than the United States and currently, manufacturers are all headquartered outside of the United States.  DivaCup in Canada and Lunette in Finland, are two of the most popular.  Or, consider all-organic feminine hygiene products from such companies as Seventh Generation (which Period Packs currently carry) or Natracare —another solid option. Organic products not only use 100% pure cotton, but unbleached cotton (i.e. no chemicals).

Now, I’ve never personally found any mold on my tampons, and I switch from pads and tampons to menstrual cups depending on flow and range of activities when my period arrives.  My personal feeling is that there are definitely appropriate times to use all available products—but it is important for each woman to find the right products for her body and lifestyle needs.  Just be sure that the products you do use in/around your lady parts aren’t a gross-looking black, green, brown or yellow.

Danielle’s Blog: http://www.parrforthecourse.com/2012/03/tale-of-moldy-tampon.html