For the Ladies: Review and Giveaway of the Diva Cup

Discussing menstrual products on my blog.  Its a tricky thing.  The hub even made me show this to him before I put it up.  Sometimes I can be the queen of TMI.  I guess he's trying to keep me at the princess level of TMI so we can hold on to our family's dignity.  But talking about menstrual cycles isn't such a big deal! It just depends on how you do it.  So don't worry, I won't embarrass you or me in this post. Okay? Okay.

I contacted Carinne Chambers at Diva International because I believe in their product.  I've used a Diva Cup for nearly four years (not the same one, mind you) and its quite possibly the easiest and the smartest thing I've done to reduce my eco-footprint on the earth.  Back when I first started to use the Diva Cup, it seemed a cheap alternative to the feminine hygiene products I could get at the drugstore.  It bothered me that I had to buy new product every few months especially as I tend to like the ones that are more expensive.  Now, four years later, I haven't gone back to disposable products because its easy to use the Diva Cup.  Seriously!  The learning curve isn't very steep at all.  If I can use one, anyone can.  Sorry, no instruction video here to show you.  That would embarrass my hub.

You can check out all of the info on the Diva Cup website about their product.  The Cup is made from the highest quality silicone, has no chlorine, dyes, colorings or additives of any kind, and is in no way connected to Toxic Shock Syndrome.  Further, it has been approved by the FDA, Health Canada, and holds an international ISO 13485:2003 manufacturing certification.  The Diva Cup was developed by a mother-daughter team who recognize that “not every woman can afford a hybrid car nor easily convert their home to solar power. Yet, by choosing to use a menstrual cup instead of disposable tampons and pads, any woman is able to make an environmentally responsible choice each month. This is no small matter. In the U.S. alone, billions of tampons and pads are dumped into landfills and the environment each year" (Carinne Chambers).


Yes, yes, all of that is well and good but you really want to know what its like to use it, don't you?  Short of getting a bit too graphic on a family-friendly blog, I can tell you that inserting it and taking it out takes a little practice. Otherwise, its a breeze to use.  You can use the same cup for a year or even longer according to the FAQ.  I've used the ones I've had for over a year before replacing them.  The Diva Cup comes in two sizes: Model 1 is for women younger than 30 who have not experienced childbirth; Model 2 is for women over 30 and/or those who have given birth.  It also comes with a cute little drawstring bag and Diva pin. 


BUY IT

You can find a store near you that sells the Diva Cup here.
or
You can purchase one online at Amazon.

WIN IT
One lucky woman will win a Diva Cup of her own.  To earn a mandatory entry, go to the Diva Cup site and tell me something you've learned about the product itself or about women's health.   (Mandatory entry means that if you don't do this first, all of your other entries will be disqualified.)

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a public follower of Moana Saves via Google Friend Connect (on the left side).

2.  Follow me on Twitter.

3. Follow @DivaCup on Twitter

4. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following:
#Win a Diva Cup ($40 ARV) from @moanasaves and @DivaCup #giveaway http://bit.ly/cYUpd5

5. Subscribe to my feed via RSS reader (right side) and/or email updates (left side).

6. Grab my button and put it on your blog until the giveaway is over.

7. Put Moana Saves on your blog list.

Two new options for this giveaway:

8. Like the (new!) Moana Saves Facebook page.

9. Like the Diva Cup Facebook page.

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. or Canada  This giveaway ends on Tuesday, October 5th at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

Disclosure: I did not receive any form of compensation from Diva International to host this giveaway.  Any and all opinions are my own.