Periods are a fact of life for literally billions of women. It's really not a big deal—they happen, (usually) every month. And they can suck. But what if there was a service, designed to meet your cravings and your body's actual needs during that time of the month? Well, thanks to a Kickstarter campaign, there is.
Moon Cycle Bakery was imagined by Devin Loftus after a "West Coast bachelorette night" (because of course). The baked goods delivery service proclaims itself to be on a mission to "help women redefine their time of the month" by "celebrating the magic that lives within their cycle." I'm not making any of this up.
So, how does it work?
You can sign up online or via the Moon Cycle Bakery app (compatible for both iPhone and Android). This will allow you to create a bakery profile, indicating information ranging from what flavors you like (and hate) to what self-care rituals you swear by.
The app lets you track your period every month, personalize your package of sweet treats, confirm your order, change up your treat selections, skip a month (free of charge), or cancel your subscription all together.
You can also make one-time orders from the app and receive notifications when you're entering into your cravings-inducing time. The app will also let you know when your package will ship.
How much customization are we talking about?
Moon Cycle offers a couple different options, because no two cycles are the same. There's a year-long subscription package, delivered each month, that allows for three levels of customization: Crescent Moon (12 treats per year), Half Moon (24 treats per year), or Full Moon (36 treats per year). They plan on adding 3-month and 6-month subscriptions in the near future.
You can also order individual treats ($5, plus shipping and handling) or one-time packages ($10-15, plus shipping and handling).
But, what's in the box?
The treats offered range from Matcha Coconut Bites to Sweet Potato Brownies with Chocolate Chunks, Pearl Butter No-Bake Oatmeal Turmeric Cookies to Raspberry Black Bean Brownies with Primrose. On the website, each concoction is labeled with a description, ingredients, and key info (like whether its vegan, and what benefits it is targeting).
Moon Cycle promises all of its products to be made with high-quality, hormone-balancing, clean ingredients. Each combination is scientifically researched and consulted on with food experts.
To provide their customers with all possible information, Moon Cycle created the "Mission Control" page on their website that provides background, health benefits, and relevant studies for each of their ingredients.
Why would I sign up?
Moon Cycle dedicates itself to six key values: self care, self love, quality, empowerment, community and celebration. The brand is all about redefining what it means to have your period, by accepting the changes it brings to your body, fighting against the negative hormone imbalances, and addressing specific cravings with healthy, energizing indulgences.
Every woman deserves to be celebrated, and every month shouldn't be a time for pain and frustration. I'm all for the idea of finding a way to make my period all about supporting and empowering me, rather than giving into negative feelings and debilitating cramps. Not sure it fits into my college student budget, but if there comes a time when I can splurge on a yearly subscription, I'll be all in, at least for giving it a try.