Can it really be, almost two years since we’ve been in a pandemic, 18 months or so since mask mandates began.
When we started wearing masks, I lugged out the sewing machine and found some simple enough patterns to follow and used up fabric that had been languishing in my fabric drawer. I didn’t have elastics and couldn’t run out and get some so it was fixed length ear loops.
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As the pandemic and physical distancing continued, my homemade masks clearly did not cut it and I made my first order for commercially made reusable face masks.
Before proceeding, this post is not advice on anything related to type of mask or anything. Just sharing my experience shopping at the website below and their selection as I have for clothes or home stuff.
From the outset, I’ve been wary about adding to the landfills with disposable masks and all this time, I haven’t opted for single-use masks.
Pretty randomly, it seems, I made my purchase through Vistaprint – one adult one for me and one child one for Kiddo because Baby was too young to wear one and NPY is an adult who should take care of himself, especially when he has his opinions about Covid and my response. (That being said, he wore the Old Navy cloth surgical-style ones I bought plenty of and didn’t act on his own initiative.)
Kiddo helped me decide between two for mine and I can’t remember the other option but of course he chose Lucky Cat. I chose for him Planets.
They turned out to fit really well around my* face and miserly that I am, I didn’t use the provided filter (kind of like coffee filter weight back then). I just didn’t use it often because it is so loud!
These days, the recommendations have shifted and cloth masks don’t cut it – a non-woven layer is better protection against highly transmissable Omicron variant. Disposable surgical masks, N95 if you can find it (I have not gone looking), KN95 (if you find a legit one), KF94, CAN95, etc. While I bought the 2x 50-pack of black surgical masks from Costco on NPY’s request and Kiddo is wearing kid-sized disposable masks (new one every day) for school, I’m still reluctant to dispose of a mask every day.
Fit seems to be a big part of the new recommendations and surgical masks are hit and miss so I’m giving the Old Navy cloth surgical-style masks a rest and it’s back to my red Lucky Cat and a couple of red company branded masks NPY’s work gave him. Instead of being miserly, and to have that non-woven layer, I purchased pack of 100 refills. The red masks are very clashing with my wardrobe that tends towards greens and blues. So, it was time for another Vistaprint order. I bought one brand from London Drugs early on because of the print (lemons) but it was a poor fit so I no longer own that mask. Why order elsewhere if I’ve found my fit?
- Solid black mask. Maybe it even fits NPY since it’s Adult Large that I’m ordering.
- Leaves – I fall for palm leaves print evident with the nursing and infant seat cover, my Mountain Warehouse jacket and a hard-shell card case that I bought from London Drugs.
- Sun & Clouds – so whimsical and seems like Asian cutesy without like having nursery-style jungle animals or ABCs.
- Floral: Dark – I forgot I had ordered this and it totally kept catching my eye.
