Valentine’s Day is so soon and just in case you forgot to have the “Valentine’s Day is a corporate holiday so we will be having activist sex instead of exchanging gifts” conversation with your activity partners, friends or anyone else, here are some ideas.
Sex Toys
1. Octopussy Dildo ($50) – The sculpted glass Octopussy dildo offers a more unique sensation than a typical dildo and is great for g-spot stimulation (read our review).
2. Minna Limon ($119) – This crowd-funded vibrator,buzzes harder when you squeeze it harder, has only one button (to turn it down, off, or on, or record) and can record patterns you set.
3. We-Vibe 4 ($159) – The We-Vibe is a hands-free vibrator meant to be worn during penetrative sex. The latest version is more intense, smaller and comes with a remote control that allows six vibration modes and ten levels of intensity. (For a cheaper option, the We-Vibe 3 is still available.)
4. Bootie ($34) – Fun Factory’s cute silicone butt plug is perfect for anal beginners or experts. It’s just a little flexible, has a velvety texture and comes in black or purple.
5. Mustang ($116) – The Mustang is a mid-size VixSkin dildo that’s perfect for pack-and-play or just play (read our review). VixSkin is soft and slightly sticky, and VixSkin dildos have enough of a core that they stays in place during all but the most enthusiastic sex. For something slightly bigger, check out the Maverick, and for significantly bigger, check out the Outlaw. The Mustang comes in chocolate, vanilla or caramel.
6. SpareParts’ Tomboi Harness ($75) – The Tomboi is part of the “basically underwear” harness category and is made of quick-drying nylon and spandex.
7. SpareParts’ Sasha Harness ($152) – A femmier version of the “basically underwear” harness category with ribbons that adjust the cut from boyshorts to high-cut panties.
8. Bondage Tape ($9) – PVC bondage tape comes in black, red or pink and is the perfect way to tie someone up quickly and easily and without owning a set of more expensive restraints. Bondage tape sticks only to itself, is reusable if you’re careful and disposable if you aren’t, and looks totally innocuous (read our review).
9. Crocodile Clamps ($20) – These nipple clamps are rubber tipped for comfort and have adjustable pressure to suit a wide range of experience levels, body parts and pain tolerances.
10. Bondage Belt ($55) – Aslan’s leather bondage belt is a good way to walk around wearing the wrist restraints you plan to use later.
Sexy Books
1. Best Lesbian Erotica 2014, edited by Kathleen Warnock ($13) – The latest edition of Cleis Press’s annual lesbian erotica anthology includes an introduction by Sarah Schulman and stories by D.L. King, Sinclair Sexsmith, Cheyenne Blue, Xan West and more.
2. Sometimes She Lets Me: Best Butch Femme Erotica, edited by Tristan Taormino ($13) – Features a whole lot of playing with gender and sexy playing (read our review and excerpts.)
3. Take Me There: Trans and Genderqueer Erotica, edited by Tristan Taormino ($13) – Stories by contributors such as Kate Bornstein, Patrick Califia, S. Bear Bergman, Ivan E. Coyote and Julia Serano feature multiple gender presentations, sexualities and orgasms.
4. Smut Peddler, edited by Various Hands ($22) – Basically a comic book anthology of porn, lots of it queer, featuring Erika Moen, Jess Fink, Carla Speed McNeil, EK Weaver and others.
5. Wild Girls, Wild Nights: True Lesbian Sex Stories, edited by Sacchi Green ($13) – A collection of memoir erotica with stories that include fox-hunt-themed orgies, first spankings, experimentation, swimming pool sex and more.
6. Say Please: Lesbian BDSM Erotica, edited by Sinclair Sexsmith ($12) – With contributors including Rachel Kramer Bussel, Sossity Chiricuzio, Kiki Delovely, Dusty Horn, Sassafras Lowrey, Miriam Zoila Pérez and Xan West, Say Please explores gender and power dynamics and sexuality (read our interview).
7. The Feminist Porn Book, edited by Tristan Taormino ($18) – Writers and porn stars like Susie Bright, Candida Royalle, Betty Dodson, Nina Hartley, Dylan Ryan, Jiz Lee, April Flores and more challenge the idea of porn as a monolithic entity as part of a larger discussion on porn, feminism and sexuality.
8. Are the Lips a Grave?: A Queer Feminist on the Ethics of Sex, by Lynne Huffer ($27) – In this academic discussion of current ideas about queerness and feminism related to sex, Huffer rethinks contemporary ethics and sexual morality. For smartypantses.
Other Ideas
1. “Straddle This” boxer briefs ($16) – Hot.
2. Robot Cufflinks ($23) – Retro-looking robots for dapper-looking humans.
3. Tulip Lite Yellow Umbrella ($20) – Stay dry and pretend it’s a sunny day out.
4. Liberator’s Fastinator Throe ($59–$99) – This throw has a soft surface and a water-resistant middle to keep lube, bodily fluids and general mess from soaking through. It’s reversible, machine washable, and comes in black, red, grey, eggplant and several other colors.
5. Lesbian Curves ($28) – A full-length feature from Trouble Films starring Courtney Trouble, Kitty Stryker, Kelly Shibari, Betty Blac, Sophia St James, Sandy Bottoms, Peppermint Fatty and Eden Alexander.
6. Te Amo pillowcase set (30$) – Declare your love or your love for Rihanna with pillows with words on them.
7. CrashPad Vol. 1 ($20) – Own five episodes of season 1 of the Feminist Porn Award-winning lesbian/queer porn series on DVD.
8. You Do You flask ($16) – For on-the-go drinking and Autostraddle flagging with equal ease.
9. Boudoir Box ($28) – This 12″x5″x3″ fabric box lets you store some of your sex toys and comes with a lock.
10. Beyoncé ($16) – Self-explanatory.
11. Good Vibes’s Rub Me massage bar ($6) – Comes in flavours like French vanilla, pomegranate mint, amber rose and more.
12. Classic Soft Covered Notebook ($13) – This soft-covered take on Moleskin’s classic notebook will let you write down your feelings.
For more help with sexy holiday shopping:
- Babeland’s Sexy Gifts and Sex Kits
- Good Vibes’s Sexy Queer Gift Guide
- Autostraddle’s Guide To Choosing The Perfect Vibrator
- Autostraddle’s Strap-On Guide and Guide to Harnesses for Trans Women
- Autostraddle’s bondage toy guide
- Autostraddle’s Boyshorts 101 and Boyshorts and Girltrunks 102, Cologne and Perfume 101, Bra Shopping Guide, and 25 sweaters with cats on them.
feature image via maximumwallhd
I plan to buy the flask in the coming days for myself. Sadly I have no valentine, but if I did, I still be getting the flask for myself and then getting one of those toys to share ;)
Guys. Guys. My new(ish) girlfriend’s BIRTHDAY is on Valentines day. She says she’s always thought of it as a curse so I have to do something awesome right? I’m stuck!!
It sounds like she was trying to make it easy on you rather than a challenge.
Not sure if you want advice, so disregard if you don’t. But, depending on how new of a girlfriend she is, you might do best with an “experience” present rather than a “thing” present. Plus, those can be really fun, and can be a bonding experience. It makes her day special and fun in a way that a regular present might not, and it’s also something you can spend as much or as little on as you want, and you can tailor it to both your interests and preferences.
I agree with this statements, and also add that you should take her out for cupcakes at the end and bring a candle (plus a lighter if you live in a city where that’s okay). Because it’s the perfect mix of sweet remembering and not too much pressure.
“This 12″x5″x3″ fabric box lets you store some of your sex toys”
I like the lets-be-real “some of” qualifier. My toy collection outgrew the satin bag they started out in at some point when I lived in Chicago, which I realized when I was moving to LA and couldn’t cram them all back in there. I was super freshly post-break up upset and just trying to get the hell out of my weird roommate situation and over to sunny California, so I ended up throwing them in a giant Dunkin’ Doughnuts plastic bag where they continued to live for longer than I’d like to admit. I always felt like there was some kind of Dunkin’ Doughnuts pun or innuendo there but I don’t know what.
My girlfriend and I are superenthusiastic about the VixSkin line of dildos. If you are turned off or at least not put off by realism (for they are extremely realistic), I have to see another kind of dick that beats VixSkin. They feel simply amazing. A little squishy, so it doesn’t damage your delicate parts as your delighted partner tries to insert it into you — yet definitely very solid, not floppy by any means. It just… packs a wallop. Seriously, if you’re the one wearing it, it feels amazing to just walk around with it and rub on it with your hand, as if masturbating. :) That’s how good that surface feels to me.
Easy to clean. A GIANT one.
Out of the three VixSkin models that we tried — Mustang, Johnny, and Lonestar — the Lonestar has emerged as our definite favourite. We find that most dildos are too long for us and not nearly wide enough. That was Mustang’s problem in particular. Johnny was nice and wide, except TOO wide at the head and far too long (OUCH! STOP BANGING MY CERVIX! THAT’S NOT HOT!” :) At 6″ long and a meaty 7 1/8th inches thick, the Lonestar was nearly perfect (5.5″ long would have made it truly perfect, but that’s the closest they get to my ideal dick in their line-up :)).
A bonus: the Johnny and the Lonestar (as well as a few other of their creations” have balls. Which press really nicely into the penetrating partner’s nether regions as she bangs her co-sexer.
FYI, the full list is here. Dimension, pictures, prices:
http://www.vixencreations.com/vixskin.php
FYI: the info in the post is incorrect. The Maverick is bigger than the Mustang. And the Outlaw is too (that part is correct). The Outlaw is just a MONSTER, actually. Check out Johnny, Lonestar, Buck for something bigger, Goodfella and Spur for smaller.
P.S. I’m really not associated with VixSkin. You can tell that I did some obsessive amount of research on this issue at some point. :D
Thanks, Taylor! Fact: I get the Maverick and the Mustang mixed up every single time I talk about them. (As might go without saying, there is no mixing up the Outlaw.)
My friend got me Smut Peddler as a late Birthmas present C: I’m reading it kind of slowly (since i can’t rightly take it to work with me to read on lunch break), & of course anthologies can have hit or miss stories, but i’m still happy with it thus far! My two cents : )
They make soft Moleskinnies now??? Also that Octopussy thing, ggggggggggeeeeeeeeeeez. I mean, what?
This will be my first Valentine’s Day being single in five years! I just celebrated by shopping for a new vibrator and bunch of queer erotica. I can’t wait to meet my new vibrator. I hope we hit if off. First dates on Valentine’s can put a lot of pressure on a new relationship, but I think we can handle it.
It’s becoming pretty clear that I should have started being single kind of a long time ago.
That said, I would give up the single life immediately for someone who bought me robot cufflinks.
The link to the review of the Octopussy Dildo comes up with “page not found” which is disappointing, but omg have you all seen the awesomeness that is the updated error page? I will never be (that) sad about broken links on AS again.
omg
The link is now unbroken!
At ladiesofchic.com The online adult boutique for women we are offering specials for this Valentines Day and during February.
$10 off Discount Codes for:
Minna Limon: LoveLimon
Leaf Bloom Plus: PurplePower
$25off WeVibe 3 Discount Code: Cupid
As well as free bottle of toy cleaning with the We-vibe 4 during your purchases if you mention this post.
Happy Valentines Day!