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Lovehoney.com Curvy Toyfriend Giveaway

Raise your hand if you love toy giveaways.

(Okay, you can put your hand down now.)

Lovehoney.com, the sexual happiness people, will provide one reader with a tickler from Toyfriend.

What Match.com and OKCupid are to dating, the tickler Toyfriends are to vibrators! There's a perfect partner out there just waiting for you!

They offer a variety of fun sizes, colors and curious shapes in their line of battery operated special friends.

Eric Kalen, the founder of LELO and Tickler, is more than just the designer behind this cute and fun line of playful vibrators. He's also a matchmaker of sorts, helping us find our vibrator soul-mates, hook-ups or casual romances.

Who doesn't want to fall in love?

With fun, whimsical and functional designs that offer quality and affordability in one convenient and colorful package.

All Toyfriend products are:

  • Made from 100% body-safe silicone;
  • 100% waterproof; and
  • Quiet enough so that no one will know what you’re doing unless you want them to.

For this giveaway, one lucky winner will receive a very special Toyfriend: The Curvy Rocket 5-Function Silicone G-Spot Vibrator! Designed for maximum stimulation, this silicone vibrator is detailed with ridges and bulbs along its full length. Tickler's waterproof vibrator has a gradually-increasing girth for fulfilling G-spot stimulation with every thrust.

An ideal vibrator for experienced sex toy users and beginners alike, this smooth silicone sex toy is tailored for internal stimulation. Offering a smooth insertion that gives way to 6 ever-increasing curves to tease and please your internal pleasure zones.

The design also allows for sensational external play as the ridged contours tease and please your clitoris and labia with a wealth of intensely stimulating textures.

Explore the 5 intense vibration settings, including 3 patterns and 2 speeds with the easy-to-use soft push button base. Scroll through each titillating setting by pushing the button, holding it down for a few seconds to switch the toy off completely.

For maximum enjoyment, use this vibrator with plenty of water-based lubricant. If you remember, silicone lubricant on a silicone toy can make the product tacky to the touch.

Batteries, instructions, a presentation stand and Tickler's one-year warranty also come included.

How can you enter to win a Curvy toy?

Comment below to enter with the following phrase:

I’d love a Curvy Rocket Toyfriend from Lovehoney.com!

This giveaway will run through Saturday, March 23, 2013. The winner must reside in the United States. Only one comment per person. The winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. Pursuant to FTC Guidelines, no compensation or goods have been received in exchange for this post.

If you’re interested in more chances to win a Toyfriend product, comment on this Lovehoney.com blog post between now and March 31st.

Good luck!

50 Shades Class in WTOP

I joke to my students that The 50 Shades Trilogy class is on its last few seconds of fame. Once people began to realize that the class is academic in nature with a rigorous curriculum, media interest in the story understandably died down. 

WTOP recently posted an article about The 50 Shades Trilogy, after reporter Natalie Plumb attended a class. The full article is available here, but an excerpt follows:

“There’s a lot of misperception that I’m a sexologist who wants to talk about sex with the students, teach BDSM, which in my opinion would be completely inappropriate,” Woods says. “That’s not what my class is about, and I don’t think that’s what a challenging liberal arts education such as is offered here at American is about.”

Woods says when she read “Fifty Shades of Grey,” the first book in the series, her initial thoughts were far from teaching a course on it.

“When I first read the book, I kept saying how ridiculous it was since I personally don’t know of any 22-year-old virgin, who meets a 26-year-old billionaire, who then engages in a controlling relationship with her,” she says.

Have you read any of the trilogy? What were your thoughts on Anastasia and Christian’s relationship?

Child Care in the City

The adage, “the early bird catches the worm,” was never more apropos than when thinking about child care in Washington, DC. Although NW DC isn’t Manhattan, I had a premonition that the process would still be complex and expensive. Boy, was I right!

Back when I was 21, I worked as a live-in nanny for a summer in DC. There are a myriad of respected nanny and au pair agencies in this city, and an agency helps to assuage concerns and make sure that all legal and financial ducks are in a row. However, the cost of using such agencies is exorbitant.  How exorbitant? Through an agency, a family can spend up to $4,000 a month!

Costs can be somewhat more manageable if you don’t work with an agency, but the risks and responsibilities are higher! Likewise, the thought of having an extra adult in a two-bedroom apartment with a home office sounds limiting and a bit cramped!

My building only has one other child in it – just one! I like the idea of encouraging Little Bit to interact with other children her age. That won’t happen if she’s just around adults all the time.

The aforementioned factors caused child care centers to seem like the best bet. All of the centers we visited boast low teacher/children ratios, customized programming, and very good reputations.

Prices for child care centers in DC are still significantly higher than centers in most of the United States. How much higher? Well, the average family in the US spends $972 a month on child care. In DC, infant care at a center typically runs $2,000 a month. $2,000!

The most surprising part of this process, though, is the wait list. Quite a few child care centers within a 20-minute walk of my building in NW DC have a wait list of 18-24 months. That’s a waitlist for a newborn! Think about it. You need to know before you’re pregnant that you might get pregnant in a year or 18 months! Is anyone that telepathic?  One center director admitted that a woman had placed her baby-to-be on the wait list when she was neither pregnant nor in a relationship. As ridiculous as that sounds, that’s not a bad strategy with such long waiting periods!

I was reluctant to move forward with much involving the baby-to-be until I reached the third trimester, but I thankfully got on several wait lists for child care centers back in early February. Two of the centers expect to have openings in the late summer, which would work out perfectly! (Yes, I'm keeping my fingers crossed!)

I trust that Little Bit will end up wherever she is meant to me. And, I also recognize that I might not want to be away from her for five days a week every week. For now, though, I’m glad our child care ducks appear to be in a row.

For those of you who live in major metropolitan areas and are planning on having children, check out centers near your home and work and find out their wait lists sooner rather than later. I saw one woman with a baby approach a center only to find out that she’s out of luck…until 2015!

What’s the child care situation in your area like?

Laura Meets Jeffrey Book Giveaway

Interested in winning a copy of Laura Meets Jeffrey? Read on to find out more about the book, author and how you can enter this giveaway!

Laura Meets Jeffrey while she’s working in an upscale New York City brothel in 1980 and they share an apocalyptic moment. It’s love at first orgasm. And so begins their double lives in a real life version of Fifty Shades of Grey.

Laura Meets Jeffrey is a love story, a name-dropping, hilarious, shameless erotic cyclone, a documentary of the excesses, dangers and extreme edges of sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll, and a close-up personal history of sexual liberation’s primetime. 



At dinner parties she’s known as a witty lingerie model and jewelry artisan, and a famous film director’s ex-lover. He’s her media wizard boyfriend, a designer discovered by John Lennon who worked for John & Yoko, Apple Records and the Rolling Stones, and then created Puritan, the world’s largest-selling explicit sex magazine. On weekends he boxes with Ryan O’Neal and Jose Torres. 



And at night, in the erotic demimondes of New York, Miami and LA, Laura and Jeffrey romp through waves of drugs and lascivious exploration and dive into S&M, porn star threesomes, orgies, glory holes and sex clubs as our unquenchable libidomaniacs fulfill their wildest fantasies.



The late Norman Mailer wrote the Foreword to Laura Meets Jeffrey and considered his famous interview with Jeffrey and Laura on “Ethics and Pornography,” excerpted as a bonus chapter in this book, one of the best of the more than 600 he gave in his lifetime. Besides bequeathing the Foreword, Mailer gave guidance to this account of two lovers, who missed none of the wild era just before the door slammed shut on sexual freedom and aren’t afraid to reveal all of it. 

“There is no such thing as great sex unless you have an apocalyptic moment.” 

• “The difference between writing and literature is agreeable style and irony. This book has both.” 

• “Objective, funny, salacious and perversely-dare I say it- uplifting!” —- Norman Mailer

“Undeniably brilliant.” — Legs McNeil, legendary punk journalist and author of the book's introduction

“Swimming in audacity.” — Dwayne Raymond

"I LOVE Laura Meets Jeffrey!! It makes me laugh out loud; it makes me horny; it leaves me in awe. It's a very funny book. Michelson writes about sex in a way that blows my mind, and his writing, and the point- counterpoint of his voice with Laura’s, brings them to life. What a fascinating character she is! When I finished Laura Meets Jeffrey there was a void. I miss being there." — Elizabeth Mailer
 
Would you like to meet the co-author, Jeffrey Michelson?  Join us on the Goodreads' "Book of the Month" club on The BDSM Group!
 
Want to hear more from the co-author, Laura Bradley?  Read her interview in the UK Daily Mail!
 
Want to enter to win a hard or electronic copy of Laura Meets Jeffrey?
 
Comment to enter below with the title of the book, "Laura Meets Jeffrey," by Friday, March 15th. One entry per person. The winning comment will be chosen at random by Random.org. A hard copy of the book can only be shipped to a winner in the continental United States. Pursuant to FTC Guidelines, no compensation has been received for this post.

Good luck!

50 Shades Class on The District Dish

I always have a great time being interviewed on The District Dish with Kate Michael of K Street Magazine! This month, I was featured on the show for my class on The 50 Shades Trilogy. I thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to speak at length abut the class and help debunk some of the misperceptions about sexuality studies and what I'm teaching. You can catch the full interview here:

 

 

I learned at the interview that I was the only guest to be featured on The District Dish three times! Some of you might recall my first interview as an anonymous relationship and sex blogger with my face pixeled out. Sixteen months later, I was back at The District Dish table talking about my breast cancer journey and the Komen Race for the Cure. My, how things have changed!

Hope you enjoy the interview!

Pregnant After Cancer

I’m not a fan of pregnancy websites.

I haven’t bought a single book about pregnancy or parenting.

I have little interest in receiving well-intentioned advice from my friends who are moms. Likewise, I'm not one for rejoicing or commiserating much with my friends who are pregnant.

With only three months left to my pregnancy, I only just started a registry.

People who don't realize how much experience I have with infant and child care misperceive my actions – or lack thereof – as denial or uncertainty. I don’t think it’s either.

I’m pregnant after cancer.

More accurately, I’m pregnant:

I’m charting my own unique path yet again. In doing so, I’m trying to navigate the joys and fears of expecting a baby after cancer.

The joys are numerous, and I recognize what a blessing and miracle this is! My body defied the odds to conceive naturally at my age following chemotherapy-induced menopause. And, I’ve thankfully had a great pregnancy thus far. The doctors couldn’t be happier with how she’s developing and how my health is faring. For the first time in my life, I'm hearing words like, "perfect" and "better than normal," in reference to my health!

I also find myself far less stressed than the overwhelming majority of my pregnant friends. I’m used to changes with my health, my weight, my activity level, and my sleep. Doctors’ appointments were already a part of my weekly routine, and I’m actually taking fewer vitamins now than before I was pregnant. Listening to my body, heeding my doctors’ advice, and restricting my schedule as needed have been my default modes.

The concerns that accompany being pregnant after cancer also seem more pronounced.  A cancer patient’s risk of recurrence drops noticeably after five years in remission, and I’m not even halfway to that milestone. I’ve had health issues since I was a baby, and three of my conditions have a genetic component. The doctors also believe that my mom and I carried a genetic predisposition for breast cancer with a gene that has yet to be discovered.

To add another layer to the mix, I am an only child. My daughter will be an only child. I lost my mom to cancer when I was 24 years old. I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 37. (I could have easily titled this post, “Pregnant After Losing Your Mom To Cancer and Then Having Cancer.”)

I know that I will raise my daughter to be aware and proactive about her health. But, I pray that she doesn’t have my genes, as I simultaneously hope that medicine continues to advance with each passing year.

Those concerns exist, but they’re on my mind far less than the larger fear:

That my cancer will return and I won’t be around to watch my daughter grow up.

There, I said it. It doesn’t make the fear any less scary. It doesn’t mean that I have any more control over the situation. But, it’s one explanation for why I’m going to view pregnancy differently from most.

Yes, I’m grateful to be in remission. But, 30% of breast cancers return in a metastatic form. The women who must face a Stage IV recurrence have just as much fight and faith (if not more!) as those whose cancer doesn’t return.

After reading a post from Lisa Adams in which she describes talking to her teenage daughter about her metastatic breast cancer, I sat in front of my laptop and sobbed. I have the same reaction when I read Facebook posts from my friend with a Stage IV recurrence. She just wants to be with her children as much as she can for as long as she can.

I feel my fear when it hits me. I cry for a few minutes. I say a prayer and trust in God's plan. And then, I move on. There’s only so much emotional energy I can devote to the unknown…or a registry…or a pregnancy side effect. I don’t know any other way to be.

Lelo Soraya Giveaway

In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th, Lelo is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a Soraya, one of its premier adult products!

What’s a Soraya, and how can you enter for a chance to win one?

The Soraya is part of Lelo’s award-winning Insignia line of toys. It provides external (clitoral) and internal (vaginal) stimulation with two individual motors. The Soraya features eight different vibrating modes to allow each user to find her perfect level of intensity. The product is sleek with an easy, three-button interface. It’s also waterproof and completely rechargeable. As with all Lelo toys, the Soraya is made of FDA-approved materials and comes with a one-year warranty. You can learn more about the toy and watch a promotional video about it here.

The Soraya dual-action vibrator retails for $199, but you can win one by commenting with the best answer to the following:

Tell a story of a woman in your life or famous female personality who has inspired you the most and why.

This giveaway will run through Friday, March 8, 2013 (International Women’s Day). The lucky winner can reside anywhere in the world. Please only one comment per person. If you’d like to double your chances to win, like Lelo on Facebook. Lelo will be posting its own Soraya giveaway this week!

Check back on Saturday to find out who the lucky winner is. If your entry isn’t chosen, you'll still receive a promotional code to enjoy 20% off any Lelo product!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with International Women’s Day, "it has been observed since in the early 1900's. Annually on March 8th, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more."

Good luck!

* Pursuant to FTC Guidelines, Lelo will provide the winning entry with a Soraya without any compensation to me.

Why I Dislike Maternity Pants

Some women swear by maternity clothes, claiming that they’re so comfortable that they wish they could wear them long after they’re pregnant.

I do not ascribe to this view.

Pregnancy websites attempt to persuade women to start shopping for maternity clothes in their first trimester. By the second trimester, these sites claim that even if a woman doesn’t need to wear maternity clothes, she’ll probably feel better if she does. Talk about pressure to conform and spend even more money while you’re pregnant!

I just entered the third trimester, and I’ve worn maternity pants on four separate occasions. Total.

Why haven’t I wanted to wear maternity clothes? For the simple reason that I haven’t found them to be comfortable at all!

See, maternity pants have a layer of fabric that go over your belly. The extra material just makes your mid section look bigger and doesn't fall inconspicously under any tops. Why would I want to accentuate that area more? And, since I'm tall, if I wear maternity pants over my belly, they look like they're cropped above my ankles.

Maternity Leggings

On vacation two weeks ago, I wore maternity pants one day on the trip. That was the only day I received comments from people at the hotel about being pregnant. Let's do a photo recap to help prove my point.

stef woods, city girl blogs,

My shirt falls naturally over my bump while I'm playing tourist.

Two days later, wearing the same top in a different color with maternity pants underneath. See how the top of the pants draws more attention to the belly? I also had discomfort in my low back after only a few hours since the material is confining. (I didn't do as much walking on this day either. It really was just the pants!)

For those of you who find maternity pants to be comfortable, great! Do — and wear — what works for you! Likewise, I appreciate that some women want to draw attention to their baby bumps. I'm just not one of them. For now, I'll keep my eyes out for the few brands of low-rise maternity pants on the market and continue to wear the few non-maternity pants that still fit for as long as I can.

Seductive Couplets Giveaway

Want to win a Seductive Couplets’ game?

“What’s that?” you might be wondering!

Seductive Couplets emerged organically for a woman in a long-term relationship who observed how easy it is to be in the same physical space as her partner, but not see each other (also known as ‘Roommatitis’). She set the stage with one line and let him discover what delicious surprise she had in store, to the delight of them both.

More and more games popped up, and a funny thing happened! Their good humor leaked out into their practical matters, and their disputes over domestic matters subsided. They developed light-heartedness and playfulness in their interactions, and their bond strengthened, creating an atmosphere of love and appreciation.

She decided to share this delicious boon so that other couples could cure their Roommatitis. Seductive Couplets is a game for everyday couples like you and your partner. Enticing and entertaining scenarios with sample scripts provide a playground where everyday events become as sweet as honey. Seductive role-play transports you through space and time, from a high-stakes showdown in the Wild West to revitalizing your senses under a waterfall in the Amazon. Intimate surprises from your partner keep you both smiling all day long!

Seductive Couplets keep couples bonded using a couple of our most primal gifts: play and carnal pleasure. Slide a card in his pocket or slip one in her intimates’ drawer. Each game has sweet nectar ready to be enjoyed.

Come savor the sweetness inside! Check out the Seductive Couplets’ website for more information about the product.

Want to win a copy of the game? Comment once before Monday, March 4, 2013, for your chance to enter. Your comment must include the phrase, “Seductive Couplets.”

A winner will be chosen randomly by Random.org. The winner must reside in the continental United States to receive the game. Good luck!

* Pursuant to FTC Guidelines, this giveaway is being conducted without direct compensation to me. One free product will be given to the winner reader in exchange for this post.

Halfway There

I had hoped for a photograph from my 18-week sonogram that was worth showing a few loved ones. That didn’t happen, though. Instead, I was given an ultrasound picture that looked as though the fetus came straight out of a Frida Kahlo painting.

If everything was good from a health perspective, though, that's what was important.

My 20-week sonogram was far less uncomfortable than the first. I attribute that to the fact that the radiology technician accepted that fact that Little Bit doesn't like to be disturbed.  The moment that the technician moved the sonogram wand toward her face she put her hand up to try to swat the wand away.

“She doesn’t want to be bothered, does she?” the technician commented.

“That seems to be her default mode,” I said, laughing.

The technician turned on the 4D technology to see her face. I smiled when I saw her lips, nose and chin. Even at 20 weeks, her features were pronounced enough that I could tell whose features she had.

As the technician tried to gently move her for a full-face photograph, she moved her arms up in front of her face.

“She’s a smart and stubborn one!” the technician exclaimed.

“I’ve heard that before,” I replied, laughing.

He took the best picture that he had of her face and printed it out. Now, this picture was a keeper!

When he moved on to measure my cervical length, he commented that everything was perfect. Little Bit looked great, and my cervix was measuring almost a centimeter better than expected.

The following week in my monthly appointment with Dr. OB, she also uttered the words, "great," and "perfect." I doubted that I would ever hear those words with respect to my health and not feel both surprised and grateful.

I was more than halfway through my pregnancy. With each week and each pair of non-maternity pants that no longer fit, I realized how real this was.