Our Digital Catalog - Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! Click here to view our Digital Catalog - Valentine's Edition, for great gift giving ideas!  All orders over $75 Ship FREE! (Ground shipping only).

Fun Facts about Valentine's Day!

When did it all start?

There are various theories on the origin of Valentine's Day, but the most popular dates back to the time of the Roman Empire during the reign of Claudius II, 270 AD. Claudius didn't want men to marry during wartime because he believed single men made better soldiers. Bishop Valentine went against his wishes and performed secret wedding ceremonies. For this, Valentine was jailed and then executed by order of the Emperor on February 14. While in jail, he wrote a love note to the jailor's daughter signing it, "From your Valentine." Sound familiar?

More Valentine's Day-related History

• The ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia on February 14th in honor of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses. Juno was also the goddess of women and marriage.
• Many believe the 'X' symbol became synonymous with the kiss in medieval times. People who couldn't write their names signed in front of a witness with an 'X.' The 'X' was then kissed to show their sincerity.
• Girls of medieval times ate bizarre foods on St. Valentine's Day to make them dream of their future spouse.
• In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would wear this name pinned onto their sleeves for one week for everyone to see. This was the origin of the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve."
• In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared February 14th the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.

Chocolate

• Casanova, well known as "The World's Greatest Lover," ate chocolate to make him virile.
• Physicians of the 1800's commonly advised their patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining for lost love.
• Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolates for Valentine's Day in the late 1800's.
• More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day.
• Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S.

Flowers

• 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.
• 15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.

Roses

• The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.
• Red roses are considered the flower of love because the color red stands for strong romantic feelings.
• 189 million stems of roses are sold in the U.S. on Valentine's Day.
• California produces 60 percent of American roses, but the greater number sold on Valentine's Day in the United States are imported, mostly from South America.
• Approximately 110 million roses, mostly red, will be sold and delivered within the three-day Valentine's Day time period.

Greeting Cards

• Approximately one billion Valentines are sent out worldwide each year according to estimates by the U.S. Greeting Card Association. That's second only to Christmas.
• Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all Valentines.
• Teachers will receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets.

And... More fun facts about Valentine's Day

• In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark, and Italy.
• The most fantastic gift of love is the Taj Mahal in India. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife.
• Every Valentine's Day, the Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet.
• About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.
• In the US, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts. Share these fun facts about Valentine's Day with a friend. Your sweetie might be especially interested in the last item. Happy Valentine's Day!

A Women's Buyer's Guice to Vibrators

Whether it’s your fortieth or your very first, there are many factors to keep in mind when choosing a new vibrator. We’ll lay it all out for you. We might even test-drive a few.

Looking for a Battery-Operated Mr. Goodbar

Eleven years ago, after being exposed to the concept of vibrators through online stores (yes, kiddies, there were online sex stores eleven long years ago!), a certain young lady (of age, taste, and randiness) decided to take her sexuality into her own hands. Thus, she marched off to the local not-so-skeevy sex store to purchase a vibrator. She took her best friend, J, along with her for (im)moral support. The first one she picked up off of the shelf was a tiny, 4” plastic vibe…but when she held it up to show him, his response was, “Honey, if one that size came along, I’d throw it back and wait for it to grow up”.

She finally ended up picking up a slightly larger one (possibly in response to J’s size-queenery), along with a vibrating egg – and found herself disappointed by both. She tried vibrators again a few years later, buying the Holy Grail of vibes, the Hitachi Magic Wand, and again – disappointment. Where was the joy? Where were these amazing orgasms that she was promised she’d have, if she only got her buzz on?

The good news is that, eventually, this certain young lady started to have better luck in selecting her vibrators. She says she now has a few that make her happy, and get her off in delightful ways that her fingers and her partners’ tongues can’t quite manage. It took some understanding of her body and what it responds to; some patience and trial-and-error; and a clear understanding of what vibrators do – the proverbial how, what, why, where, who (me, please?) and, ultimately, when?

Sadly, we can’t tell you what will get YOU off – that’s kind of an individual thing – but we can totally be of assistance with helping you understand the types of vibrators out there, and what might work best to your own desires and specifications.

While you’re browsing for vibes, wondering which one is going to come to your home to play with you, you’ll want to look at what features it has. It’s helpful to know your preferences (or at least, take an educated guess) before you shell out money for a new honey of a toy. Some things to consider include:

1. Is it too big, or too small, or (yes!) just right?

2. Do you want a hard plastic surface, something softer, or something very flexible?

3. Do you want one speed, three speeds, or a dozen? Where are the controls located, and can you use them easily? Are there vibrating patterns that you’ll want to use, or are they unnecessary?

4. Does the cost fit your budget (don’t forget to factor in the batteries!)?

5. Is it waterproof?

6. Will it clean up easily? How do you store it?

It’s useless to buy a vibrator of any kind if it’s more challenging to use it and care for than it’s worth – so remember to take all of this into account before you buy!

 

Traditional Vibrators

 

When many people visualize a vibrator, what they're thinking about is a slim-line vibe, which is also known as a traditional vibrator. These old reliables were customarily made with a hard plastic case and a cap at the base, which not only handled the on/off and speed control, but also fully unscrewed for battery-changing. Today’s offerings, however, include a variety of materials from the less-safe jelly style, through the range of safer plastics and silicones, so there are oodles and oodles of options to choose from!

The traditional-style vibes can be used for a variety of ways of getting your groove on. Obviously, many women like to have them inserted vaginally, to provide some internal buzz to the walls of the vagina and to the G-spot; however, they can also be used directly on the clitoral area, the inner and outer labia, and against the anus (though if you insert it rectally, you’ll want to put a condom on it if you plan on using it vaginally later, to prevent bacterial transmission). They also make fantastic toys for guys who like the buzz, especially against their anus or their taint (the bit of skin between the base of the scrotum and the ass), which will give them some indirect prostate stimulation as well. 

 

Rabbit Style Vibes

Made famous by a certain TV show that had something to do with women enjoying carnal knowledge in the confines of a modern metropolis, Rabbits (also known as dual-stimulation vibrators) are probably the most well-known type of vibrators out there, especially among the younger crowd. Let’s face it – they’re fun-looking, non-intimidating, and they offer both internal stimulation AND penetration, as well as an external vibrating stimulator (usually used on the clit, but can be turned around for perineal teasing).

While some do depict animal shapes - rabbit ears, a dolphin nose, a snake tongue, panther paws - others have more abstract clitoral stimulators, with shapes such as waves, flames, and so on. The shaft of each Rabbit-style vibe differs from toy to toy – some shafts vibrate, others rotate or thrust, and some even have beads that move inside the shaft for additional stimulation. 

 

 

Clitoral Vibes

 

These are the tried-and-true of the vibrator hierarchy, designed with a solitary raison d'etre: to get your clitoris to sing! And possibly do a little dance as well. Clitoral vibes come in all different shapes and sizes: the bullet or egg-shaped vibes, with or without a power pack and a cord; the curved, hand-held vibes that are shaped to literally fit your own unique contours; the power-house vibes that serve only to jar your bits with as much vibration possible; and the novelty-shaped clitoral vibes, which can either be more discreet or add a little cute factor to your private time. 

 

Original Article

10 Reasons the Hitachi Magic Wand is my Favorite Vibrator

The classic Hitachi Magic Wand is the old reliable, go-to vibrator for many women, for so many reasons.
 

Recently, tragedy struck: my Hitachi Magic Wand shorted out. At first I thought all my appliances had gone bust; I smelled smoke in the air, and quickly turned off my power strip. It was only my beloved electric vibrator, however, that had died; its wires frayed over the years, probably not helped by me leaving it plugged into the power strip for easy access. I'm not saying I don't like other toys, and I'm definitely open to trying new ones, but this is my favorite, the one I go to when I don't want to waste time, when I just want to cut to the chase, and I imagine it always will be. It may not be the prettiest sex toy around, and it's loud and not exactly subtle, but all those are small concerns next to what it can do for my pussy. Obviously it can also be used during partnered sex, but I'm focusing on solo masturbation because that's what I'm using it for at the moment.

Now that I have a new one to keep me company, I figured I'd write an ode to my beloved toy:

1. It's powerful. Plain and simple, it provides the sensation I like against my clit and along my vulva. I know some women temper the intensity with a towel, but I like it direct and strong.

2. It's fast. This goes along with it being powerful, but I think deserves its own designation. The toy has two settings, and I prefer mine on high. When I say "fast" I mean that it only takes a few seconds before I'm into it. I don't need to warm up, and in fact I usually use my Hitachi when I'm already in the mood, when I'm turned on by a fantasy or simply because I'm horny.

3. It doesn't need batteries. This may seem like a simple thing, but for someone like me, who probably owns dozens of batteries but has no idea where they are, the idea of being oh-so-close and not being able to fully enjoy myself because my batteries died is sad.

4. It's an outie vibrator. My very first vibrator was a rabbit vibrator, and I loved the sensation of its dual action, spinning away inside me while the pearls rotated and the ears buzzed against my clit. But ever since I first used a Hitachi I've been pretty faithful. Sometimes I use another toy inside me with the Hitachi against my clit, but for the most part, I'm a clit girl, and that is the area I most want attended to when I'm masturbating. Sometimes I tap it, lightly or, when I'm in the mood, more firmly, against myself, and the dual thrill of the vibration and the power of feeling it land against me there is amazing. I do generally tend to prefer outie vibrators to ones you insert, because I might think I want it inside me but when I go to put it in I'm either not wet enough or it just doesn't feel right. I don't have that sensation with the Hitachi; the biggest change I might make is to use it on a lower setting, or to not press it so tightly against me.

5. As I've written about before, I am not the most easily orgasmic person around. Much as I adore my Hitachi, I don't always come from it but I appreciate that the sensations I do get out of it feel amazing to me. I don't have the sense that it would be great if only I could get there all the way. I like the drawn out tension it gives my body. I like that sometimes I lie flat on my back and press it hard against my clit; sometimes I pretty much hump it; sometimes I'm on my side or in another position.

6. It gives my right arm a workout. I had a friend once who claimed that the muscles in her dominant arm were actually stronger from all the time she logged using her Hitachi. It's possible, right? But I really do feel stronger when I've had a good long session with it.

7. It's not that expensive. I'm on a budget now and have a lot of bills to pay, and while I wasn't about to forgo masturbation entirely, especially since I'm now mostly working from home, I'd have to save up for some of the more pricey toys. This one is totally within my budget.

8. I've been using it for so long that I have a sentimental attachment to it. Looking at my Hitachi, even a brand-new one, reminds me of many other times I've enjoyed one, kind of like when you hook up with an ex. Maybe I'm anthropomorphizing overly much, but knowing not only that the Hitachi is reliable, but that I've been using it for most of the time I've been masturbating, makes me happy. I'm dorky like that, but I'm definitely the type of person to return to an old standby, whether it's a favorite food or a favorite toy, rather than constantly seeking out something new.

9. This is sort of an added bonus, but when you tell someone else about your love of the Hitachi Magic Wand, they usually know what you're talking about. It's not some rare discontinued toy you have to hunt down or that requires pages and pages of explanations on how to use it.

10. It really does work well as a back massager. As someone who carries heavy bags with me al the time, I appreciate that not only can the toy multitask, but it can really dig into the sore spots on my back and make those aches and pains feel better.

 

Original Article 

More Great Sex Facts! (continued)...

11. During sexual intercourse, in addition to the genitals and breasts, the inner nose also swells.
12. White women are the most likely to engage in anal sex, particularly if they also have a college degree.
13. During erection, a smaller flaccid penis tends to have a greater percentage increase than a larger flaccid penis.
14. A teaspoon of semen contains approximately 5 calories.
15. Sex burns off an average of about 100 calories per session.
16. On average, from two to five million sperm are released each time a man ejaculates.
17. During any given period, women who read romance novels have a tendency to have twice as many lovers as those who don’t.
18. Almost a third of all women over 80 years of age still have sex with their spouse or boyfriend.
19. For both men and women, the heart rate averages 140 beats per minute at the point of orgasm.
20. The average woman will have sex more than 3,000 times over the course of her reproductive years.
21. Most men under 40 years of age can achieve an erection in less than 10 seconds.
22. Heterosexual anal sex is something 43% of women have experienced.
23. Women consider penis size the ninth most important feature for a man, while men rate it much more highly, in third place.
24. When a man ejaculates, the initial spurt travels at 28 miles per hour – faster than the world record for the 100m sprint, which currently stands at 22.9 miles per hour.
25. In one hour, the average sperm can swim seven inches.
26. With nothing in its path, a penis can shoot semen anywhere from 12 to 24 inches.
27. The longest erect penis on record was 13 inches. The smallest was 1cm.
28. There are 20 male masochists for every female masochist.
29. The average adult testicle contains enough sperm to measure a quarter of a mile laid out end to end.
30. For 75% of men, ejaculation occurs within 3 minutes of penetration.