Potpourri

Holiday Gift Ideas For The Sexy People In Your Life

November 25, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller

The 2014 holiday shopping season is officially underway and I know that many of you will soon be racking your brains as you try to come up with gift ideas for the sexy people in your life. Let me make things a little easier for you this year by sharing a list of sex-themed gift ideas for everyone on your list from lovers, to friends, to lucky strangers in a White Elephant or Naughty Santa gift exchange.

Suggestions for Your Partner

Instead of giving a gift certificate to the spa for a massage, consider learning some massage techniques on your own or some techniques that the two of you can try on each other. Touch is a vital part of happy and healthy relationships because it promotes intimacy and can help to relieve stress (read more about the power of touch here), and massage is an easy way to add more touch to any relationship. My go-to recommendation for massage technique is MELT: Massage for Couples, an online video series taught by Australian massage therapist Denis Merkas. MELT is the perfect holiday gift because it’s the kind of present that keeps on giving all year round.

Alternatively, consider surprising your partner with a book or how-to guide designed to spice up your sex life. To that end, I highly recommend Ian Kerner’s She Comes First: The Thinking Man’s Guide to Pleasuring a Woman and Passionista: The Empowered Woman’s Guide to Pleasuring a Man. In both of these books, Kerner unravels the mysteries of female and male sexual pleasure in a way that is both educational and entertaining. Looking for something less heteronormative? Consider The Joy of Gay Sex or The Whole Lesbian Sex Book: A Passionate Guide for All of Us. Another great option is The Guide to Getting It On: A Book About the Wonders of Sex, which has information pertaining to all kinds of sex and relationships.

Some of you might consider going one step further and giving your partner a sex toy. Research has found that many women and men report that vibrator use enhances pleasure during sex. To that end, you might consider a couple’s vibrator, which is designed to provide stimulation to both partners at the same time during sexual activity. One of the most popular such vibrators is the We-Vibe, which you can read more about and purchase here. Already have a vibrator? Check out some of the other best-selling sex toys from Amazon’s Sexual Wellness Store.

Suggestions for Your Sexy Friends

Everyone needs some good, all-around sex books on their shelves. One you absolutely can’t go wrong with is Mary Roach’s Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. It will teach you more than you ever wanted to know about the history of sex research, but it’s also just a really entertaining read. Other great books about the science of sex that I would highly recommend include: Perv: The Sexual Deviant in All of Us, The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex, and the Science of Attraction, and Why Is Sex Fun? The Evolution of Human Sexuality.

In the market for a book that’s a bit more fun and lighthearted? You might try Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man or Toygasms! The Insider’s Guide to Sex Toys and Techniques.

For you friends who aren’t into reading, consider a movie. If you want a film that they probably haven’t seen that will make them think differently about sex, try Kinsey, The Sessions, or Hysteria. If you’re looking for somewhat lighter fare where the emphasis is more on laughter than on thinking, I’d suggest Easy A, Friends with Benefits, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and But I’m a Cheerleader.

Suggestions for a White Elephant or Naughty Santa Gift Exchange

Just looking for a fun or humorous holiday sex gift? Give the gift of genital pizazz with a vajazzling set (available from Amazon in rainbow, butterfly, heart, and more). Or encourage positive money saving habits with a sperm bank (it’s like a piggy bank, but in the shape of a sperm cell).

If you’re searching for something a little more holiday-themed, consider some Christmas condoms so that the lucky recipient can literally feel the pleasure of the season.

And if you want to make your White Elephant exchange a teachable moment, give the gift of herpes or chlamydia (not literally, of course). You can buy plush toys that mimic the appearance of these actual microbes, which come complete with an image of the microscopic organism the toy was modeled after. Or, buy the entire set of microbes, which even comes with a plush dose of penicillin.

For more shopping ideas, check out The Sex Shop, where you can find links to remote-controlled sex toys, an extensive list of book and film suggestions, and more.

Happy holiday shopping!

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Image Credit: iStockphoto.com

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Written by
Dr. Justin Lehmiller
Founder & Owner of Sex and Psychology

Dr. Justin Lehmiller is a social psychologist and Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute. He runs the Sex and Psychology blog and podcast and is author of the popular book Tell Me What You Want. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, and a prolific researcher who has published more than 50 academic works.

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