The Educator Holiday Gift Guide 2017/2018 series is a weekly series of posts from Lotus Blooms educators. It covers OUR holiday season, which runs through Valentine’s Day!
Today is another edition of our staff Holiday Picks for the 2017-2018 holiday season. For those of you just tuning in, I’m interviewing my coworkers about products that stand out to them and sharing their curated, themed lists. We love all our products, but there are over 2,000 of them! How do you choose?! This week, Justyn is giving her feedback.
I have to say, I’m loving this project, y’all. I get to ask questions of my coworkers that I don’t ask on a regular basis. My main question is “Why here? Why work at Lotus Blooms?” We’re sex-positive which means we all get the chance to talk about fun and empowering things with customers daily, and that’s awesome. We are, however, also a retail establishment, which means long hours and managing the occasional cranky person. I am so fortunate to have awe-inspiring coworkers, but sometimes I wonder, “Why do your sex positivity work here?”
Justyn is a prime example of this. I marvel at how involved she gets in our communities–both the national sex-positive and the local DC activism scenes. I even had to ask, “What all do you do right now?” to make sure I got it all.
She humbly and enthusiastically replied, “Take care of my plants and my puppy.”
OK, yes, Justyn does that– but also funds women-run start-ups at her day job. And serves as a Woolly Mammoth Theatre Ambassador. And is the latest addition to the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Foundation Board of Directors (learn more about Woodhull and why we love it), and has been on the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health Board of Directors.
Justyn’s choices are for the activist in your life–especially if it’s you! Self-care is radical resistance in an anti-sex world, after all!
Uberlube ($18.95-29.95)
Justyn raises a battle cry that’s very familiar in the sex education world: “Up your relationship game with Uberlube!” Lube in general is the gift that keeps on giving, but Justyn likes Uberlube in particular because the combination of silicone and Vitamin E creates a fantastic texture that goes as long as you do. It makes for a great massage aid as well, and it makes the transition from massage directly into penetration seamless. Also, it won’t get completely absorbed into your skin, which makes it good for shower play. In short: high quality silicone, slipperiness for days, and a little bit goes a long way.
We-Vibe Sync ($199).
It goes without saying that our bestselling couples toy would eventually find its way into our gift giving guides, but Justyn also suggests using the We-Vibe Sync for solo care. Because the vibrator has two joints in it, it can flex to different widths for use all over the body. She shared another use I hadn’t thought of: bending it around the hand to provide an easy grip for those with arthritis and other motor control issues. As the We-Vibe Sync can be controlled by an app or remote, the mobility options are more plentiful than your standard vibe. To really get your groove on, Justyn advocates using your most empowering playlist to set the vibration- using the app will allow it vibrate to the beats. Joining the #Resistance has never been sexier!
Tenga Easy Beat Egg Masturbator ($10)
Justyn’s picks are very much about taking popular sex toys and making them your own. In this vein, she suggests the Tenga Egg. These are squishy, stretchy sleeves that were initially designed for the pleasuring of penises. We boast in classes, on the sales floor, in our personal lives, to anyone who will listen, that Tenga Eggs work wonders for all bodies! Not only can you please your partner(s) with minimal effort (save your energy for more important things) but you can use the squishy texture on clitorises, nipples, anywhere you like! And the price makes them very economically accessible. Tenga comes in 6 textures, so check all of them out! (You can even buy them as a set.)
Story of O Ring ($29)
Inspired by a kinky classic, the Story of O Ring is a simple, beautiful design you can share with your favorite play partner, Dominant, or submissive. Justyn joked that “it makes a great fidget!”, but it also cultivates a mental sense of submission and can be a reminder of the relationship you have with your partner even when they’re not around. The Story of O Ring has some heft and weight to it that helps you remain aware of that connection, but you can also link it with a leash, collar, rope, or something else when you’re together. There’s something powerful about wearing discreet kinky jewelry in plain sight.
Njoy Eleven (11) ($320)
Njoy products crush all the pre-conceived notions of how sex toys should be–and that’s not just because the 11 is a hefty 3.75 pounds! The weight, shape, and feel of Njoy toys are not only works of pleasure art, but are also fantastic for practically every body. Justyn remembered when she was given her first Njoy toy by the famous sexual entertainer, Woodhull Board member, and sex-positivity advocate, Nina Hartley, who told her, “Put it in your will — you can gift it to your grandchildren!” Even if your family isn’t quite that progressive, Nina’s right that the quality of Njoy toys is top-notch. It’s truly a breathtaking gift for anyone for whom you’re shopping (which, ok, is probably not your grandchildren!) The 11 is the biggest of the line, but a fan favorite is the Pure Wand (featured in Diva’s gift guide). Justyn also recommends the Pure Plugs for easy-to-clean comfort and style.
Justyn’s choices are about acknowledging, respecting, and fighting for your sexuality. The personal becomes political when we promote our pleasures publicly and/or privately. Don’t limit your sexuality to what others have encouraged or expected you to do– explore, switch it up, try something different.
So among her many non-profit responsibilities, why does Justyn do retail work at Lotus Blooms? She sees the values of our store as being in alignment with her advocacy work, in terms of inclusivity and progressive ideals (like body safe products for all!). The products selected here are a reflection of the diversity and versatility we try to bring to our store. As Justyn puts it, “They transcend demographics.”
Check out Lauren’s, Hancie’s, Alyssa’s, Diva’s, Teal’s, and Mindi’s gift guides for more gift ideas and product recommendations!
