Hold on to Me Winner

The winner was emailed Sunday night. BUT I still haven't heard back.

If I don't hear a response by Friday at Noon PST, I will randomly select somebody else.

Quick, go check your email!

And also check friends' and husband's email accounts if you had them enter to increase your chances of winning!

Love Story -- The 12 year-old Heart Knows Best

Macey & Guy

When I was in seventh grade, my mom bought a house in the next town over, so she, my two brothers and I packed up and moved. Since I was the "new girl", I made friends fast, and one of those friends was a girl named Sonia. Sonia and I instantly clicked and became the best of friends, so naturally her house became my second home. This is where my love story begins.

Sonia had a brother named Guy who was 4 years older than us and attended a private high school about 45 minutes away. I think the first 6 months I knew Sonia, I met Guy maybe 6 times because he boarded there too. To 12 year old me, he was the hunkiest baseball player I had ever seen. From the moment I met him, I was hooked and that is no exaggeration. I passed him in the hallway of Sonia's house one day and he told me "wow you're small" (I was 4'11" and still am) and I thought I was going to faint!

So I began leaving love notes when he was away at school.  They read "I love you, love your secret admirer". I left one every time he left to go back to school for the semester. These type of antics continued all the way until I was 17 years old. I even had his number saved as "hubby" in my phone. Mind you, I had been dating other guys all of these years but I knew that one day I would marry Guy. I told everyone; his mom, his aunts, my friends, my family, even my current boyfriends!! I told everyone mark my words, when I am old enough, he'll see that we are perfect for each other and one day we would marry each other. In my 8th grade yearbook, I have 5 signings from friends saying "Good luck marrying Guy and have a great summer". Well I did have a great summer that year and 9 years later I can finally say I married Guy.

Flash forward, I am 18 years old and graduating high school. I am about to enter my freshman year in college and he is entering his senior year at a college in the same state. He starts sending me text messages.. and the rest they say is history.

We were married on September 10, 2011. We have been together ever since the day he sent me that first text message and that was in May of 2007. I predicted I would marry the love of my life when I was 12 years old... how many people can say that?

If you want to share your love story, email your story to gwenisinlove{at}gmail{dot}com

Giveaway -- Vote on our Next Giveaway Item

Don't forget to enter the giveaway until 11:59PST tonight for the Hold on to Me Kegal Spheres from Babeland!

Click on each name for more information. All of these are great products by Lelo (one of my personal favorites) and come with the added bonus of a remote.

Tiani

Oden

Lyla

What would you like to see as our next Giveaway item?
	Tiani (U-shaped vibrator)
	Oden (vibrating cock ring)
	Lyla (vibrator)
pollcode.com free polls

Stinkin' Thinkin' -- Stop the Negative Thoughts

Do you ever find yourself thinking, "Ugh! Why does he do that all the time?" "Oh my gosh, why can't he just ____!" "I wish my husband _____"?

Chances are you have. And chances are it's impacting your marriage. The way you think impacts the way you act. If you're thinking negatively about your spouse, it's going to influence how you respond to him and the interactions that play out.

Stop that stinkin' thinkin'!

Since our actions and behaviors are fed by our thoughts, see if you can resolve to be better. Go a day at first without thinking anything negative about your spouse. If you do, catch yourself and stop the thought. Replace it with something positive. See how many days it takes until you get to a full day of no negative thoughts.

Feelin' Sexy Friday: Massage

I always love a good massage and so does Husband. I got my very first professional massage a few years after we had been married. I would probably get one every day if I could. Instead, we bought a book, did some reading and watched a few videos on how to give a good massage and taught him to do the same.

Basic tips that I've learned so far:

• Make sure your hands are warm as you massage
• Work from the waist up with a little bit of pressure all over the back at first
• Use your body weight instead of just your arms
• Gradually build up the pressure to get rid of knots instead of going immediately to deep
• Ask the person you're massaging what they like and don't like

Have you heard of the Massage Bars  from Babeland? Husband and I brought them on our last vacation. There's way less risk of mess in the suitcase compared to bringing a bottle of massage oil. The massage bars turn into oil as they are rubbed over skin. They work wonderfully and they smell great!

Touch is a great way to feel relaxed, connected, reassured and comforted. A relaxation massage is a good way to get started. 

GIVEAWAY -- Hold on to Me

I'm so excited that Babeland is sponsoring a giveaway of Hold on to Me Kegal Spheres!

These are wonderful, multi-purpose spheres to have around. Having strong PC muscles helps with so many things! Your ability to control and intensify your own orgasm PLUS enhance your partner's experience goes up a ton with stronger PC muscles. You could even use them alone to help warm yourself up and get in the mood for your partner.

Some general wellness benefits include more bladder control as well as preparing you to have more control during childbirth. These spheres are small and inconspicuous. There's a little vibration from the sphere as it moves around inside of you and you can increase the weight or have two spheres attached. They are completely comfortable and body safe as well.

Here's what Babeland has to say about them:
Keep vaginal muscles toned with the Hold On to Me kegel spheres, part of the Bedroom Kandi line created by Kandi Burruss from Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” Whether you want to strengthen your PC muscles to intensify orgasms, grip your partner more tightly during intercourse, improve your childbirth experience, or maximize bladder control, these spheres can help do the trick. The spheres come in four graduated weights; users can start with the lighter weights and gradually increase weight as they get stronger.

Fill out the entry form below: If you have trouble viewing or submitting this form, you can fill it out online: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEFNd054cklGb0t4SjhUNkhQVDJDTkE6MQ

Feelin' Sexy Friday -- How about a Quickie?

Have you ever just wanted sex right now?

I love a good quickie every now and then. Of course, I'd hate to get into a pattern of only quickies, but sometimes that's all we have time for. Life gets so busy and sometimes a little quickie just takes the edge right off.

Having a quickie is also a good way to introduce spontaneity and spice things up a bit. Remember, when you were first together and couldn't keep your hands off each other? It's great to have that kind of passion and excitement back.

Just for fun, anybody have any fun stories of where or when a quickie occurred?

You may comment anonymously.

Love Story -- Choose Your Love

Leighann and Skylar

There I was, minding my own business, trying to keep my 12 year old brain occupied with the important things in life such as how to make the force stronger with me like Luke from Star Wars. Church was about to start and I was bored out of my mind as people trickled in and took their seats. I looked over just as a brand new family came in through the doors. There was a mom, dad, a couple boys, and HER. As  she walked in, her hair blew back a little from the wind of the doors and I thought to myself, "Wow. That is the ugliest girl I have ever seen."

This is husband's version of the first time we met. Pretty harsh, right? Well, I wasn't so kind to him either. He was the biggest nerd I'd ever met and I let him know it. The summer of 1999, we were 12 years old and my family had just moved to the area. For the first couple years, we disliked each other. A lot. But gradually we became friends. Then best friends. By the time we were 16, we were nearly inseparable, that is until the summer after I turned 17 and found out that he liked me-like that! Before that summer, I had never considered Skylar as anything but my best friend. When I found out he had a crush on me, I didn't know how to handle it due to my teenage awkwardness, so I stopped talking to him for a month or so. It was the most boring month of my life. I realized I had to suck it up and get over myself so that my life could resume as being awesome because he was in it.

I still had no interest in him in a romantic way, and I made it clear that I didn't want to date him. Skylar, however, was clever and found that as long as he asked me if I wanted to "hang out", he could take me on dates without me realizing that's what was going on. This continued for several months before I realized his plan and realized that it was working. I liked him. Like that.

Several agonizingly uncomfortable conversations later, we were officially "boyfriend/girlfriend." The next year (August 2005), I left for college in another state and he stayed home in Texas to work and save up money. It was during those nightly conversations that we determined that we not only wanted to get married someday, but decided upon the date. (Our potential wedding date was to be June 5, 2010, just so you know) There was still a lot we each had to accomplish over the next several years before we could get married, but our naïve selves felt completely confident that we would make that date without a glitch.
The next year (April 2006) Skylar left for Poland for a two year mission for our church. I wrote him regularly, but knew that I'd always wonder if I never dated anyone else to see how that felt. So I dated and compared and over time got myself all sorts of confused. I tried ending things with Skylar a couple of times because I felt that I couldn't be objective in looking at others if Skylar was still in the picture. It never lasted though. Somehow, Skylar was always so patient and understanding. And somehow, he always came out on top.

Skylar came home and we came pretty close to getting married then, but I felt like I had something I still had to do. It was my turn to serve a mission for my church. I was sent to Washington state. Now it was Skylar's turn to figure out the "dating other people life." Only he didn't want to. He wrote me faithfully, but yet again, I was the one to end things with him. There were several really personal, complicated reasons for choosing to end our relationship, but it really was for the best- though I now realize I should have handled it differently. Skylar was hurt, of course, but he was patient. He went on to date other people and I went on to focus on my time in Washington. By the end of my mission, we hadn’t talked to each other in nearly a year and a half. Well, I hadn't talked to Skylar anyway. He still wrote me from time to time on my mission to let me know how he was. He even sent me flowers sometimes. (Yes, I know, I didn't deserve him!)

By the time I came home, I had fully convinced myself that though we couldn't avoid each other (we STILL went to the same church, after all those years), we were long since done as a couple and would never go back to that. Surprise, surprise, I was wrong again. The first time we would see each other after more than a year and a half would be at church the first Sunday after I got home. As I walked through those same doors where we saw each other for the first time 11 years before, I braced myself for a painfully awkward moment between us. But that didn't happen. Instead, we hugged and after church we talked for hours, just like no time had passed.

That's all it took. From there we decided to be "us" again, but this time it was different. It was better than it ever had been. We each were different and better than we ever had been. Less than 6 months later, we were married on July 30, 2010. After all that had happened, it still amazes us that we were only off by a month and a half from the wedding date we picked out as teenagers 5 years earlier.

Often, when we tell people our story, their response is something along the lines of, "So you were meant to be." But we smile and explain that we weren't necessarily meant to be, but rather we chose to be. That's what relationships and marriage are all about. Choosing the other person. Choosing to love them through it all. Choosing to grow that love. And we'll choose each other forever.

What's your Fantasy?

A fantasy is just imagining or wishing for something that excites you.

Fantasies don't always have to be elaborate or impossible. Sometimes, it can be something small and simple. Everybody has fantasies. You are normal to have them. Some fantasies are similar to other people's and others are unique to only you.

Take control of your fantasies. Most readers said fantasizing helps boost their libido. Start simple. A fantasy could be the dream date you've always wanted. It could be taking charge with your husband and initiating a sexual encounter. It could be dressing up as Princess Leia to please your man (Anybody else watch Friends?) Thoughts can lead to action.

Sharing and fulfilling each other's fantasies not only adds closeness, but as brings a bit more excitement.

What are some of your fantasies?

As always, anonymous comments are welcome.

Fotoshop by Adobé

This is a great mock commercial emphasizing the unrealistic depictions in media of bodies and culture's warped perception of beauty.

"This commercial isn't real. Neither are society's standards of beauty."

 

What makes you beautiful?

Maybe, it's the stretch marks covering your abdomen that show you carried a precious child. Maybe, it's your dark sultry eyes that are always seeking adventure. Maybe, it's the scar on your chest where doctors repaired your heart that continues to beat....

Go ahead! Brag a bit!

You are beautiful.

Birth Control Options

I absolutely love children and have even made some myself. I know there are a lot of differing views on the use and type of birth control. This is a follow up to a previous post for those who have asked for more information regarding birth control options.

You will need to think about and discuss with your spouse whether you want to use a birth control method at all and what type of method you will use if you choose to do so. This is a very personal decision.

There are many options available and it's good to be educated on all of your options instead of just the common ones. Do your research and see what works best for you. I've listed a few of the more common options below.

**Make sure to talk to your health care provider to discuss what options may be appropriate for you.**

Some good websites for more information include:

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/preventingpregnancy/ 
http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/birth-control-birth-control-methods

Natural Family Planning 

Fertility Awareness Method: using the menstrual cycle, cervical mucus and basal body temperature to predict fertile periods and abstaining during that time. 75% effective. No side effects.

Lactational Amenorrhea Method: breastfeeding a newborn baby regularly exclusively (Every 4 hours during day, every 6 hours at night). No formula or supplements at all for baby. Mother must not have had a menstrual period post-birth. Works for only 6 months post birth. 98.5% effective.

Withdrawal: withdrawal of the penis before ejaculation. 79% effective.

Nothing/Chance: No birth control method. 15% effective

Combination Hormonal Methods (contains both estrogen and progestin) 

"The Pill": may reduce acne, pain during ovulation, menstrual cramping, and premenstrual symptoms. Must take daily. Changes the lining of the uterine wall to prevent implantation. May cause nausea, headaches, weight gain, depression or irregular bleeding.  95% effective.

Skin Patches: worn on the skin, must change weekly. Less effective in women over 195 pounds. May cause nausea, headaches, weight gain, depression or irregular bleeding. 99% effective

Rings: about 2", inserted into the vagina, releases chemicals. Changes uterine lining, thickens cervical mucus. Leave the ring in for 3 weeks then take it out for 1 week and insert a new ring. May cause nausea, headaches, weight gain, depression, irregular bleeding, breast tenderness, blood clotting. 92% effectiveness.

Progesterone-only Hormonal Methods 
"Mini pill": take daily at same exact time. May cause breast tenderness, weight gain, 
menstrual cycle changes. Safe to take while breastfeeding. 95% effective. 

Injections: get an injection once every 3 months by health care provider. May cause breast tenderness, weight gain, irregular or missed menstrual cycles. 99% effective.

Implants: about the size of a matchstick, inserted in upper arm by health care provider. Must be removed by health care provider. Lasts about 3 years.

Intrauterine Device (IUD)-Copper: small T-shaped device placed in uterus. May cause longer and heavier periods, ectopic pregnancies, and perforation of uterus. 99.95% effective.

IUD- Hormonal: small T-shaped device placed in uterus. Typically reduces menstrual flow and cramping over time. May cause spotting, moodiness, perforation of uterus and breast tenderness. 99.99% effective

Barrier Methods 

Cervical Cap & Diaphragm: a soft rubber barrier or dome that covers the cervix to prevent sperm from entering.  No side effects (unless allergic). 80% effective (60% effective after child birth).

Male Condom: sheath- usually latex- to cover the penis. No side effects (unless allergic). 79% effective.

I highly recommend every couple own and read through Taking Charge of Your Fertility to become more familiar with how your body works and how people can get pregnant. We also have some snippets from it here.


This is a very personal and important choice that should be approached with much thought, research, and discussion. As always, your constructive insight is welcome.

10 Weird But True Facts About Kissing

A reader suggested we check out this article. It's fun and interesting and random. And has things like this:

"On average, humans spend about two weeks, or 15 days, playing tonsil hockey in their lifetime"

Pretty awesome-right?!

How much time are you going to accumulate today?

Share Your Love Story

Think you have a great love story or know somebody that does?

Write up a condensed version about how you met and fell in love, add a few pictures, try to make us all jealous and email it to me at gwenisinlove {at} gmail.com with "Love Story- Your First Name & His Name" in the subject line.

A few of my favorites will be featured just like these.

We all enjoy a great love story! I bet just writing yours up will make you all giddy inside. Look back through those dating, engagement, wedding and marriage pictures and remind yourself how your love keeps growing.


You may wonder, what's the catch for having my story shared? Well, you'll need to link back to this blog when I post your story or put a button on your blog.