For the large portion of the population who menstruate, I have one word for you: cramps. Does the mere mention of the C-word cause your uterus to twitch? I know it does mine. Whether they manifest as a slight nibble of pain or (as I like to describe them) the sensation of being repeatedly stabbed by fiery butter knives, cramps are a reality for many a female-bodied person. In the never-ending quest for relief, we turn to pain medication, or yoga, or heating pads, or applying pressure to the small of our backs; many of us will abstain from caffeine and/or alcohol; and more than a few of us will happily traipse down the pathway we’ve come to know and love: masturbation. No mere panacea, masturbation really will aid in subsiding the discomfort of cramps. To quote the wonderful “Sex Ed for the Real World” website, Scarleteen:

Have an orgasm…heck, have three. A whole lot of women find that getting off helps with cramps. So, either through masturbation or partnered sex, having orgasms not only is awesome when it comes to keeping the stresses manageable, it relaxes the muscles of your back and pelvis, and that nice dose of endorphins afterward is great natural pain relief. And if you have a super-fantastic sex partner who is willing to give you a massage to boot (you can always give them a raincheck for same the next time their back hurts), all the better!

And, lo, you draw a steamy bath and grab your favorite waterproof vibe; or you lay down a towel and grab your lube and your hand or your partner… but what of those of us who are suffering from cramps so painful (see above: butter knives, stabbing, fire) that being touched between the legs is the last thing on our mind? Fear not, my friends, for I am one of you.

In the midst of the night, I am oft awoken by surprise cramps that send me limping to the medicine cabinet for a double dose of naproxen. One night, as I whimpered away, an epiphany hit: vibration! Back during my artist model days, I regularly applied the Hitachi Magic Wand to aching muscles; why couldn’t it do double duty for cramps? In my throes of agony, I reached beside the bed for my trusty friend. Pressing the soft vinyl head over my uterus, it still did the trick beautifully: the strong vibration took the edge off the pain as I waited for the pain reliever to take effect. Even more recently, I have reached for my Delight. I’ve waxed poetic about its orgasmic capabilities many, many times; but the Delight is also the perfect size for slipping underneath pajama bottoms, the perfect intensity for soothing pain, and quiet enough that it will not wake one’s slumbering bedmate.

Masturbation, partner sex, and good old vibration: the great multi-task activities of our time!

Our Lower East Side store did it again! It won both the audience and the editorial votes on Citysearch. In fact, our SoHo store came in 4th so if you want to visit the five top rated sex toy stores in the city, you’re going to go to two Babelands!

This is great, not just because everyone likes to win awards, but because it means that we’re doing what we set out to do - which is provide amazing customer service. For us that means not only being polite and attentive but also creating a space that is open and inviting. And, of course, knowing what we’re talking about.

I recently trained some new Sex Educators on anal play. As we discussed anatomy, rimming, penetration with fingers, butt plugs, anal beads, and dildos, vibration, strapping it on and more, I could see that they were feeling a little overwhelmed. I’ve been at Babeland for so long that I forgot just how much there is for us to learn when we first start working here. It can feel like a mountain of information but, over time, it all comes together and each Sex Educator finds their own way of explaining pieces of that information to others. What it all comes back to is giving Sex Educators as much information as they can so that customers can get the best experience possible. I guess that’s why Citysearch loves us!

The wonderful thing about human sexuality is the rainbow array in which it is expressed: from celibacy to pansexuality, vanilla lovemaking to full-blown kink, sadism to masochism, and all the quirks, twists, and grey areas in between and beyond, the most delightful aspect of sex is that there is no set way for every last person to have sex.

One of more hotly discussed twists is sexual fetishism. Often improperly defined by the public at large, sexual fetishism is essentially the erotic and sexual attraction to a material or terrestrial object (the fetish) and using this object in the fetish act (fetishism). Not always confined to inanimate objects, fetishes that encompass body parts attached to a living, breathing human being (feet, hands, legs, breasts, hair) can also be defined as partialism. The public acknowledges many common fetishes (fur from the classic Venus in Furs, or polished red toes, or kidskin leather gloves) and others are rearing their playful little heads with each turn. Latex is all the rage in the UK, while leather daddies have crawled the bars for decades; more recently, folks have tuned in to balloon fetishes and sploshing (being covered in messy foodstuffs); I myself have observed and heard tales of sweater fetishists, girdle fetishists, and even a monogram fetishist.

Of all the fetishes out there, one of the most common varieties of partialism focuses on the female foot. Small or large, clean or sweaty, au naturel or adorned with classic red polish, the female foot is an enduring object of eroticism and adoration. Not only that, but foot fetishism and/or worship is wonderful, sexy fun… just as long as both parties are consenting. It should come as no surprise that I was aghast to find that a sneaky foot fetishist has been up to no good in the Western Washington area.

From the full story at king5.com:

A warning is going out to hair and nail salons across Western Washington after one man’s unusual request. That man has gone to salons in several cities asking to photograph women’s feet.
At one salon in Puyallup, the man said he was a student of Seattle Reflexology and wanted to do a school project, and needed 18 feet for lithographs.
What the salon did not know is that the man is not a student, just a man with an apparent fetish who’s been on the lookout for feet…
“He would have people wiggle their toes, and have them show different angles in the light,” said Lisa Hensell who runs Seattle Reflexology and Massage Center.
She said she started getting calls about the man last January, and she is now warning salons and licensed massage therapists about him…
“Police say he hasn’t done anything criminally wrong, but it could lead to something else,” said Jayne Drahos, salon owner.

Let me state again: foot fetishism and other sexual delights are sublime as long as both parties are consenting. Taking photographs of feet under false pretenses, especially when they will be used for later erotic and sexual gratification, is not OK. I sincerely hope that this sneaky fellow will think twice before doing this again, and instead invest in a subscription the wonderful Leg Show magazine (custom-tailored for foot and leg fetishists). Perhaps he could seek out a professional dominatrix who caters to foot fetishists, so he could admire and adore her beautiful tootsies ‘til his heart’s content; or even better, look up sex positive events and foot parties, where he could meet women who like having their feet adored and eroticized as much as he likes to adore and eroticize the feet themselves! But I digress…

The point of the matter is that there are a wide array of sexual appetites and expressions in this wonderfully diverse world of our’s. As long as all parties involved are legal adults, and as long as it’s safe, sane, and consensual, feel free to play away… and don’t forget the expensive lotion the next time you plan to consensually adore a pair of perfect feet.