Historically, vibrators have come a long way in their use and design. They went from creepy looking contraptions used to treat women of hysteria (imagine being so "sick" you're ordered to a day of orgasms) to cute little devices that camouflage with your office decor and yet, still they pack the almighty gift of orgasm.
Ironically, the advances in technology have moved us away from bulky, outlet operated toys, and because history loves to repeat itself, taken us right back in the direction with more potential than ever as we hear about human-like sex robots on the rise and the innovation of modern sex machines such as the Cowgirl — a $2,000 product.
The Cowgirl Sex Toyridethecowgirl.com
I'm careful not to call it a sex toy, as I'd hate to give the wrong idea with a price tag like that. I operate on a "you break it, you buy it" motto and I wouldn't want anyone to pay the steep price for breaking this bad boy. Although, I'm not entirely positive you could ...even if you tried. But, I digress. The sex machine was brought to my attention as I shopped for new products for my own company.
It immediately caught my eye because how could it not with all the makings of a deconstructed mechanical bull made from vegan leather?
Curious as ever, I knew as much as I loved my little handheld bullet, I'd live to regret it if I let this moment get away from me, so I requested a ride on the Cowgirl.
Although I don't typically enjoy the cowgirl position because of the confidence it takes to man the man and the burnout it causes in my thighs, I gladly accepted the challenge with no one in my presence.
When I met the package on my porch, I was enthusiastic to get it inside, and admittedly it looked a lot scarier to put together than it actually was. All I saw was cords, springs, and directions before nearly melting down in discouragement. After a nap and a second glance, I realized there wasn't a damn thing to put together, just a plug to plug and those were in fact extra pieces.
Realizing I had the temper of an impatient toddler, I gave the Cowgirl a quick ride and decided to come back to it another day as I wasn't feeling it. And, as always being in the mood sure does help! A couple days later, when I saddled up on the Cowgirl, I looked for pointers from those who came before me (pun fully intended) and decided to throw the mule of a toy on my bed instead of on the floor, where I initially tried it. Because I have a memory foam mattress, my first thought was that it would sink, but there was none of that. Not to mention, it muffled the lite bulldozer-like sounds coming out of my bedroom while it sat on something softer.
After five minutes and an extra drop of lube on the Wildwest silicone attachment, which is a four-inch phallic shaped piece, I confirmed that this piece wasn't for me and tossed it aside. It was really unpleasurable, even when I tried adding the spring for additional movement. There was something so awkward and uncomfortable about this piece that it made me think reverse cowgirl was the solution -- clearly not. However, poorly my experience went, I was optimistic and ready for the Rawhide silicone attachment to show and prove.
The Rawhide attachment is a little nub of a piece that provides clitoral stimulation, my personal fave and long story short: it did not disappoint. Unlike the phallic piece, there is not an rotary option.
Now, due to the impatience that I previously mentioned, my everyday vibrator tends to stay on the highest speed; obviously with a toy like this all that's not necessarily necessary, so again, I started low and worked my way up. And although each vibration was intense, they should certainly throw a disclaimer on everything from five to ten (yes ten!) where I literally rained puddles all over my damn bed.
Related: Yoni Investments: 4 Standards Your Sex Toys Should Meet
On a serious note, I will say that in the same way that you have to find your style when sitting cowgirl on your man -- you have to do so with this toy. For me, I felt more intensity in the earlier vibration paces when I sat upright, but as the intensity increased, I leaned into my straddle on my forearms. The only problem with this was that I would continuously lean on the cord attached to the remote and accidentally, but abruptly, cause the machine to cut off.
At this point, I quickly sanc my phone to the sex machine to ensure nothing else got in the way of the orgasmic warpath I was on and perhaps it was a placebo of sorts but when the machine came back on, my orgasms came in faster and stronger than before. The more likely reason is that I was left to orgasm without the disruption of the remote getting unplugged again, right? Whatever the reason is, the cordless option is the way to go if you're working with it and it can also be connected to a site called Feel Me that allows distant lovers to control the action.
Related: 3 Ways To Spice Up Your Long Distance Sex Life
For what it's worth, the product requires a little TLC, as in you have to play around with it to see what's comfortable for you, and it's probably safe to say that finding that sweet spot is a process with any new toy. Nonetheless, for however good it is once you do find that sweet spot, it's also the down payment on a small car that you can real life ride so I'm not sure I'd be willing to come out of pocket like that to get off. But for those of you who aren't starving grad students and your pockets run deep, read just one last thing:
I've often said that sex with myself has proven to be better than my infrequent experiences with men because my pleasure is a priority and that alone makes me a superior f*ck.
In hindsight and after much evaluation, after taking the ride of my life, the only thing I regret about this sentiment is that I didn't have anyone to make me a sandwich afterwards.
You. Won't. Regret. It.
xoNecole is always looking for new voices and empowering stories to add to our platform. If you have an interesting story or personal essay that you'd love to share, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us at submissions@xonecole.com.
Featured image via Giphy
RELATED
Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
___
Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Shutterstock
