Bringing a woman’s touch to the Active and Informed blog!1

Greetings Active & Informed readers! My name is Kerri and I’m going to be posting here and there to both offer a female perspective and perhaps play a little bit of devil’s advocate to our resident author. Anything you want to know about me, or would like me to weigh in on, please leave a comment and I’ll do my best to give you a thoughtful answer. J

Since the holidays are fast approaching, I thought my first post could discuss picking out the perfect gift—when it comes to sex toys, of course. While a sex toy is such a personal item, it can be especially fun and sexy when it’s from (or for) your significant other. (That being said, shopping for sex toys can be just as fun when you’re treating yourself or out with your girlfriends!) Shopping together can be a great option, not to mention exciting in and of itself… think of it as a gift for you both! But if you’re looking to surprise your partner with something special, here’s a few things to keep in mind as you’re wading through all the options out there.

· Decide the “theme” you’re going for. Fun? Kinky? Holiday-oriented? Romantic? If you have a sort of theme in mind, it can be fun to pick up a few little things to accent your main gift. (A satin blindfold and feather tickler makes that pair of handcuffs even sexier, while a candy-cane striped dildo would go perfectly with a red thong.

· Think about what your partner already likes, and then elaborate. Is there something you know they’ve always wanted to try? Maybe they’ve mentioned something in passing more than once. It’s great to refresh old standbys (hello dear sweet Rabbit Vibe!), but it’s also fun to try something new. The biggest thing I try to keep in mind when gift-giving, for any gift, is that you want to give the person something they want but usually wouldn’t get themselves. For example, say that you know your sweetie likes giving you a good smack on the butt. Take that affinity and heighten their arousal (and yours) by taking it to a new level with a sexy spanking toy, such as a paddle or flogger. If you know your man loves receiving oral, you could spice up the usual encounters with a vibrating oral sex ring, tasty oral sex candy, or flavored lube. If your girlfriend is curious about anal stimulation but loves her vibrator, you could opt for a triple stimulating wand attachment or a vibe with multiple stimulators. Or maybe you two have been discussing anal sex—there are plenty of great products to help you ease into something new.

· Realize what you’re comfortable with. You want your partner to be pleased with their gift, but if it’s something that you’re not comfortable enjoying with them, then it’s probably best to avoid it. The best part of giving a sex toy to your partner is enjoying it together! If you’re comfortable with a spanking toy but find the thought of full-on impact play and bondage a bit unsettling, then there’s no reason to push it all the way. Chances are your partner will be surprised and more than pleased to receive a present that will add something new to your sex lives, no matter what you end up deciding to get. The fact that you find them sexy enough to pick out a gift of this nature is arousing on its own!

Hopefully this encourages if not helps you if you decide to pick out a sex toy for your partner this holiday season. Happy shopping, readers! xoxox

Posted: News

We always welcome your feedback0

The worth of any good retail store lies in how it treats its customers. We, at Healthy and Active always see you as more than some $20 and $10 dollar bills. We see you as people, sexually active people; people who like to get the toys and gear that make your sex lives worthwhile.

In such a quest, it’s always important that you give us feedback on your shopping experiences with us, and don’t ever think you’re being too harsh. The only way we can progressively get better as a store is by understanding what things you like and you don’t like about shopping with us. In the end, the goal is to make you a more happy, satisfied consumer.

To that extent, we invite you to give us feedback about Healthy and Active: from the product selection to the checkout process to the customer service.

You can do this in a few ways:

1. Leave a comment on this blog
2. Send a quick comment over to us on Twitter
3. Shoot us an email

We welcome good, constructive criticism (as well as praises and woots!). We want to be better for you. We want you to enjoy using us as your destination for sexual goods.

Stay safe and sexy, everyone!

Posted: Observations, Store Updates

Seems Healthy and Active has a little klout…0

There’s a website called Klout, that helps a person or company determine their social influence. It takes the combination of the Twitter and Facebook accounts to calculate what kind of reach and contribution is being made in the social space.

So naturally, Healthy and Active was inserted into the equation. So this is what Klout has to say about Healthy and Active’s social influences:

Healthy and Active is an Explorer

You actively engage in the social web, constantly trying out new ways to interact and network. You’re exploring the ecosystem and making it work for you. Your level of activity and engagement shows that you "get it", we predict you’ll be moving up.

It has to be said that none of this is possible without the wonderful people we have met via Twitter and Facebook. You guys make each day of interaction fun, stimulating, educational and worthwhile. If you haven’t yet got in on the conversation, feel free to follow on Twitter or Facebook.

We look forward to hanging out with you.

Posted: News

The personal preference of sexual people1

When you’re a retail (online or otherwise) store that sells a wide variety of one class of product, the question usually arises: How do customers distinguish which particular item they want? In my years working with Healthy and Active, I can’t tell you how many different versions of the rabbit vibrator I’ve seen: waterproof, thrusting, MP3, voice-activated, 7 functions, 10 functions, independent speed and rotation, you name it.

As someone who worked in physical (brick and mortar) retail prior to joining the Healthy and Active team I was fascinated by the way people shopped and what goes through their mind when they see multiple versions of the same thing. A friend, via Twitter, informed me that women are more likely to have more than one vibrator (of any variety) for example to help with the various desires she may have at the time.

Now that applies to a general vibrators category where I understand that you may want a G-spot vibe and a straight-shafted vibe and even a portable one. But when you get into specifics, say rabbit vibrators, what helps you distinguish one probable rabbit vibe purchase from the other.

If you have anything to share about your decision process when making a purchase at a sex shop, I’m all ears. Please… enlighten me =)

And it doesn’t have to pertain to the rabbit vibrators category. I was simply using that as an example.

Posted: Observations, Sex Toys

Aww, poor Thanksgiving0

Is anyone in the audience a middle child? Then I think you can sympathize with Thanksgiving. It seems like more and more, retailers are looking past the day of thanks, turkey and family and more towards the Christmas holiday (the baby of the family). If you looked at Thanksgiving as the middle child to Halloween and Christmas Day, then Thanksgiving is stuck in a limbo trying to find its identity.

Now I’m not a middle child, so I can’t give a true understanding, but I’m hearing stories from friends who are already seeing Christmas decorations and gift ideas being displayed on shelves. At this rate, we’ll see Valentine’s Day items in Mid-December.

Listen, everyone. Let’s not be so quick to look past Thanksgiving and all of the wonderful things that it offers. I know that Christmas Day is a joy primarily because we get a bunch of new stuff, but Thanksgiving is a great holiday for spending with family and enjoying everyone’s company and seeing how they did throughout the year.

Now I know some of you are saying: “Um, have you seen my family?”. That may be, but Thanksgiving also brings with it some days off (and the workers shall rejoice!)

Besides, Thanksgiving is also a ready-made excuse for having a food fight with your partner and then having to eat all of that stuff off when you’re done (see I could still make this sexual).

Hey, Thanksgiving! We at Healthy and Active still love you! BIG HUG!

Posted: Across the Internet, Observations