The Twister: gorgeous glass toy

OK, here’s my dilemma. I love TheTwister glass sex toy from MyPleasure.com adult toys. It’s gorgeous, a work of art. I love the ergonomic handle. I love how it holds cold (I love cold!) if I pop it in the freezer for a while first. I love that it's safe, medical grade glass.

So what's not to love? This: the size and shape of the "bulb" part means that I haven’t been able to insert it, just tease myself with it.

Although it's listed with a diameter of 1.5", pulling a tape measure tightly around the widest part gave me a full 5"circumference, which according to About.com's calculator is 1.5915494309189535 diameter. Okay, call it 1.6". If you prefer slimmer or can't handle this girth, you need to know this. It might have worked with more of a tapered shape instead of the almost immediate girth of the "bulb."

I know that for most of my readers, that extra fraction of an inch of girth would not be a problem, and it really is a fabulous, lovely pleasure object. Young women reading this are scratching their heads wondering how 1.6" can be considered girthy.

But many women of our age -- especially those not having regular intercourse or large-ish toy penetration and/or experiencing vaginal discomfort and/or tightness in the vaginal opening--  know what I'm talking about. If that's your situation, just know that might be a limitation of your full (pun intended) enjoyment of The Twister.

Once you get past the size, or the size gets past you, this is an extraordinary toy.  It is made of medical-grade, hand-blown glass: hypoallergenic, non-porous, extremely durable. If you're fearful of using glass, be assured: it's not going to break or chip or send slivers into your vagina. Really. Handle it, and you'll see what I mean. It's smooth, hard, and oh so lovely.

A fabulous attribute of medical-grade glass is that you can heat it with hot water or even in the microwave, or cool it in the refrigerator or freezer. I love the sensation of cold, so I was eager to try this. I put it in a freezer bag to keep it clean and left it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Of course my warm body heated the toy eventually, but the shock of feeling smooth, icy glass was delicious.

The toy as a whole is quite short, just 4.25" insertable, nice for those who enjoy penetration but not deep penetration. It has a flange base -- a larger lip or collar that keeps it in place and stops it from disappearing inside you (not that it really could disappear vaginally, of course, but the flange is necessary if you use it anally).

The little handle is a smart idea -- you can hold on to the Twister and -- as the name says -- twist or "stir" it for extra sensation. By the way, the little handle is ergonomically excellent for those of us with wrist arthritis -- you can rest the handle between two fingers without any need to grip it.

It doesn't vibrate, but it doesn't need to. You can twist  it if you want the motion. There's plenty of pleasure in it!

I've photographed the gorgeous Twister with different backgrounds because it's hard to show what a clear glass object looks like when you see the background through it.

Thank you, MyPleasure.com adult toys, for sending me the lovely Twister!

Intrigued by glass toys, but not sure Twister is the one? See all the lovely glass toys at MyPleasure.com.

4/19/12 Update: I was delighted to hear from Rudy from Joyful-Pleasure.com, the company that makes The Twister and other glass toys. Far from being unhappy that I pretty much said that many of you won't be able to use The Twister, he was grateful for the information! Bloggers who review sex toys often want bigger, longer, fatter, more of everything. It's important for companies and retailers that want to market to our age group to understand what we want and need, and Rudy expressed exactly that. He sent me two slimmer glass toys and another is on the way -- my new review will be coming soon!

Adventures with Passionate U/ Kink Academy

"I own the sex-education websites PassionateU.com and KinkAcademy.com," began the email from Kali, "and I would love to feature you as an educator with a focus on sex & aging." Kali went on to explain that she and her crew were coming to San Francisco to film several sex educators, and she hoped I would agree to a two- to three-hour video shoot.


I was nervous about the photo shoot. I'm very comfortable talking for a few hours about the different sexual challenges that face us as we age and offering the solutions I've learned from the experts in Naked at Our Age--but would my respectful style be right for this edgy, explicit site?

It turns out we were a perfect match. Kali and her videographer, Gray, made me feel comfortable right away and were so enthusiastic about my work that I felt like Queen of the World. Three hours flew by as I discussed topics such as lack of desire, unreliable erections, safer sex, the importance of self-pleasuring, sex toys, and more. My video clips will be available at PassionateU soon. For now, watch this one.

This screen shot doesn't really play. To view the video, click here.

What is Passionate U about? As the "About Us" section explains,

This is not the “sex education” you received in junior high!
You’ve grown up and so should your sex ed!
PassionateU provides authentic and straight-forward sexuality instruction for consenting (and adventurous) individuals looking to take their sexual knowledge further. Curious adults seeking to explore their fantasies come to PU to learn from experts who are passionate about helping you to improve your sex life!
Firstly, all the basics will be covered; How to put a condom on, positive sexual vocabulary, communication for partners, and so forth. After you’ve got all of that down, we get to REALLY spice up the curriculum by showing you lessons on erotic spanking, dirty talk and much, much more!

How are the two sites different? Both offer grown-up sex ed through graphic video clips. Passionate U is the tamer of the two, offering topics such as how to put on a condom properly, foot fetish, breast worship, comfortable positions for cunnilingus, and cleaning a silicone dildo. But it pushes the edges of "tame" with instructional videos on vaginal fisting, cock slapping, and more. Sometimes the educators are clothed talking heads; other times they're nude, demonstrating (often with an assistant) the techniques they're teaching.

Kink Academy is, as the name implies, the kinky site -- bondage "how-to"s, whips, caning, collars, you get the picture. If you're into or interested in kinky sex play, here's where you can learn all about it through graphic, instructional videos. As the site explains,

Kink Academy is the Web’s leading resource for adult sexuality education in BDSM, polyamory, fetish, kink, swinging, and other sexual expressions that are commonly overlooked even in sex-positive educational materials. Our belief is that sexuality is a creative outlet that goes far beyond a few humdrum maneuvers in the bedroom, and that all safe and consensual interests are and worthy of validation.

The sites aren't free, nor should they be -- they pay the instructors. You can view a few videos free before deciding to subscribe, including one of mine. You can sample a month of unlimited access for $14.95, 3 months for $29.95, or join for a year for $100.

Click here for Passionate U. Click here for Kink Academy.

Best Valentine's Gift - Cost: $0; Value: Immeasurable

If you're lucky enough to have a loved one with you today, here's the best Valentine's Gift you can give: Write him or her a love letter. Describe the reasons you love this person, recall some special memories. Your loved one will treasure your letter always.

In May 2008, Robert and I were approaching our second wedding anniversary. (We were together 7 years, but married only 2.). We knew it would be the last we would spend together because of the progression of his cancer.

He asked, "What can I give you for our anniversary?"

"A love letter," I told him.

He did, and it's one of my most treasured gifts. I've read it over and over, and I'm reading it again today on Valentine's Day. 

My vision blurs from the tears, but although I'm crying, I'm so happy that I have this beautiful, final message from my beloved.

(Please write yours today.) 

10 Tips for Hot Sex, Partnered or Solo (Whatever Your Age or Gender)

Everyone's trying to sell you something for Valentine's Day. I want to give you something -- these 10 Tips for Hot Sex, Partnered or Solo. I've published similar tips in other forms -- either directed to singles or couples, always specifying our age 50+ community. This time, I offer tips that are not age-based, or partner/solo-based, or gender based (except for tip #1). If you'd like a printable PDF of these tips, email me! -- Joan

10 Tips for Hot Sex, Partnered or Solo

(Whatever Your Age or Gender)

                                                                       

by Joan Price

Author of Naked at Our Age: Talking Out Loudabout Senior Sex

and Better Than I Ever Expected: Straight Talkabout Sex after Sixty

1. Slo-o-o-w-w down. It takes longer for women to warm up, and this intensifies as we get older. Make the warm-up phase of sex play last hours... or days.

2. Appreciate, decorate, and celebrate your body. Jewelry, lingerie, feathers, fringe, silk, velvet, massage oil, candlelight--whatever looks good and feels good. If you know you look sexy, you’ll feel sexy.  

3. Learn what you like. Touch yourself to know where and how you like to be touched. Explore, experiment. If you’re partnered, communicate what you like.

4. Do sexy things on your own to get yourself in the mood long before you get naked. Work out. Swim. Dance. Fantasize a sexy scene. Spend some time humming with a vibrator, touching yourself, reading erotica, or watching porn – or all of these.

5. Have sex during high energy times, when your arousal is strongest, whether solo or partnered. 

6. If you’re partnered, kiss and kiss. Kiss sweetly, passionately, quickly, slowly, contentedly, hungrily, lightly, sloppily. All kinds of kisses help you bond with your partner, warm up, and enjoy the moment.

7. Explore sex toys and other erotic helpers, alone and/or with a partner. Lucky for us that sex toys are easy to find, fun to try, and wow, do they work!

8. Use a silky lubricant. There are many different lubricants made specifically for sex that feel great and enhance (or bring back) the joy of friction. Make applying lubricant an erotic part of sex play. 

9. Enjoy the afterglow. If you’re partnered, indulge in quality snuggle time. Solo, don’t get back to your daily life right away – bask in your feelings of well-being.

10. Whether you’re partnered or solo, laugh a lot. Laughter is joyful, ageless – and sexy.

Please visit Joan Price’s website at http://www.joanprice.com

and her lively sex and aging blog at http://www.nakedatourage.com.

We-Wibe Touch, Tango, and Salsa: Small and Sweet!

We-Wibe doesn't just make vibrators for couples, I've discovered. I'm really enjoying the three new We-Wibe vibrators for solo play that Kama Sutra Closet sent me:

• The We-Vibe Tango is a tiny (3"x 5/8") lipstick-shaped vibrator, fine for clitoral or vaginal pleasure.
• The We-Vibe Salsa is a tiny (3"x 5/8") rocket-shaped vibrator, fine for clitoral or vaginal pleasure.
• The We-Vibe Touch is a palm-sized (4" x 1.8" x 1.2") clitoral vibrator, shaped to cup the vulva.

We-Vibe Tango

The difference between the Tango and the Salsa is the shape -- would you rather have a flat area against your clitoris, or a narrow tip?

Though I liked the lipstick shape better, I found that it was hard to keep it from rolling around (thus moving the flat part away), especially when it and my fingers were coated with lube.

We-Wibe Salsa

Internally, they act similar to a bullet vibrator, though slim and longer than the usual bullet. There's no pull-string, but as long as the vibrations are still going, it will shoot right out if you stop clenching and push a little. (In fact, it will shoot right out if you're not careful to clench or push with a finger!)

Do not, however, insert these little toys anally, because they don't have a flange base and can indeed get stuck inside. You don't want to be the emergency room doctor's next story about what he had to remove from someone's rectum.

We-Vibe Touch

  The Touch is for external use only, and it's my favorite of the three -- although I wish (oh, there she goes again...) the vibrations were stronger. I like that it's a little rubbery and flexible rather than really hard. The shape is lovely -- just tuck it where it fits over clitoris and parts of the vulva, and let it work its magic.

All three together are small enough to fit in a hand, and lightweight enough to be your special travel buddies. They're discreet and quiet for solo pleasure, even if someone is in the next room. They're also small enough to fit between bodies during sex with a partner, if you need extra clitoral stimulation, as many of us do.

Despite their tiny size, they pack quite a strong vibrational punch. Each has four intensities for steady vibration plus four different pulsing patterns. You just push the soft button at the end, and vibrations change -- no dials or complicated controls.  (Personally, I just turn it up to the strongest, steady vibration and enjoy, but many people really like the pattern options.) Push and hold, and it turns off. Easy--except when the vibrator and your fingers are lubed, when it's apt to skitter out of your hand and across the bed. Capture it with a washcloth, or -- better -- get the washcloth ready first!

These We-Vibe playmates are completely waterproof, so you can get your enjoyment in the shower or tub!  They're made of body-safe materials: the Tango and Salsa are PC-ABS thermoplastic, and the Touch is medical-grade platinum silicone. All are eco-friendly, carbon-neutral in their manufacturing and distribution. They even come with a storage pouch, which I always appreciate.

Rechargeable, they fasten magnetically to a cute charging bulb, and in less than 90 minutes, they're recharged enough to go for two hours.

Thank you, Kama Sutra Closet, for sending me these dear little vibes to review! I'll be tucking them in my suitcase next trip!