#FetishFriday - Handcuffs & Silk

Handcuffs are an important accessory for a cop costume but also can be a lot of fun in the bedroom. Keep in mind, handcuffs used in sex play are made to be comfortable and safe so don’t borrow your buddy’s police issue. Having restricted movement will intensify the senses and make for very sensual loving.

A recent study found that men who engage in bondage say they feel less sad, nervous or hopeless than men do generally. They're not markedly different from other men-bondage may be just a way "to express their heightened interest in sex and sexual permissiveness," says Richard O de Visser, PhD, author of the study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. "It's simply a sexual interest that's attractive to a minority, and not indicative of past abuse or difficulty with 'normal' sex," Visser says.

For your reading pleasure, check out my book Handcuffs & Silk. 

You may be inspired.

Handcuffs can make for some erotic fun.
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Thursday 13 - Reasons to Smile

Smiling Makes Us Feel Good

"Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural painkillers, and serotonin. Together these three neurotransmitters make us feel good from head to toe. Not only do these natural chemicals elevate your mood, but they also relax your body and reduce physical pain." - The Very Well Mind by Mark Stibich, PhD 

I have to agree with the good doctor. Smiling is wonderful. So why do we smile?

1. To show you’re happy.

2. Like yawns, smiles are contagious.




3. To do a simple act of kindness.

4. Because you are wearing a new shade of lipstick. (After all, a girl cannot have too many shades of lipstick.)

5. You feel confident knowing your best girlfriend will tell you if you have something stuck in your teeth.

6. Because that piece of chocolate cheesecake was amazing.

7. You love the sensation of those new panties against your skin.

8. You feel joy in your heart and love energizes you.
(Or was that an over-sized pink bunny that just went by?)

9. If you smile enough, you’ll start to believe your face.

10. You just took a deep breath and realized life is grand.

11. Because happiness is the result of being too busy to be miserable.

12. It takes fewer muscles to smile than frown.

13. My favorite reason: Always smile… because others will think you are up to something. And maybe you are.


What makes you smile?

Wednesday's Writing Prompt - the beginning

I teach a class on writing and encourage journal keeping. I kept a journal while I spent time in England as teen. Years later, I found that old notebook and read through it. Funny thing... my first book (Painted Soul) was born and thus led to many more. Keeping a journal is not only documenting thoughts, feeling or events but it's a great way to exercise your mind. Writing can be a form of meditation, relaxation and therapy. An athlete practices regularly to stay in shape. A writer keeps writing to stay sharp. Writing is a great way for seniors to not only to keep memories alive but also keep their minds alert.  Journaling is great for all ages!

Simple rules of keeping a journal:
* Sit in a comfortable place where you won't be interrupted for a few moments.
* Don't spend alot of time. Set a timer if needed. Use only a few minutes to write. Think of it as drinking a glass of water rather than an entire gallon. Once you get the  hang of it, you might have times where your thoughts may take up several pages.
* Don't be a critique. Journal entries are raw. Think of them as rough drafts if your wish, but don't change them. It may ruin the beauty of the words. If editing is your thing, save the original and edit a copy. Keep every draft you make. I've done that and it's fun to look back at the growth.
*Keep a journal in a notebook or on a computer. It doesn't matter. Whatever is comfortable to you. I like a journal I can hold and carry. There is something about writing with a pencil on paper that feels good.
* Don't just write, keep other things in your journal. Paste a poem or comic that you enjoyed. Clip an article. Save those doodles! Keep inspirational photos.

So... every Wednesday I'll post a Writing Prompt to help train your mind to write, to exercise your brain, to encourage you keep a journal. Use these prompts to break a writer's block if needed.

Are you ready?

Here's your first assignment. 

 IN THIS MOMENT part 1

Sit comfortably with your notebook and pen. Write for 10 -15 minutes.

A.   Begin this exercise by looking at your immediate surroundings. See what catches your attention. It may be the pattern on the carpet, a fly on the window pane, a dirty cup, the painting on the wall, an open door and what lies beyond it, the view outside, the overflowing wastepaper basket, a letter you forgot to post, et. Describe two or three objects, picking out some precise details such as shape, size, color, texture, smell. Write briefly about one or two of these: the sounds you can hear, the warmth or coldness, the amount of light, the kind of light. 

Tasty Tuesday - Momma Mary's Morning Oats

Oatmeal is a great way to kick off your day, especially if you're dieting. It gives you a packed punch of fiber and protein to help you feel full, thus reducing bad snacking. I used my grandmother's recipe with some modern touches.

Momma Mary's Morning Oats

1/2 cup dry rolled old fashion oats

1 Tbsp flax seed

1 tsp chia seed

1 tsp light brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup coconut almond milk 

Mix dry ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl. Add milk. Cover and set in fridge overnight.

Next day, heat for 1 min in microwave. Stir. Additional heat in 30 second intervals.

Calories: 315
Carbs: 63g
Dietary Fiber: 12g
Total Fat: 13.5g
Sat. Fats: 2g
Protein: 10.5g
Sodium: 170mg
Sugar: 8g

This recipe does not need to sit over night, but it's alot more filling if it does. The time breaks down the grains and creates a creamy flavor. Can be prepared stove top as well.

I like to add dried berries to an overnight soak. My favorite dried cherries come from Traverse City, MI. Check out Cherry Republic. Fresh berries or banana should be added after cooking. Nuts can be added any time.

Woolly Fun

Woolly bear caterpillars, or woolly worms, are a common sight this time of year as they begin to seek out a safe place to ride out the upcoming winter.

But, could they also be trying to give us a heads-up about what the approaching winter holds for us?

According to a well-known legend, they just might. A woolly bear caterpillar’s body is made up of 13 segments, colored either black or brown. If there’s more brown, legend has it that the upcoming winter will be milder. More black coloring suggests a harsher winter ahead.

So, let’s take a look back at how the legend started. In the fall of 1948, Dr. C. H. Curran from the American Museum of Natural History in New York traveled to Bear Mountain, outside of New York City, to study the caterpillars there. By determining the average number of brown segments in the caterpillars over the next 8 years, each fall Curran found more than a third of the caterpillar’s bodies were colored brown. And yes, the following winters were milder than normal.

It doesn't matter if the little critter is accurate or not, it gives us a good excuse to cuddle with our honey! Grab a cozy woolly blanket and thank a caterpillar.

PS The caterpillars can freeze during the winter, but in the spring, they create a cocoon and emerge as an Isabella Tiger moth.