The New Living Arrangement

According to the Daily Mail, a new survey found a surprising new trend: One in 20 committed couples chooses to live separately. That marks an increase of 40 percent in the last decade.

Holiday Wishes

From all of us at Intimate Surprises, we wish you a wonderful holiday and a joyous new year.

Listen Up!

Tune in this Wednesday when we're on Michelle LeCours talk show. You can listen here
for the interview. Should be fun!!

5 Is The Magic Number

The magic number is 5 (according to Glamour magazine). That's the number of positive interactions you should have with your partner for each fight with him/her. A 5:1 ratio, how are you doing?

The Afterglow Is Just the Beginning

The secret to youth might not be found in a fountain, but between the sheets instead.

Sex increases blood circulation, which helps pump oxygen to our skin resulting in a brighter appearance, which explains that after-sex glow. Sex boosts our natural collagen production, which staves off age spots and sagging. Simply put, more wrinkles in the bed equals fewer wrinkles on your face!

By the Numbers

According to Glamour magazine:

29% of men prefer to have sex with the lights on
31% of men say they sleep in the nude

Sometimes It's the Little Things...

Sometimes it's the little things that make you smile. Just received an order with the following comment:

"I have heard great reviews from a good friend and we are dying to try it out!"

To that new Intimate Surprises customer, thanks so much.

Sometimes It's the Little Things...

Sometimes it's the little things that make you smile. Just received an order with the following comment:

"I have heard great reviews from a good friend and we are dying to try it out!"

To that new Intimate Surprises customer, thanks so much

Conventional wisdom says that love takes time. But researchers have found that the brain process we think of as "falling in love" takes about one-fifth of a second. Yes, 1/5 of a second!

Dr. Stephanie Ortigue and her crew have been running scans on the brains and bodies of people who claim to be smitten, and they discovered that the idea of love taking time just isn't supported by science. It's actually a chemical process, a real biological phenomenon. In fact, love takes the effort of 12 different areas of your brain working in tandem.

Everyone talks about how you fall in love with your heart, but sounds like your brain is actually the one in charge!

Americans Are Getting Friskier

In the lastest National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior total of 5,865 people, between ages 14 and 94, answered a series of intimate questions on their carnal habits.

The findings? Respondents say that they're getting more experimental.

The research also noted a disparity in sexual satisfaction between men and women, and one that suggests a lack of communication between the sheets.

A Woman's Type of Man

A study conducted by the University of Pecs (really!) in Hungary took 700 participants and found that most people wind up with somebody who looks a lot like their opposite-sex parent.

Sleep on it... Together!

Apparently lots of couples have trouble sharing a bed when they sleep - all that tossing and turning (not to mention snoring) can make sleeping together more of a chore than getting up in the morning.

Here are some tips to make sleeping in the same bed more enjoyable:

1. Make it. As in, stop being lazy and make your bed. It's the opening note for a good night's sleep, according to The Times.

2. Choreograph it. Paul C. Rosenblatt, a psychiatry professor at the University of Minnesota, told The Times that most couples sleep best when they face away from each other, which is better to avoid flexing knees and bad breath. Map out a strategy that allows for each person to comfortably sleep facing away from each other.

Pillow Talk

When your head hits the pillow, don't close your eyes, open your mouth.

That's what Ian Kerner, Ph.D. suggests. “If couples aren’t talking and approaching sex with a sense of play then they’re going to fall into a pattern of routine,” saysthe author of She Comes First and He Comes Next. “The brain is the biggest sex organ.”

Commit to 15 minutes of pillow talk a few nights a week—no TV, no laptops and no BlackBerries. Take this time to discuss your fantasies, desires or romantic memories. Remember your hot honeymoon? Remember it together and talk about other times you've enjoyed together.

Survey Says Women Want...

Instead of sex, women want to read, watch a movie or even sleep, according to an iVillage survey of 2,000 wives ages 18 to 49.

But there's good news, too!

• Fully 77 percent of married women reported being somewhat to extremely happy with their sex life
• One in seven women reports trying something new in bed as recently as last week

Sweet Dreams

We've all experienced bizarre dreams in which people we know look like someone else or we get freaky with an unappealing co-worker. But are those subconscious thoughts that zap through our brains at night really relevant in our waking hours?

Yes, according to Gillian Holloway, an internationally recognized dream expert with over 20 years of experience interpreting dreams under her belt.

In her book "The Complete Dream Book of Love and Relationships: Discover What Your Dreams and Intuition Reveal About You and Your Love Life," Holloway uses her analysis of over 30,000 actual dreams to get to the bottom of what our dreams say about our romantic relationships.

The Science of Relationships

The secret to a good marriage might simply be to love the one you're with. And there are even loads of science to back that up.

In her new book, "For Better: the Science of a Good Marriage," author and health journalist Tara Parker-Pope applies rigorous research to the big things in a relationship -- sex, money, kids, fighting -- and more interestingly to the(seemingly) small things -- housework, snoring, eye rolling, even the way couples retell the story of how they met.

Turns out marriage isn't quite what most of us probably think it is: Wed couples are actually having more sex than anyone, conflict can be a good thing and more than 50 percent of us are staying married.

More Fun, More Sex

"Ultimately, fun is the best aphrodisiac," says Paul Joannides, author of The Guide to Getting It On! "Quit looking for sexy and look for fun instead—and you'll end up having more sex."

Who doesn't love fun? And if it leads to a little something more, all the better! Here are some ideas for activities to get the fun started...

Survey Says...

Does a relationship have a better chance of working if the woman is more attractive than the man? A recent study suggests it does.

In an attempt to determine whether good-looking spouses aremore supportive and happier, a team of psychologists studied 82 newlywed couples.

Their research findings:

- Men who were more attractive than their spouses were less supportive than men who were equally matched or less attractive.
- Men who were more attractive were less happy than others.
- Men and women tended to be more positive and happier when wives were more attractive than their husbands.

The researchers suggest that human evolution might help explain the effect of men's attractiveness on a marriage.

- Attractive men are more likely to attract women, which could make them less satisfied and less committed.
- Attractive women might not mind being better-looking because attractiveness might be less important long-term.

Whatever the reason, makes you think...

Make Out More

Take a trip back to junior high for an evening and restrict yourselves to 10 minutes of kissing and over-the-clothes touching only, says Leigh Anderson, author of Games for Grownups. “

Keeping things PG for a set time revs you both up for a more adult encounter.

Better At Yoga, Better In Bed

It's said that the Goddess Pose can help improve your sex life by strengthening your legs and opening your hips.

Learn how to do the Goddess pose here and see if they're right.

Flex Your Love Muscles

According to this study, the top five muscles women love on a man are:

1. Six-pack abs
2. Powerful forearms
3. A nice butt
4. A broad back
5. Sculpted shoulders

Be Lovers, Not Fighters...

According to a study conducted at the University of California at Berkeley, couples who lightly tease each other during a conflict (read: fight) wind up feeling more in love when the disagreement finally blows over.

Something as little as using funny nicknames for each other or making a self-deprecating joke does the trick. So ditch the negative remarks and flex your funny bone instead.

Write It Down

Write your partners a little love note—with an actual pen and paper.

Studies show people who record positive feelings about their partner are more satisfied with their relationships.

Valentine's Expectations

Surveys, we have Valentine's surveys! According to the readers of Men's Health and Women's Health magazines:


1. Do you expect to have sex because it's Valentine's Day?
Yes: 43.1%
No: 56.9%

2. Who is supposed to plan Valentine's Day?
The guy: 30.3%
The girl: 1.6%
A couple should plan it together: 68.1% (here at Intimate Surprises, we agree!!!)

Valentine's Wasn't Always So Sweet

During the late 1800s, postage rates around the world dropped, and the obscene St. Valentine's Day card became popular, despite the Victorian era being otherwise very prudish.

As the numbers of racy valentines grew, several countries banned the practice of exchanging Valentine's Days cards. During this period, Chicago's post office rejected more than 25,000 cards on the grounds that they were so indecent, they were not fit to be carried through the U.S. mail.

Last year Intimate Surprises shipped more than 1,700 "surprises" via the USPS. Glad times have changed.

Get some guac with those chips!

Just the physical characteristics of this magical fruit are enough to lift your libido. In fact, the ancient Aztec name for avocado was "ahuacatl," or testicle.

But the avocado has other things going for it, such as being high in omega-3 fatty acids and zinc. The omega-3 acids help to maintain your overall health and give you energy, while the zinc will up your testosterone levels.

So go ahead and have some guacamole with those chips, you'll both be happier!

Kick It Up a Notch!

Chile peppers don't just add spice to meals, they can spice up your love life too. The key ingredient is the chemical capsaicin, which gives your mood a lift by triggering the release of endorphins.

Coincidentally, it's also capsaicin that gives food a hot, flavorful kick.

Get Married, Live Longer

If you believe Hollywood, there's a dark cloud over matrimony (think The Hangover, Old School, etc.) Basically, we are continually shown that marriage's a real killer. But is it? Recent studies from the University of Michigan show that married couples are living longer, healthier lives than widowed individuals. Finally, some cheerful news for married folks!

Valentine's Day Suprise for Couples - All New!

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, why not celebrate with a special Valentine's Surprise containing all new items for 2010. We changed things up this year so even if you received a surprise last Valentine's Day, this year you're in for something new and unexpected.

Make sure cupid finds you on February 14, order today!