Sexy Resources

I know a lot of couples want to improve their sex life. This can be complicated with the over-sexed world. Where can you go without being bombarded by visuals you'd prefer to leave unseen? I've spent many years looking for such resources, because I love sex, and I want to be able to learn about it from resources that are healthy for myself and my husband.

Any resources I recommend are ones that have been helpful to me in some way. That doesn't mean that everything applies to me or even that I like everything a person says. Check them out for yourself, take what you can from them, put aside what you can't. 

If you want to read some great blog posts about sex, I highly recommend Kevin A. Thompson. I've read both of his books and probably all his blog posts. He really challenges me, and I love the way he talks about sex. I do his 28 day marriage challenge every February (my husband has no idea :)), which is a lot of fun. I also like To Love, Honor, and Vacuum. This is a woman's perspective on sex as a service, educating yourself, and simple, frank discussions on all the questions you've been afraid to ask. 

If you like podcasts, I've really enjoyed One Extraordinary Marriage. This couple did a 60 day sex challenge, started a blog, and later a podcast to talk about the importance of intimacy in marriage. Their podcast is a great way to start conversation and think about how you can improve. You can also check out Sex Chat for Christian Wives. This is an area I want to explore more, so I'd love to know of any you like! 

If you're interested in books about sex, here are some of my favourites:
Intended for Pleasure by Ed and Gaye Wheat
Sheet Music by Kevin Leman
For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn
Friends, Partners, & Lovers by Kevin A Thompson
The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex by Sheila Wray Gregoire
Bonk by Mary Roach (this one is more about the science and is full of fun and facts. This is the only book on my list that isn't written by a Christian.)

I love lingerie, and my husband does, too. Here are some model-free websites where you can find beautiful lingerie in many styles, colors, sizes, and price-points. Because they're model free, you can even let your husband pick something. Several of these sites also include other sexy-time things:
https://secretthursday.com/
https://www.engedilingerie.com/
https://www.gingerandpeachlingerie.com/
https://www.honoringintimates.com/
https://shopmentionables.com/
https://christianlovetoys.com/
https://marrieddance.com/

Interested in exploring sex positions without pictures of real people?:
https://www.christianfriendlysexpositions.com/

Married Christian Sex will randomly generate various sexual encounters that you can try out. There are other resources as well, so feel free to explore! Christian Nymphos is also a resource I've used regularly. 

That's all for now! I'm regularly exploring new books, blogs, podcasts, etc. I'll add to this list as I find new things. Explore! Grab your spouse! Have a good time :). 

Memoirs of a Pregnancy Loss

Over two years ago, I lost a pregnancy.

It was an accidental pregnancy, as I was only ten months postpartum after my third baby. I started feeling the tell-tale signs of morning sickness and aversions to sweet breakfasts that I've felt with nearly all my pregnancies. Only this time, I was cramping almost constantly. 

I didn't mention this to my husband. I was afraid to. My previous pregnancy had been difficult, tinged by perinatal depression. My marriage had been under significant strain. Then after the birth, postpartum depression was my constant companion. I thought about killing myself and sparing my family of my pain on a regular basis. After therapy and the comfort and support of many friends, I was doing much better, but I didn't want it to happen again. So I tried to ignore my body. 

Minimalist Must Haves: Toddler Edition

Knowing what to have for a toddler can be just as overwhelming as for a baby. The idea that you need a lot to keep a toddler well kept and happy is just as prevalent - and just as wrong - as the idea that you need a lot to have a baby. I have found that my toddlers are happier with much less than even I expected as a minimalist. So what to you need to keep your toddler happy, healthy, and wise?

Minimalist Christmas Traditions

I would say I come from a tradition-loving family. Every year, a big hoopla was made over watching our extensive list of favorite Christmas movies, putting up a lot of Christmas decorations, eating lots of sweet, and the list goes on. As I've begun building my own family traditions, I have found that our lifestyle doesn't mesh too well with the traditions I grew up with.

At first, I found this a little disheartening. What traditions makes sense for a family that tries to be frugal, not create a lot of waste or take up space, and keep things simple? Here are the traditions we have chosen as fitting with our family lifestyle:

Minimalist Must Haves: Baby Edition

You are about to welcome a new baby into your world. Congratulations! It's an exciting and incredibly overwhelming time. I remember trying to figure out, with my first, what I would need to survive, and it honestly was a lot less than I had. Here, I'll outline the things I found I needed and mention a few things you only might need. 

The Best Marriage Advice I Was Given

When I was taking pre-marital counseling with my soon-to-be-husband, we did the "Love and Respect" series with my parents. We would watch a session and discuss. One comment in particular struck me: let your husband dream.

Probably this isn't all that crazy to some people. Probably it partly depends upon your marriage, but my husband is definitely a dreamer. He will come to me on a regular basis with a new scheme for how to expand his business, make a bigger impact with his work, etc. And every time he does, I listen, try not to say much, and just accept his dream for what it is.

Why?

Cleaving and Becoming An Adult

There is an awkward stage that every young adult goes through where he goes from being a child to being an adult. It's awkward for both the parents and the child, because there is a combination of still wanting to parent/be parented and yet wanting to make decisions that will impact the future you wish to have.

I knew from an incredibly young age (around 8) that I wanted to be a wife and mother. I never wanted to be anything else. I planned on getting married the day I turned 18 and popping out babies every year or so while my husband worked and I stayed at home. To me, this described the ideal life. My parents were supportive. They knew how important a wife and mother who stays at home can be, and they believed I was following the natural path for the majority of women.