Erotica by Shannon

Hi, it's been a bit since I've written here, and I thought it would be good to share  what's been happening with R and me. The news headline below inspired me.  May you leave with a seed planted.  "Rosalynn Carter, who as first lady worked tirelessly on behalf of mental health reform and professionalized the role of the president's spouse, died Sunday, November 19, 2023, at 96", according to the Carter Center.  "Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished," her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, said. " She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me."

  Hey there. 🙂 Would you agree that if something isn't great or mediocre, most people would want to do their best to improve it—especially in their relationships? It's normal that we typically like to ensure that our romantic relationships last and improve over time.  Yet, I have a secret for you: even if you constantly improve your relationship, you might feel increasingly annoyed and less in love without practicing the necessary skills to manage your expectations within your relationship realistically.  Manage Expectations by Changing Your Thoughts How you think about your partner can significantly impact your relationship experience. And so it's essential to think about – and possibly change – your thought patterns about your partner. For instance, when you hit a low in the relationship, it's not uncommon for you to harbor negative, critical thoughts about your partner.  You may think your partner's selfish or doesn't care about you.  You may think your part...

With a little effort and determination, everyone can spice up their relationship—no matter how long they are together. And do you want to know the best part? The more often you add spice, the easier and more natural it becomes for both of you. Here are four things to know to keep your relationship alive.  The Four Things.  1. Nurturing Relationships Takes Watering.  We grow up in a world that tells us that if we are the right person – love, attraction, and sex are easily attainable, like magic. Yet, the reality is that while your social media feed is filled with images of people seemingly having perfect relationships and sex lives, many relationship and sex therapists see what others don't see: real-life couples struggling with intimacy and connection. These couples feel like something is missing because they're having sex—they stopped looking at each other lovingly like they did when they first began dating. Know that nothing is wrong with your relationshi...

Have you been with your partner for a while and want to know how to rekindle sexual desire in your relationship?  I'll give you a tip—it has less to do with figuring out or adding fancy new (often unrealistic) positions and more to do with working your brain. At the beginning of every relationship, it's all to do with fireworks and lightning – as soon as you touch each other, your appetite for sex renews. Yet gradually and subtly (unless proactively nurtured by both partners), these intense feelings of sexual desire tend to pitter-patter away.  What remains is a deep bond with lots of emotional intimacy and a sense of safety and attachment.  It's easy to take this stage of your relationship as a sign that something's off; you've fallen out of love, or perhaps you're not meant to be. I want you to know there's nothing wrong with your relationship just because you'd rather Netflix and chill than have sex. It means you're comfortable with your partner a...

The Why Did you know that The Journal of Sexual Medicine revealed that women worldwide had masturbated at least once for one reason or another- a whopping 94.5%? And most of those women masturbate while in a relationship.  One in four do so up to three times a week to help with sexual desire, relaxation, sleep, and stress reduction. Almost one in five prefer going solo than being stimulated by their partner, and for the five percent of women who’ve never masturbated, their two reasons were  ‘lack of sexual desire’  and  ‘it’s a partner-only thing.’  Dr. Andrea Burri of the Institute for Sex Counseling and Sexual Sciences, Switzerland, says,   For many women, masturbation does not represent a partner substitute for seeking   sexual pleasure; instead, it’s a stress coping and relaxation strategy. Not all women get off with vaginal penetration by a penis, and often an excellent solo masturbation session can bring you the ultimate chill factor and the abil...

Do you often wonder if sex and stress are friends or foes? At first glance, the answer might seem simple – stress kills desire. But I can tell you it’s a little more complicated than that. And even if stress does kick your libido to the curb, there are many ways to manage stress and have a healthy sex life while keeping your connection strong within your relationship.  Sex and Stress= Increased Desire Sex and stress – are two key elements you hear about all the time, and usually, it’s about how stress negatively impacts sex drive. But for others, it’s about how stress propels them  towards  sex.  The reasons for stress increasing sex drive are several. We all have a way of relating to people in our lives. For some of you, your way of relating to people in times of stress has evolved to create a desire for sexual connection.  This means the more stressed you are, the more passion and arousal you’ll want and can experience.  When you’re in a relationship...