Things to Tell Your Girlfriends

When I first got married, I naively assumed that my husband would be my front line of communication. It didn't take me long to realize that if I want sympathy, understanding, enlightenment, or reassurance, I am far more likely to get it by talking to another woman than to my husband.
Should you moan "I feel like I'm getting a cold," another woman -- any woman -- will immediately grasp the subtext: You want permission to slow down. She will say something soothing like "Why not skip the gym and curl up on the sofa with a cup of tea?" A man either will pretend he didn't hear you (if I had a dollar for every time I wondered if my husband had gone deaf, I could fly all my girlfriends to Paris) or come up with a reassuring gem like "Yeah, you know, my throat has been hurting for a week, and I'm afraid it might be walking pneumonia."
Recently I polled some friends and experts and came up with a handful of general and specific things a wife hoping to avoid complete exasperation should tell her friends, not her husband.

Women in 40s have better sex lives

Whoever said that 'life begins at 40' was probably right, as far as women and sex are concerned.
A Brit survey has found that women in their 40s have a better time in bed than at any other stage of their life.

It also found that more than a quarter of married women admitted having had an affair, compared with an estimated 18 per cent of husbands.

In the survey of 2,000 women, it was found that those in their 40s are less self-conscious about their bodies and as a result are more confident between the sheets.

Up to 80 per cent said that they are now more adventurous with their partner than during their 20s, with 60 per cent saying they feel more assertive.

According to experts, this is the age when females hit their ''sexual confidence'' peak - they know what they want in the bedroom and they are not afraid to ask.

On the other hand, a fifth of women under 30 say they often merely pretend to be satisfied in bed, compared with just seven per cent of 40-somethings.

Researchers also found that 68 per cent of women in their 40s are fully aware of which love-making technique gives them the most pleasure, and more than half say they are not too embarrassed to ask.

Up to 58 per cent say they have the best sex when they are married, often because they are more experienced.

They also tend to have fewer worries than during their 20s or 30s, either about work or children, so they can properly relax in the bedroom.

Well over 90 per cent of women insisted that fidelity was essential in a long-term relationship - which made the number admitting to affairs so surprising.

Only five per cent of the married women who admitted being unfaithful said it was when they had the best sex.

By comparison, 58 per cent said the best sex they had ever had was with their husband.

The survey also showed that the average woman over 40 has had five sexual partners in her life - compared with nine for the average 30-something.

"The real sexual adventure begins when the children are older or have left home and women have the body confidence and experience to enjoy sex more than ever before," the Daily Mail quoted Nicola Down, editor of Top Sante magazine, which carried out the research, as saying.

"Our survey clearly shows that married women in their 40s have the best sex lives. So it's sad that eight out of ten women think society and younger people in particular don't have a positive image about older women when, in truth, they are the ones worldly enough to enjoy a wonderful sex life," she added.

American have sex in 41 combinations

Americans are often portrayed as being bland sexual mopes, compared to say, the French. But according to a new study, we actually routinely choose from more spicy combinations than you can find on a Mexican take-out menu. The researchers who conducted the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior even came up with a number: 41.
We don’t necessarily indulge in all 41 possible combinations in every episode — who has the time? — but many of us, the survey says, do a bit of this and a fair amount of that, including stuff our mothers and our priests and a few politicians (yes, you, Ms. Christine O’Donnell) tell us we should never, ever do. In fact, the panel of researchers told a conference call with reporters, the number is no doubt higher than 41, but the survey did not ask, for example, about use of sex toys and porn.
The study, of 5,865 people between the ages of 14 and 94, focused on five sex acts: penile-vaginal intercourse, solo masturbation, partnered masturbation, oral sex and anal sex.

That You Just Saved the Family $300 by Buying a New Blazer

Read also some reviews of sexy underwears.
Only women grasp the rich economic complexities of shopping. There is, for instance, the spending-to-save theory. Say it's the dead of summer, and you spot, at half price, a black wool DKNY blazer. Although you already own another black jacket, it's imperative you buy this one.
Why shouldn't you tell your husband? Because men believe an article of clothing should be replaced only at the point when the original is in rags. You, on the other hand, are operating on the female view of shopping, which embraces the whole time-space continuum. Clearly, at some point in the future, you will have to buy another black jacket. Get it now, and you've saved both money and time.
Nor do men comprehend the thrill of the successful hunt, however dear the thrill may turn out to be. "I just got into trouble over a set of fireplace tools," Sophie said. "I'd looked high and low for something that was worthy of our home and finally found a set of handwrought iron ones on sale for $120, which was very reasonable when you consider that a crummy set costs $80. When I told my husband he had a fit. I was so proud of the bargain. A girlfriend would have been pleased for me."
I'm not pushing deceit here, just discretion. "If it's not an issue -- either by mutual agreement or by financial status -- then why bother telling him what the dress costs?" says Phyllis Koch-Sheras, Ph.D., a Charlottesville, Virginia, clinical psychologist. "Obviously, if you have a limited budget and you share these things, then I advocate you communicate about it first."
If you're the one who's anxious about finances, by all means tell only a friend. "You've got to be careful discussing money with men, because it's one of the ways in which they define themselves," says Billie Dziech, Ed.D., professor of English at the University of Cincinnati and an expert on gender issues. "Anything that makes them think that you're worried about finances they will take as a direct assault on their status." It translates as "I'm not taking care of her." Even if he is.

Let's Talk About Sex

Q: A few months ago my sex drive just became nonexistent. I used to easily become aroused with my fiancй. Now, even when we are in the middle of the act, I can't reach full arousal. We have both tried different things to awake the passion in me again, to no avail. How can I get the old feelings back?
A: Uh oh! It sounds like you turned into a scaredy cat overnight. Believe it or not perhaps what's frightening you is your impending wedding. I think your problem is about intimacy rather than sex, despite how it may appear.
One of the objectives of a long-term commitment is to strengthen and intensify passion, but for many people, the exact opposite happens. A sudden rush of fear can cool down your engine before you even know what hit you.
This happens because once you say "yes, I will marry you," you're a heartbeat away from "I do." Suddenly all the concerns that go hand in-hand with big decisions find their way to the surface. This can be a daunting challenge for many people, especially if they believed that getting engaged would lay all their doubts to rest. In fact, it often unleashes even more anxiety, like "Am I making the right choice? Am I really in love with this person? Do I have the passion to go the distance and last a lifetime?"
All those questions and worries can quickly douse the flames of desire. I suggest that you try and get in touch with whatever uncertainties you might have about getting married. Make a list of the things that scare you or make you feel uneasy. Once you identify your concerns, share them with your partner. Sometimes just saying them out loud will help to put them into perspective.
Keep in mind that having a case of cold feet doesn't mean he's not the one for you. Everyone experiences anxiety when they make a big decision. My hunch is that once you make room for some of your fear, the old flames of passion will start to heat up again.