Come Celebrate This Blog Turning 10 Years Old!

2012 / 2022

I literally cannot believe it, but this blog, Girly Juice, is turning TEN YEARS OLD this coming Sunday!!

Yes, it was nearly 10 years ago to the day that I threw together a simple Tumblr-hosted blog, with the intention of spending the summer – just one summer! – writing anonymously about sex on the internet. Now it’s a decade later and this blog is still one of my greatest creative outlets, my home on the internet, and essentially my main “job.”

There are some people I want to thank, while I’m celebrating this anniversary:

  • My parents, who raised me to explore whatever authentically interested me, and have been nothing but supportive in my journey toward becoming a full-time professional sex writer and podcaster. (They were initially confused when I started receiving big boxes in the mail a couple times a week – I was still living at home back then – but when I eventually explained that the boxes were full of sex toys I was being sent to review, they were chill as hell about it.)
  • My spouse and the love of my life, Matthew, who has been my de facto tech support person for nearly half the lifespan of this blog thus far. They have helped me with innumerable tasks I would have been too daunted or ill-equipped to tackle myself, like updating back-end code and replacing zillions of links when affiliate programs randomly get dismantled. They’ve also been the #1 supporter of my work the entire time we’ve been together, reading almost every new blog post aloud to me over the phone before it comes out, offering feedback and topic suggestions, helping me promote my work, guesting on my podcasts, being interviewed on my blog, and so on. I don’t know what I did to deserve such a kind, generous, thoughtful and brilliant person in my corner, but I’m grateful for them every day.
  • My friend Epiphora, a fellow sex blogger and sex toy reviewer. She was one of my major inspirations when I first began this work, and was also the person who sat me down in year 3 of Girly Juice and said, “We’re getting you a self-hosted website. Your blog is too good to be hosted on Tumblr.” She was right, especially since Tumblr banned all adult content just a few years later. It was Piph who initially installed WordPress on this domain, set everything up for me, and moved everything over. I literally don’t think this blog would have existed in the first place without her, and it certainly would not have lasted this long without her help.
  • My other sex blogger friends – there are too many to name, but many are linked in the “Blogs I Love” section of my sidebar – for all the advice, support, inspiration and laughter we’ve shared over the years.
  • Jessica Mullen and Kelly Cree of the School of Life Design, who designed the blog’s current theme/aesthetic. That was like half a decade ago – I’m overdue for an overhaul, and working on it – but part of why this design has lasted so long is that I really feel like Jessica and Kelly just “got” what I was going for, and what my whole “vibe” is.
  • All the various companies who have advertised on my site, commissioned sponsored content from me, and so on. Despite what critics have to say about “selling out,” the fact is that creative people can make their best work when they have enough time and money to do so, and this blog simply could not have endured all this time if it wasn’t a significant income stream for me. It is truly wonderful to get paid for doing what you love to do!
  • My readers, of course!!! My deepest, wildest dream when starting this blog was that I’d be able to connect with other people who were as passionately nerdy about sex as I was, and that has happened more than I would have ever thought possible. I love you all so much (except the ones who sexually harass me) and am so glad you’re here. Thank you. ❤️

 

To celebrate this momentous occasion, this Sunday at 2pm ET I am doing a livestream on Instagram Live. I’ll play some songs and perhaps read some cringey old blog posts and/or invite my spouse to do so, in their beautiful voice. We’ll raise money for the ACLU in Texas, to hopefully help the trans kids (and their parents) being horribly mistreated there currently; song requests will be welcome in exchange for donations. It’ll be a good time. You can check my Instagram page to join the stream when it starts.

Thank you again so much for being here and for joining me on this journey. I hope to continue blogging here for as long as it feels good to do so – and it definitely hasn’t stopped feeling good yet. 💖

My Blog’s Turning 9 & I’m Doing an Online Concert to Celebrate!

Friends, this coming Saturday marks NINE YEARS since I created this blog and wrote my first post on it. I was nineteen years old – basically a baby – and envisioned that Girly Juice would be a fun summer project. I had no idea it would become essentially my full-time job and the source of many of my most important opportunities, projects, and relationships. Thank you so much for being with me on this journey, however long you’ve been reading – it honestly means the world to me. 💖

To celebrate 9 years in the sex blogging biz, I’m playing a livestreamed concert this weekend, Saturday, March 27th at 7 p.m. Eastern. Here are the details…

 

Q. Where can I tune into the show?

A. On my YouTube channel. Click that link and hit the “set reminder” bell if you want to make sure you won’t forget!

 

Q. What will happen during the show?

A. I’m going to play some songs on my ukulele – some relatively recent, some throwbacks unearthed from my high school singer/songwriter days. This is the first show I’ve headlined in any format for 3+ years and I’m so excited to share some tunes with you! Other things that might happen: poetry readings, sneak peeks of my upcoming book(s), conversations with my spouse about sex blogging, answering questions from viewers, sampling delicious cocktails, giggling.

 

Q. Is there a ticket fee?

A. Nope! Totally free. However, if you want to do something nice for me as a “congrats on blogging for 9 years” gift, you can buy my music on Bandcamp, buy my sexy pictures/videos here, preorder my first book, and/or make a donation in my honor to a rad organization I believe in, like the Bail Project, Trans Lifeline, SWOP Behind Bars, or the Bad Dog Theatre.

 

Q. Will it be recorded for me to watch later if I can’t make it?

A. Probably not, because I want it to feel as singularly special as the live shows I used to love playing IRL. But there’s tons of music on my YouTube channel if you want to see me play at a time that works better for you!

 

Q. What should I wear?

A. Wear whatever you like – this isn’t a conservative family Zoom call, it’s a sex blogger’s YouTube concert! – but if you feel inspired to do so, feel free to dress up for the occasion in something fancy, sparkly, kinky, and/or velvet. Tag me if you post your outfit on social media – I wanna see!

 

Hope to see you this Saturday, babes 💖

Two-Year Blogiversary!

That’s right, Girly Juice is two years old today!

With that in mind, here are 10 things I’ve learned from the past two years of sex blogging:

1. “I have a sex toy blog” is a great conversation starter. Whether or not you can tell from reading what I write here, I’m pretty shy in real life. I tend to be that person who hangs out in the corner, smiling and nodding, until someone asks me a question. And if the question is “What do you do?” or “What are you up to?” then I always have a great (and sometimes show-stopping) response…

2. Sex toys do lose their appeal… eventually. Well, some of them. I’m no longer impressed by run-of-the-mill vibrators, standard dildos, or “innovative” gimmicks. A toy has to actually feel good and work well to get my attention – which means, unfortunately, that many things I receive these days just don’t thrill me. I often get asked if sex toys start to “get old” when you’ve tried dozens of them, and the answer is: the mediocre ones do.

3. Materials matter. I used to have a somewhat laissez-faire attitude about materials – I knew to avoid jelly at all costs, but I assumed everything else must be at least passably safe. Well, I was wrong. I’ve learned that porous toys can give me infections, and that phthalates can be present even in toys that claim to be phthalate-free. I grow less and less trusting of mega-sized toy companies by the day, because they seem to lie about their toys’ materials so damn often. My vagina is healthier and happier now that I stick to non-porous, legitimately phthalate-free toys.

4. Rumbly vibrations rule. When I first started reviewing toys, I was kind of unimpressed with vibrators, because the only ones I’d tried had been buzzy as fuck, always making me numb within minutes and leading to disappointing and difficult orgasms. The first super-rumbly vibe I discovered was the Wahl (thanks to Epiphora, whose recommendations are always stellar), and it changed my life. Suddenly, orgasms were easy. And not only that, but they actually felt better. Since then, I’ve discovered my favorite rumbly vibes, the We-Vibe Tango and Salsa, and I use them on a near-daily basis because they’re just that fantastic. This is the kind of success story I wish on anyone who pursues greater pleasure through sex toys.

5. Strap-ons aren’t just for lesbians or pegging… Men can use them on women too. I should probably write a whole post on this topic, and maybe I will. My boyfriend, ever the mature and sexually giving hero of my life, has happily strapped on various dildos over his flesh-and-blood dick to add some variety to our sex life from time to time. If I’m in the mood for something huge, something tiny, or something with a more intense texture than a natural penis can provide, I can get it. Of course, my boyfriend’s penis isn’t neglected – he just knows it’s not the only tool in his toolbox, and I think that’s wonderful!

6. Everyone wants to review sex toys, but most people don’t know (or don’t want to know) what it actually entails. As I discussed in my sex toy reviewer FAQ, playing with toys is actually a pretty minimal part of what goes into making a blog like this happen. I spend most of my work hours writing, editing, answering e-mails, managing ads, and generating endless links. I’m not saying it’s not fun (hell, I love writing!), but I think it’s pretty different from what most people are envisioning when they excitedly ask me, “How can I get into your line of work?!”

7. The sex-positive community has fewer creepers than you would think. While I complain about deceptive fetishists and other people of that ilk, 90% of those encounters have happened to me in non-sexual sectors of the internet. When I talk openly about sex in a way that’s smart and thoughtful, I find I tend to attract mostly people who want to talk about sex in similarly smart and thoughtful ways. It helps that the sex-positive community is all about consent and tends to shun people who lack respect and decency. There will always be those weirdos who silently favorite all the tweets where I mention masturbating, but those people are greatly outweighed by folks who are genuine, kind, and only sexualize me with my explicit consent.

8. My vagina is capable of more than I thought. Toward the beginning of my sex blogging career, a 1.5"-diameter bulb tripped me up. Nowadays, I can handle pretty big dildos if I warm up and lube up properly. I’m not quite a vaginal superhero, but I can do more than I thought I’d ever be able to do. (And hey, I’m going to a fisting workshop next week – that’s something to aspire to!)

9. It’s my blog; I make the rules. I went into this loosely modeling myself after sex bloggers I admired: people who wrote erotica, people who reviewed sex toys, or people who wrote clever how-to posts. Over time, I’ve grown to realize that I don’t have to stick to what’s already been done. I can write tirades about oppressive language, I can wax poetic about gender identity, I can give advice I wish someone had given me. There are no hard rules. When it’s your space, you can do what you want – and often, sticking to the truest part of yourself is what will attract more readers, reblogs, and retweets!

10. If you want something, take steps toward getting it. Sounds obvious, maybe, but 3+ years ago I never knew there was a way I could acquire sex toys that were out of my modest student price range and have a significant platform from which to speak my mind about sexuality. I also idolized people like Tristan Taormino, Epiphora, and Courtney Trouble, never anticipating that I would ever have Twitter exchanges with them or review stuff for them. If there’s someone you want to know, reach out to them. If there’s something you want to do, start – today. If you want to make something, get the materials together and begin. You never know what could happen!

Thanks for reading my blog, lovelies! What’s your favorite post from my past two years? What type of post would you like to see more of in the future here?

My First Year as a Sex Blogger

I recently reached a huge milestone: my blog turned 1!

My very first post went up on March 27th, 2012. It’s hard for me to believe it’s been a whole year.

In honor of this landmark date passing, here’s a list of some of my favorite posts I wrote this year. (Remember, you can always have a look through my archive, located in my sidebar, if you want to see ‘em all!)

The very first toy I reviewed on my blog

You know you’re a sex nerd when…

9 inches? Who gives a fuck?

Top 10 songs to ironically have sex to

Review: Eroscillator (still my all-time favorite toy!)

How I learned to stop worrying and rub my own clit, dammit!

The charm of cunnilingus

My sex toy drawers

Porn review: Tina and Roger

She died and left me her vibrator

Review: glass vaginal egg

Cheap orgasms, anyone?

GJ’s guide to bacterial vaginosis

Strong Penis Vibrator Man!

Silly search terms

How to introduce your friend to the wonderful world of sex toys

Photo credit: Specialty Cake Creations.