storage

Monthly Faves: Sketches, Netflix, & Swizzle Sticks

Kate Sloan

Hello! This month I’m going to stray from my usual Monthly Faves format, because – honestly, y’all? – sex toys and sexual fantasies have not exactly topped my list of priorities since the whole COVID thing started. (I’m sure many of you can relate.) So without further ado, here are some of the things that got me through April…

Media

• I randomly remembered that the movie Oceans 8 existed and that I’d wanted to see it since it came out, so my partner and I watched it together. If you don’t know, it’s a heist movie starring a shocking number of powerful and beautiful Hollywood women: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, et al. Also Rihanna plays a brilliant stoner/hacker. Basically it’s a must-watch, especially if (like me) you love movies about con artists, thieves, and scammers.

• Queer Canadian comedian Mae Martin (whew, try saying that 5 times fast!) created and starred in a new Netflix series called Feel Good, which is both very funny and very devastating. It’s about queerness, drug addiction, love addiction, coming out of the closet (or not), figuring out your gender (or not), and repairing broken relationships (or not). I adored it, though if you struggle with addiction, it might be a tough watch for you.

• Reading pandemic-related fiction is a bit of an emotional gamble these days, to say the least, but I gave it a shot anyway and really enjoyed Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. It’s set in a post-apocalyptic world where survivors are trying to pick up the pieces after a swine flu mutation suddenly kills 99.99% of the earth’s population and society as we know it completely crumbles. While that sounds pretty horrific – and at times, it is – the ending, and the conclusions to be drawn from the story, are (I think) ultimately hopeful and encouraging. Along similar lines, Severance by Ling Ma is also about a civilization-destroying pandemic, but deals more with the racism, classism, and capitalist bullshit that can be exacerbated by disasters like this.

• I celebrated my 28th birthday this month, and it was one of the strangest birthdays I’ve ever had, for obvious reasons! However, I put together a little Zoom party with a bunch of friends and we played Use Your Words, my friend Brent’s party game “for funny people and their unfunny friends.” I’ve been playing it for years and it still always makes me laugh!

• One of my fave local comedy troupes, the Sketchersons, have been continuing their weekly sketch show Sunday Night Live from the comfort of their own individual homes. They’re performing topical humor LIVE every week over Zoom (or some Zoom-like service). It is one of the most innovative and creative things I’ve seen during all of this, and I would highly recommend you tune in sometime!

• Another fave livestreamed event of mine this month was Broadway.com’s tribute to Stephen Sondheim for his 90th birthday. It got off to a rocky start due to technical problems – I still feel so bad for host Raúl Esparza that we didn’t get to see as much of him as planned – but the musical performances were top-notch. Someone please cast Beanie Feldstein as the Baker’s Wife in a new production of Into the Woods ASAP when this is all over!

Products

• Fed up with my constantly overcrowded nightstand, I ordered a felt storage pocket that attaches to the side of your bed, and have been stashing all my various devices and must-haves in there (Kindle, Switch, 3DS, notebook and pen, earbuds). It has weirdly made me feel much more sane and calm in these trying times. Hey, whatever works!

• I also bought a pink organizer for all my sex toy charging cables. They formerly were just shoved into a small drawer willy-nilly, which obviously wasn’t working, so it was nice to finally get to organize them. Ahh, I love orderliness!

• I am still living in my MeUndies lounge pants. My partner and I each ordered a new pair this month – a quarantine-appropriate splurge, if you will – and they are a godsend. Comfy! Cute! Pockets!

• In the past month I have bought reusable fabric face masks from four different shops: Pacha Indigenous Art Collection, Peace Collective, FickleFaerie and DinkyBums. Really appreciating all these independent creators making beautiful masks, and often also donating masks or money to frontline workers as part of their operations. (Side note: I’m definitely also lusting after a sequinned mask like Rachel Syme has.)

• My partner and I have been beefing up my home bar situation since they arrived here last month, because good-quality cocktails sure make staying at home more bearable. Some of my favorite acquisitions: pre-batched tiki cocktails from the Shameful Tiki Room, olive brine from the Cocktail Emporium (I love me a dirty martini), ornate martini glasses my mom gave me for my birthday, and an assortment of weird liquors and liqueurs from Civil Liberties.

Work & Appearances

• PinkCherry asked me to write a piece about sexual empowerment for them, so I wrote this essay about breaking the habit of apologizing during sex. This problem is so real!

• Wanna hear me wax poetic about kink, power, and systemic oppression? Good thing I discussed those very topics with Leela Sinha on zir podcast Power Pivot this month!

• We’ve been doing lots of great stuff on my podcasts The Dildorks and Question Box lately, but I particularly want to draw your attention to our recent 4/20 episodes. In both of them, we got super high and answered strange questions. They’re a hoot!

• In my newsletter this month, I wrote about libido in the time of coronavirus, merciful silence toward the men in my DMs, what Animal Crossing taught me about my gender presentation, and why you should wear your nicest underwear now.

Good Causes

• The Glad Day Emergency Survival Fund is putting money into the pockets of LGBTQ+ artists, performers, and tip-based workers, as well as keeping the Glad Day Bookshop (an institution in Toronto’s queer scene) from going under.

• Here’s a mutual aid fund for “trans and queer Black and Indigenous people and other trans and queer people of color, ESPECIALLY those who are sex workers, undocumented, disabled, and/or incarcerated.” These groups are especially struggling right now.

• Tuck Woodstock, who hosts the incredible Gender Reveal podcast, is raising money for trans and non-binary people who need it in this unprecedented time.

• If you’ve been reading a lot lately, like me, I would strongly recommend shopping for new books through Bookshop.org. Purchases help financially support local, independent bookstores, which could really use the boost, especially right now.

• From what I’ve been reading, a lot of food banks need money more than they need food donations right now, for various reasons. If you’re able, Google around for your local food bank and send them some cash so the folks who rely on them can keep food on the table. I gave some to FoodShare this month, in memory of my grandmother Jean, who believed in feeding someone as a way of taking care of them. 💙

 

What’s been getting you through these difficult times? Let me know in the comments!

Where I Keep My Sex Toys

Kate Sloan

I’ve written about my sex toy storage situation before, but that was over a year ago and a lot has changed. My collection has grown significantly bigger, to the point that I had to pick up an additional small set of drawers at Ikea to keep it all in.

I will warn you right now that these pictures are MESSY. I have no discipline for neatness! But at least the system is functional: I can always find what I’m looking for.

This is the top drawer of my plastic set of drawers. It contains favorites that I reach for often: my Patchy Paul, Lelo Siri, VixSkin Mustang, NobEssence Fling, Pure Wand, Acute, and a few others. The Sqweel is in there, not because I use it a ton, but because when I’m craving it, I want it immediately.

This next drawer is chaotic as hell. It contains all my Kegel toys and anal toys, plus lube samples, bullet vibes, and a huge amount of toy-cleaning wipes left over from the days when I used to receive stuff from an unethical sex shop that shall not be named.

Some of the few toys you can actually see in this photo: the Magic Banana, small Ripple, Eclipse balls, and Icicles no. 26. You’ll notice that most of the silicone ones are wrapped in plastic bags – that’s to prevent them from gathering lint.

The next drawer is a large one, so I use it for one of the most well-represented categories in my sex toy collection: silicone dildos. On top, you can see the Maverick, Curve, Raquel, Leoweenie, and El Diablo. There are several more layers of dildos beneath those.

Again, I mostly keep these wrapped in plastic bags to prevent lint from getting all over them (and to keep the lower-quality ones from potentially melting into each other). I keep some of my VixSkin toys in their original plastic tubes, because they’re kind of cool, but it’s not the most practical solution because of how much space it takes up.

The bottom drawer of my plastic set isn’t pictured, because it’s currently jammed and won’t open up all the way (?), but incase you were wondering, it contains condoms, porn DVDs, and some naked Instax photos of my friends and I.

Over to the metal set of drawers. The top one is for vibrators I don’t use very often, if at all. You can see the Stronic Eins (which should probably be upgraded to my “favorites” drawer, honestly), LayaSpot, Personal Pleasurizer, Ocean, Turbo Glider, and Iconic Rabbit. There are also lots of Lelo vibes in there that are in their storage bags, like the Gigi, Gigi 2, and Lyla 2.

The next drawer is for dildos made of unusual (i.e. non-silicone) materials. For example, I’ve got the glass Amethyst and Large Smiley, some wood toys by Knotty Wood Arts, the aluminum Revolve, the ceramic Pleasure, and the stainless steel Fun Wand. These are all toys that I don’t use very often, but it’s nice to pull them out every once in a while.

The next drawer is supposed to be for harnesses and anything else I might need for strap-on play. In this photo, all that’s in there is my RodeoH harness and the paraphernalia that came with it, but soon I’ll be keeping my new Bend Over Beginner kit in there too. (I also have a dream that one day I will own an Aslan Jaguar, but for now, no such luck!)

This drawer is for men’s toys (and a random We-Vibe charger?), the Fleshlight STU and VerSpanken. My boyfriend recently moved into a new living situation that’s got more privacy and storage space than where he used to live, so he’ll probably take these to his own place soon… Well, he’ll take the Fleshlight, anyway. I’m pretty sure he wishes I would just throw the VerSpanken in the garbage.

This drawer currently contains only my enema. I’m not sure yet what else should go in here. Any ideas? Leave ‘em in the comments!

The bottom drawer is reserved for massager-style vibes. You can see my antique 1960s vibrator as well as my Bodywand, Fairy Mini Wand, and Lelo Smart Wand. I also have a Hitachi, Wahl, and Eroscillator, but those are kept next to my bed.

Other things I keep next to my bed at all times: several different kinds of lube and whatever toy(s) I am currently testing for review. Above my bed, on a curtain rod, all my paddles are hanging.

How do you store your sex toys? Are they organized, or are they kind of all over the place? Do you have any suggestions for how I can improve or change my system?

My Sex Toy Drawers

Kate Sloan

Today I’m going to take a leaf out of Epiphora’s book and show you how I store my sex toys. This is something I’m always curious about with other people, so I thought I’d share some photos for those of you who obsess over toy storage as much as I do!

When I first started reviewing sex toys, I cleaned out this old stack of plastic drawers that had been holding miscellaneous papers and objects in my bedroom for years. I had previously been keeping my sex toys in a vintage hatbox, but my collection was already starting to outgrow that method, so I knew it was time for an upgrade.

On top of the drawers, I keep my external hard drives (there’s no other place for them to go, so whatevs!), a bottle of antibacterial toy cleaner, and a washcloth for wiping off the cleaner once it’s done its job. I also usually keep newer toys on top of the drawers as a reminder to myself that I need to use them so I can review them.

The top drawer holds all my frequently-used favorites, with the exception of the Eroscillator which I keep plugged in at my bedside. This drawer contains the Fling, Pure Wand, Tsunami (review coming on Friday!), Lelo Mona, Turbo Glider, and Amethyst. I’ve also stuffed in some Tantus stickers that I don’t know what to do with, and my original Eroscillator attachments, which I never use now that I have the fingertip attachment.

The second drawer holds anal toys like the Ripple and Joe Rock, vaginal exercisers like the Eclipse balls and Magic Banana, and couples’ toys like the Tiani and FixSation. I’ve also filled this drawer with toy wipes, small bottles and packets of lube, unneeded bullet vibes, flavored condoms, and latex gloves. This is basically a drawer of miscellany. As a side note, I keep all the silicone toys wrapped in plastic bags so that they don’t touch each other and have chemical reactions.

My third drawer is deeper than the others, so it can fit more stuff. I use it to hold all the dildos I use sometimes but not too often, like the Ella, Adam, and Echo. Once again, I keep the silicone toys wrapped in plastic bags (which are kept in this drawer for easy access), and I try to wrap all the glass toys in some kind of padded covering, like a scarf or some packing materials.

The bottom drawer doesn’t get used very often. Currently it’s where I keep extra condoms, porn DVDs, erotica books, and random instructional booklets that came with some of my toys.

As for the toys I own that I rarely or never use anymore, those get stashed in my hatbox, where I can remove them to show them off to friends but don’t actually have to look at them or deal with them. I keep condoms in a little easy-access basket right next to my bed, and lube just adjacent to that.

How do you store your sex toys? What would be the ideal storage system for your toy collection?