The Survey Says...

I love a good survey.

Especially one that answers the million dollar question: How often are couples having sex?

When Parade Magazine asked that question they got a pretty scary answer.

Less than once a month, according to 31 percent of responders.
"A few times a week" was the response of 27 percent.

And when people were asked why they didn't have marital sex more often, men overwhelmingly said their spouse wasn't interested. On the flip side, women cited a loss of sexual interest in their bedmate, anger with them -- or both.

Brenda Shoshanna, Ph.D., a psychologist in New York City, says that her clients cite time - or lack thereof - especially when it comes to frequency of sex. "Not having enough time for sex, affection and romance is usually the biggest complaint of one partner or the other," she says.

"People who are in healthy, happy marriages have less stress, better health and are better able to deal with the challenges of life," Shoshanna says.

Less stress, better health and the ability to deal better with what life throws at you?

Sounds like a no brainer to us!

It's Been Busy Around Here!

The Boston Globe came around last week to interview us for an article (which should be published sometime next week).

Then we hit a new milestone - our 100th customer! Hard to believe we have over 100 customers just two months after launching.

And we started shipping our month 3 surprises to the customers who became members those first few days.

And we've had so many Introductory members upgrade to 3, 6 and 12 month packages, so we're hoping that means we're doing something right.

Then there are the orders from military couples overseas. Who deserves some time to themselves more than those serving in the armed forces? We can't imagine how difficult it must be, but we're hoping that a little surprise brings a smile to what must be a difficult situation.

Finally, the notes that come through for our Surprise Someone Else packages are just so amazing. Sweet and fun and so perfect. We can't believe how many surprises are being sent to couples who are celebrating over 20 years together - that's over two decades!

So whoever said romance and passion and fun is dead, certainly never met any of our Intimate Surprises members.

Thanks to everyone who's made the first two months so much fun.

What a Great Week!.

So much fun last night on the phone with Carol the Coach.

It's been such an eventful week here. Last night on the radio, Wednesday the Boston Globe is coming out to interview us about the business and it seems as if just about everyone who ordered an Introductory Surprise has renewed for 3, 6 and 12 month subscriptions!

We can't imagine anything more exciting than to see Introductory customers coming back for more! It means we must be doing something right, but more importantly it means they must have had fun.

And we're all for fun.

On the Radio...

This Saturday night we're going to be on "Sex, Love, and Relationships with Carol the Coach" at 9:15.

You can listen on the Internet by tuning into www.wibc.com and hitting the "listen live" button on the home page. Then, on the 2nd page hit the logo and wait about 10 seconds for the streamline to begin. And, of course, hit the "listen live" button on the right of the "on air schedule" and you can hear the whole show.

It should be fun. We love to talk. And we have the faces for radio (old joke, but it still made me laugh).

Wake Up and Smell the Roses

The link between love, relationships and perfumes may have been uncovered by scientists investigating what sex does to your sense of smell. And it turns out it does a lot.

Post-romp, you'll experience a surge in the hormone prolactin, which develops new neurons in the brain's olfactory bulb, improving your sense of smell.

So, no, you're not crazy if all of a sudden you think you can smell the chocolate cake in the kitchen all the way from your bedroom. But you are crazy if you attempt to eat chocolate cake in bed. The scientists still haven't discovered a way to do that without making a complete mess.

Happy Thanksgiving

Oh, I love turkey. And I love mashed potatos. And, stuffing... well, not really, I like stuffing a lot but I can't say I love it.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll be eating turkey and drinking egg nog (because every day is a good day for egg nog) and finishing it off with an ice cream cake decorated to look like a turkey (because I do not love pumpkin pie even if John does). And we'll be thankful. We hope you are, too.

The Doctor Is In

Today's Oprah show continued its Sex Therapy series with Dr. Laura Berman.

She talked about content from her new book, REAL SEX FOR REAL WOMEN.

I like Laura Berman, she's someone who can talk about difficult subjects easily and makes them accessible.

And she can make a good joke. It's so important to have a sense of humor.

Ready for Winter, Bye Bye Colds

Kick colds to the curb. Say sayonara to the sniffles and tootles to sore throats.

Even though winter is right around the corner (and in some places, already here), there is some good news. You don't have to fall victim to the season.

In fact, researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that having sex once or twice a week boosts the immune system by 30 percent.

Don't ask how they determined that, but it has something to do with measuring the levels of immuoglobulin, which is the first line of defense against colds and flu.

Luckily, you don't have to understand the science. You just have to appreciate the fact that with Intimate Surprises you're practically on your way to being 1/3 less likely to get colds this winter.

And considering how fun it is to blow your nose for six days straight while coughing up a lung, those are pretty good odds!

Out is Out and In is In

Oh, the economy. Every day it seems like we hear more disturbing news.

This month, the Consumer Spending Indicator study asked how respondents planned to trim the fat, and dining out is in the hot seat--with 57% of respondents saying they plan to spend less. Entertainment was up there, too, with 50% of respondents cutting back.

So is staying in the new "in?" Instead of heading out for dinner and a movie will people be looking for more affordable ways to entertain themselves at home?

Am I the only one thinking "intimate surprises?" One of the things we loved about this idea was that for less than what a couple typically spends on dinner and a night out you can have way more fun, way more personal attention and way more intimate enjoyment than waiting for the bread basket and passing the salt.

Case in point (according to CNN and in 2005 dollars):

- average meal in NYC costs $37.61 per person, while your tab for a meal at the most expensive restaurants will average $112.49 (and that was 3 years ago!!!).

- An average meal in San Francisco costs $35.52, swank meals in the Bay Area average $85.27.

- Atlanta comes in at $24.72 a person or $55.70 per meal.

And that doesn't include gas and parking and other associated expenses. Staying in with an intimate surprise sounds downright frugal compared to that.

Help Him Stay Healthy

According to a study at Queens University in Belfast, men who have sex three or more times a week can cut their risk of heart attack in half.

According to that same study, regular romps will also halve your man's chances of suffering a stroke.