
With 2020 being…the way it has been, I'm pretty sure that you don't have any big out-of-the-house plans for New Year's Eve. I get that is kind of a bummer too. But girl, if you've got a man to ring the new year in with, you've got a party in your house. You just don't know it yet.
This piece? It's all about how to enjoy some really, really, REALLY good NYE sex. I'm talking about the kind that will make you never head out to a restaurant or club on December 31 again because—nothing can be more awesome than what's going on in your bedroom (or wherever you decide to do all of this stuff). Are you ready to get inspired to celebrate on a whole 'nother level?
1. Create a Foreplay List
Something that can be a sexually intriguing ice breaker is for you and your partner to individually put together a foreplay list on the eve of New Year's Eve. Literally sit down and think about 10 things that each of you sexually enjoy when it comes to the act of foreplay. Then share it with your partner before NYE officially rolls around. Mutually agree that the person who is able to recall the most things on the other's list, strictly by memory, over the course of the day, earns some sort of prize. The prize is totally up to the two of you. Maybe the "loser" prepares dinner. Perhaps the loser has to pamper the other for the rest of the day. Extra money from the loser could go into the sex jar (check out "5 Reasons Why Every Married Couple Needs A Sex Jar"). Whatever it is, it still needs to be something that will ultimately benefit the both of you in the long run. However, the purpose of this "game" is to remind you both that your separate foreplay wants and needs should be kept in the forefront of each other's minds. Starting with checking everything off of the list on New Year's Eve.
2. Commit to Some Outercourse, a Quickie and Intercourse
If you're really about making New Year's Eve a time to remember, who said that you had to wait until after the sun sets (which this year, feels like it happens right around noon, y'all)? If you're going to be off work and/or at home all day long, string all of the sexual activity out—kind of like you would a full course meal.
Start with some outercourse. What the heck is that? Back when I was in high school, the intense version of it was called dry humping. Long story short, it's any kind of sexual activity that doesn't involve any form of penetration (well, except for tongues going into mouths). It can be kissing, cuddling, giving each other a massage, or yeah, rubbing on each other to the point of almost experiencing an orgasm…shoot, maybe even to the point of actually having one. Why do some people enjoy this? One, it's a great form of foreplay, and two, it can build up all kinds of anticipation so that once penetration—of any form—goes down, folks are more than just a little excited to oblige.
A quickie is cool if you wake up horny on NYE or you want to give each other a "preview" of what's to come later on. Plus, if you're both able to climax from having one, that can make intercourse later on almost like the 90s R&B songs talk about when they refer to having sex all night long (girrrl…).
And finally intercourse. You're grown. You know what to do. But if you're looking for a few hacks to set this mutha all the way off right this year, check out "15 Sex Hacks To Take Your Bedroom Action To The Next Level", "10 Hacks To Help You Climax More Consistently", "How To Have Mind-Blowing Multiple Orgasms. Tonight, Chile.", "Want A More Intense Orgasm? These Tips Are Sure To Make You Cream" and "What Is A Super Orgasm & How Can I Have One?".
3. Pile Up on Some Lube and Condoms (Ribbed Condoms, That Is)
The wetter, the better. There really is no other way to drive this particular point home than to say that. And the easiest way to make things wetter is—well first, drink more water and then—use some lubrication. While yes, the main purpose of lube is to make you and your partner more "slippery" so that intercourse is that much more comfortable and stimulating, don't underestimate the power that comes from placing it on other parts of each other's body's too. By dabbing some on the lobes of your ears, the back of your neck or the inside of your thighs, it can also help to intensify the desire for…more action. Your best bet is to go with a lubricant that is warming or tingly. Some brands that are right up the alley are listed here.
As far as condoms go, we all know that they help to prevent an undesired pregnancy or an STD. Folks who don't want either know that they need to use them. That said, though, even if you've been "going raw" with your partner for a while now, that doesn't mean you shouldn't bring a condom into the mix every once in a while; ribbed ones, to be specific. They have a way of making the friction that comes from intercourse way more pleasurable; especially if there's some lubricant on them. The best ribbed rubbers that are currently on the market can be found here.
4. Get a Stability Ball
What the heck is a stability ball? At the end of the day, it's basically the same thing as an exercise one. And why should you incorporate it into your sex life? Well, aside from it being able to help you to strengthen your core (I'm playing and serious at the same time), you have never experienced doggy style like you will once you've extended your body across a ball first. It can be a cool way to do cowgirl too. Not only does a stability ball bring a twist into classic sex positions, but it can always be a lot of fun as well. Think of it as playing a round of Twister, only the circles on the mat are real balls instead. And since laughter makes anything in life better (so long as you're laughing with one another and not at one another)…now do you see why you should make a Target run and pick one up real quick?
5. Cop a Vibrating Penis Ring Too
Are sex toys totally your thing? If so, something that's a pretty big sex trend right now are couples sex toys. Those are ones that both you and your partner can enjoy at the same time. On top of the list of faves is a vibrating penis ring. It's basically a ring that your partner puts on the shaft of his penis and, when it vibrates, you hop on so that it can stimulate your clitoris at the same time. I did a little investigating on this toy and folks have said that it was the best sex toy purchase that they have ever made. Just putting that out there. #wink
6. String Some Lights
Back in my sexually active days, I had a few partners who used to enjoy watching me perform fellatio on them. While I didn't mind that in the least, let me tell you what did get on my very last nerve—that flashlight that they would put in my face. UGH. That's why I'm such a fan of sex, including the right kind of lighting. During this time of year, a lighting technique that I really like are string lights. They are so romantic and have a way of providing a winter wonderland-like vibe. Target, Walmart, Lowes—these are just some of the stores that carry them. I also found some on Wayfair's site that I really like because you can string them from the ceiling to the floor and then come in the soft hue of blue. You can cop those specific ones here.
7. Dance Together. Naked.
Question. When's the last time that you and your partner danced together? If you can't remember, think back to some of your favorite rom-coms that had intimate dance scenes in them. Didn't they make you feel all warm 'n fuzzy inside? Actually, there is something to that.
There are marriage therapists who will literally "prescribe" that couples in trouble dance more because it's fun, it's a way to experience non-verbal communication and it's super sensual too. OK, but since we're talking about how to get some good-good going, why not turn on some of your favorite slow jams, take off all of your clothes, and slow grind naked? It's like outercourse 2.0 because it's flirty, intense and the kind of edging that can help you and yours to physically and emotionally connect in a really sexy and arousing—all without saying a single word.
8. “Play Your Part”
Anyone who was able to survive a year like 2020, especially with their relationship intact, they deserve a round of stimulus checks (and then some)! And since New Year's Eve is a traditional time for toasting, definitely make sure that you and your partner toast each other. Although champagne is typically the signature drink for this particular occasion, if you want to try something new, how about playing your part? Believe it or not, Play Your Part is an alcoholic cocktail that is considered to be an aphrodisiac too, thanks to the chocolate (it contains compounds that elevate sexual arousal) and pomegranate (it increases testosterone levels by around 30 percent) liqueur. There is some strawberry puree and honey in the recipe to make things extra off the chain. If you want to test it out this year, the steps for making it are provided right here.
9. Serve Up a Condiments-Only Dessert
Oral sex. Be honest—can there be great sex without it? Whether you decide to have an elaborate NYE meal or just split a pizza, make sure to make room for dessert—and make sure that the dessert is for the two of you. You don't need much. Just get yourself some sweet-tasting condiments like chocolate syrup, caramel, honey, whipped cream, and maybe some puree of a favorite fruit. Place these, first on each other's erogenous zones, then on your genitals, being sure to lick the marked spots off along the way. If this doesn't get you especially hot 'n bothered, I'm not sure what will, chile.
10. Gargle Some Cold Minty Mouthwash
Speaking of oral, a particular hack that I promise you is a real game-changer is making sure you've got some cold minty mouthwash in your mouth before performing fellatio. If you hate going down, it can make the experience much more pleasant (especially if your partner happens to be, what I call, a lava lamp; you can read more about those here). Yet even if you really enjoy giving head, you'll like it even more because the menthol in the mouthwash will give your partner a tingly sensation that is truly unmatched for you both. If the mouthwash is cold, the unexpected temperature will take the experience up even a few more notches. Whew-whee!
(Put your mouthwash in the freezer about 30 minutes before you plan on hooking your partner up.)
11. Wear Some Pearls (and/or a Necktie)
If you've got a pearl necklace somewhere in your house, blow your partner's mind by wrapping it around the shaft of his penis. Not tightly; just enough to provide a unique sensation as you rub your hands up and down the necklace. It can really go next-level if you apply some lube to his penis first. He won't see it coming (no pun intended). Speaking of around-the-house-make-shift-sex toys, it's a good idea to bring a necktie into the equation too. You can tie each other's wrists together with it and well—I'll let your imagination take it from there.
12. Try Some Paper Clips
It wasn't until I saw the movie 50 Shades of Grey that I even got the concept of how "clamps" actually work. And while it's personally a hard pass for me, if you'd like to explore what a nipple clamp would feel like but you're not ready to commit to actually purchasing some, paper clips are a cool and cheap alternative. Make sure they're metal, medium, or large in size and that you put them in the freezer first. Then slide one onto your nipple (or his) and quickly pull it off. Report back if it stimulated you in any way. (I'm curious.)
13. Be His “Snow Angel”
On the eve of a new year, it only makes sense to introduce a new sex position into your repertoire, right? Personally, considering the time of year that NYE falls on, I thought that it would only be fitting to shout-out the snow angel sex position. It's basically like 69 except there's intercourse involved. Basically, while on your back, have your head facing your headboard and his facing the end of the bed while on top of you. Wrap your legs around his back and grab his butt to help him control how deeply he penetrates you. Since 70 percent of women have trouble achieving a vaginal orgasm without clitoral stimulation, this is one of the best ways to make that "goal" happen.
14. Offer Climax “Instructions”
It really is crazy, the kind of things that can remain in your head (and pop up outta the blue at times). Take the movie Strictly Business (Halle Berry, Tommy Davidson, Joseph C. Phillips) that came out in the very early 90s. Waymon (Joseph's character) was dating a woman, Diedre (played by Ann-Marie Johnson) who was annoying AF in bed. Why? Because she wasn't a dirty talker; she was a dictator—"Up! Down! Left! Right!" Awful. Anyway, this scene popped up in my head again because, when I say that a key to hot sex is to offer up climax instructions, I'm not talking about what Diedre's crazy ass was doing. What I mean is, the sounds that we make during sex (check out "Ever Wonder What The Sounds You Make During Sex Mean?"), along with the tone of our voice and the words that we say can be just as much of a turn-on as how we touch our partner.
And there is nothing like being your partner's "cheerleader" by encouraging him, not only to orgasm but telling him where and how you'd like him to do it. Do you want him to cum in you? Do you want him to slow down or speed up so that you can come together? I could keep going but I think you get my drift. There is something about hearing the word "cum", period, that incites arousal in a lot of us. Say it more this NYE. Watch what happens—and where—when you do.
15. Make a New Sex Resolution for the New Year
I can't help but to roll my eyes at married couples who only have the kind of sex that I just shared with you on "special occasions". Like really, what in the world? Isn't staying married enough of a reason to celebrate, on any given day of the week? I think a part of the challenge is holidays, birthdays and anniversaries give us the chance to plan in ways that a regular Thursday or Friday doesn't. So…make a sex plan. While you're in the bask of afterglow talk about the kind of sex you want to have more of in 2021. While I'm not big on resolutions, I will make an exception when it comes to sex because sex goals aren't made, nearly enough.
And to decide to make plans to have some hot, kinky, constant sex? How can that not make you excited about entering a whole new year?
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This Virgo Solar Eclipse Horoscope Reveals The Shift You’ve Been Waiting For
The final eclipse of 2025 is here, and it’s time to claim your harvest and own your healing. On September 21, we have a New Moon Solar Eclipse in Virgo, and we are being called towards change. This eclipse is the beginning of a new chapter, facilitating a coming together of love, stability, and intention. Solar Eclipses are different from your typical New Moon, as it’s not necessarily about manifesting right now, as it is about preparing, honoring gratitude, and recognizing what is already here for you today.
When the Moon is in Virgo, we heal, we empower ourselves, and we allow a new beginning to change our lives for the better.
What Makes the September 2025 Virgo Solar Eclipse Special
This Solar Eclipse is interesting because it forms an opposition to Saturn and Neptune, but it also forms harmonious aspects to both Uranus and Pluto. Foundations are shifting, facades fall, and clarity beams, yet there is also a more pressing need to rebuild with the tools, inspirations, and resources you have now. This is the only Solar Eclipse from the Virgo/Pisces axis that began in September 2024 and ends in February 2027, so this is the most potent time for claiming a new chapter in your life.
The more you can focus on moving forward right now, the less you will feel restricted from the past or the what-ifs.
It’s also important to note that this eclipse will be happening at 29 degrees Virgo, and the last time we had a Virgo Eclipse at this degree was September of 2006. Think back to what you were creating in your world around this time, or what changes were happening for you. Now is the time to redirect your focus, get clearer on the details, and find new ways to manage your health and day-to-day life. This eclipse is going to be especially prominent for mutable signs: Virgo, Pisces, Gemini, and Sagittarius, and overall is a breakthrough in a new, more positive direction.
The Solar Eclipse in Virgo is here to help the world evolve, grow, and love more intentionally.
Your Solar Eclipse in Virgo Horoscopes for Every Zodiac Sign
Read for your sun and rising sign below to see what is in store for you for the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Virgo.
ARIES
The New Moon Solar Eclipse in Virgo is a time of trusting your instincts, Aries. You know what is best for you, your health, and your daily life, and this eclipse will be helping you acknowledge that and find new solutions as well. Some changes have been made in your world recently, and this eclipse is showing you what gifts have come from these changes and where to go from here.
It’s about protecting your energy and your time, and knowing that what is ahead of you is far better than what has been. You are almost there, Aries. This is not the time to give up, but to prepare for your manifestations to appear.
TAURUS
The New Moon Solar Eclipse is happening in a fellow earth sign, and you are feeling inspired by the changes taking place in your life right now, Taurus. This eclipse is opening the door to romance, passion, self-expression, and creativity, and it’s time to shine, beautiful. It’s about having fun right now, not taking things too seriously, and trusting that the progress you have made is worthy of your acknowledgement and gratitude.
This Solar Eclipse is all about doing the things that make you happy and bring you joy, and being around the people that bring out this energy within you as well. You deserve to feel good about your life, and this New Moon is creating breakthroughs for you to do so.
GEMINI
This Solar Eclipse brings your interests and intentions regarding your home life and foundations to the forefront, Gemini. This eclipse facilitates changes within the home or with family, and you are experiencing a greater balance and harmony within these new beginnings. You have been looking for the middle ground between your work-life successes and your needs and intentions for your personal life and the home, and it’s coming to fruition for you now.
This eclipse overall is here to help you gain some new ground and claim the peace that you deserve in your life for all your hard work and efforts.
CANCER
The New Moon Solar Eclipse is a new beginning for you and your relationships, Cancer. Love comes together for you, and you are in a place of feeling understood and seen. You have been setting your intentions for communication matters and for more community and support in your world, and that is what is developing for you now. You are ready for an energy shift, and your heart is pleased with what is presenting itself to you.
This eclipse is a step in a new direction for your emotional world, and you are mentally feeling a lot clearer-headed in the process. It’s time to show up, take up space, and make your voice heard, Cancer.
LEO
This Solar Eclipse is a closure and a new beginning in one, Leo. You are shifting your focus and paying more attention to the investments and actions that serve your long-term goals and purpose, and where you may need to redirect your energy. It’s time to create space for new abundance to grow and to let go of settling for anything less than what you deserve. You are overall planning for the future right now, and it’s about remaining open to what is possible for you.
Financial progress is being made, and it’s coming from the new perspective you have gained in these matters this year.
VIRGO
The New Moon Solar Eclipse is here and in your sign, Virgo. Manifestations are appearing, and you are recognizing just how powerful you are. This eclipse highlights what your heart needs to feel fulfilled and aligned with your purpose, and it’s about following through on your plans and intentions right now. With this eclipse moving through your 1st house of Self, you are rewriting your story and turning a new page.
You are the creator of your destiny, of the path you lead, and the legacy you leave behind, and this Solar Eclipse is all about honoring the personal plans and goals for yourself that you feel inspired to get behind right now.
LIBRA
This Solar Eclipse brings clarity into your world and helps you see your life, both past and present, more clearly, Libra. You are in a space of healing, reflection, and letting go, and a lot is shifting for you now. This is the time to pay attention to your dreams and to honor the guidance you are receiving, knowing that you are divinely connected. When you put your healing and your peace first, you allow yourself to fully show up for others and for life itself wholeheartedly and unconditionally. This eclipse is all about knowing yourself, loving yourself, and trusting your instincts more.
SCORPIO
A New Moon Solar Eclipse occurs in your 11th house, and a new beginning is here for you, Scorpio. This eclipse brings an inner awakening into your world, and helps you see who is there for you and the love that heals. You are awakening to the dreams and intentions you want to see come to fruition, and everything feels a little more magical for you right now. This is a time for opening up to support, connection, and friendship, and meeting the right people at the right time.
You are seeing more of the gifts of connection and the need for relationship development in your world, and you are making progress here overall.
SAGITTARIUS
This New Moon Solar Eclipse highlights your career, reputation, and professional world, Sagittarius. A New Moon here signifies new beginnings, breakthroughs, and opportunities within your career, but also a need to really focus on how you want things to play out for you here. A few different options and opportunities are presenting themselves to you now, and it’s about choosing what is going to be the best for you in the long run.
Think big-picture and know that it’s about progress right now, not perfection. You have the tools you need to succeed if you can recognize what gifts are already in your world.
CAPRICORN
This Solar Eclipse is happening in a fellow earth sign, and is inspiring you to new heights, Capricorn. This New Moon will be flowing through your 9th house, and the 9th house rules your sense of adventure, spirituality, divine guidance, travel, and freedom. You are aligning with your higher self, taking note of the signs and guidance you are receiving right now, and experiencing a personal breakthrough in your life.
This is the time in your life to think big picture and to look ahead with complete self-belief. It’s about expecting the best for yourself and creating space for new opportunities to enter. You are stepping out into the unknown, and your faith in it all is what is going to get you through this time.
AQUARIUS
Transformations are inevitable, and this eclipse changes everything for you, Aquarius. During this eclipse, you are ready to move forward and honor the new perspectives you have gained in life and in love, and the Universe is helping you do so. There is an awakening happening in your world now, and you are finding new ways to build stronger foundations and set new intentions for yourself.
You have been working on saving, gathering your resources, and thinking more logically about what you dedicate yourself to physically and emotionally, and right now, it’s time to see the manifestations of your efforts.
PISCES
The New Moon Solar Eclipse is an opportunity to gain your balance, Pisces. This eclipse happens in your opposite sign, Virgo, creating a need to find your harmony within the changes you are moving through. There is a lot on your plate and a lot on your mind, but it’s important not to let this energy overwhelm you. Your relationships need more of your time and energy right now, and it’s about filling up your cup so you have that energy to do so for others.
This eclipse brings significant changes in love, and is about building more stability here so that you feel good about where you are headed in life and who is coming with you.
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The Community Cure To Loneliness: How 'Joyful Connections' Transform Friendships
Many of us, 25+ women, are mindfully exiting toxic relationships and transforming good relationships into great ones by healing our inner child and returning back to childlike play. In the context of a post-lockdown society, we’re recovering from avoiding connection for years by discovering ourselves in community and interdependence, as is most rewarding.
They say raising a child takes a village, but we don’t stop needing a village to become well and good people in adulthood - after all, we are but tender children looking for love, safety, and fun on the inside.
After the obligations and responsibilities of work and home life, there is little left of us, which is why and how we spend what little time we have with others matters. We cannot rely on convenience or proximity to form rich adult friendships that fill our cup, but rather something more substantive.
Why Adult Friendships Feel Harder to Make
As a Brooklyn-based community builder who runs a collective to help women make adult friendships, I would say the best return on investment in new friends comes from meeting people where their joy exists.
When it comes to the development of such friendships, we might need to return to the sandbox and the vulnerability of asking another human if they want to play with us. As kids and young adults, community is compulsory. By way of school, church, extracurricular activities, sports, cul-de-sac friends, and third place galore, we were surrounded by peers from all walks of life, even if we didn’t necessarily intend to be.
Unlikely to consider if these spaces were even truly fun, safe, or beneficial, I’m not sure we even knew that community was what we were participating in.
A lot of folks struggle to make friends beyond their early twenties because the security blankets have been removed.
The 'Friendship Drought' After 25
The average age that most meet our best friends is 21, according to The Friendship Report, a global study commissioned by Snapchat in 2019. We can theorize this is because of factors like college environments, frequency of social events, bonding over canon events like first serious romantic relationships, and simply having idle time.
As we age and our responsibilities start to weigh heavier and heavier, we connect less over levity, play, and gossip and become more concerned with romantic partners - which society assigns greater importance - taxes, mortgages, children, increasingly aching bones, and the looming anxiety of legacy.
The Health Risks of Loneliness
Here’s the thing: Loneliness is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Our health quite literally depends on having fruitful connections that aren’t grown from obligation. We need friends who choose us because they love to see us happy and light.
We need friends who choose us because they love to see us happy and light.
The average American spends a very sad 41 minutes a day socializing. We are not socialized to value regular attendance to third places or interest-based activities/hobbies, so this makes sense, but it’s the greatest inhibitor to finding other adults we’re delighted by rather than trauma bonds with coworkers who also hate your boss or neighbors who are fine, but don’t share our values.
Meeting Friends Where Joy Exists
Not only do we need to find third places, not only do we need to commit intentional time daily to investing in friends, but we also need to connect with our friends over soul-enriching and genuinely fun activities. Things that help us know each other intimately.
What we do while we spend time with friends is what makes the friendship.
Time is the Real Investment
According to Jeffrey A. Hall of the University of Kansas, it takes over 200 hours of committed time to truly build a friendship, but as the time committed to leisure increases, so does the reported quality of the friendship. Hence, meeting our friends where our joy is.
Hence, meeting our friends where our joy is.
Building Friendship Through Shared Rituals
I was not the kind of person who ever got to make friends for a good or long time. I moved a lot as a child, went to university across the country from my family, where I didn’t have the ideal experience, then moved across the country again to New York post-college - a city notoriously densely populated and yet incredibly lonely.
I was experiencing no shortage of interactions with people, but a shortage of A) time outside of work and B) vulnerable experiences that don’t involve going to a bar to truly bring me closer to other humans. Today, I have certainly met my people.
While I’m emotionally available to kind folks always, my cup is filled constantly by those who have met me where I am happiest with consistency. I know the context of the way these relationships developed has greatly impacted them.
Last year, a new friend of mine noticed I volunteer at a local food bank every week. We are both founders and hobbyists with little extra time on our hands who really value being of service to the community, so I asked her to join me.
Over the period of a year, she and I developed a ritual of buying each other coffee, coming to our “sacred place,” as we call it, and spending time in the kitchen catching up on family chat, dating gossip, therapy updates, and everything in between.
We kiss goodbye and promise to see each other soon, and we always do.
Small Joys, Big Bonds
Several of my friends are travelers, so we spend time eating delicious food and putting our toes in the finest sand in the world together. Several of my friends are obsessed with and work in music, so we enjoy attending the concerts of our favorite artists. My friends and I each have our rituals of sheer, unadulterated joy.
My friends and I each have our rituals of sheer, unadulterated joy.
Redefining Community as Adults
When I plan events for my community collective, I keep this in mind. We don’t just meet over dinner to talk about work - we do yoga together, we make homemade pasta, we grab ice cream, we learn breathwork, we run around the park, we go on nature walks, we meet to debrief books.
It dawned on me recently that because we grew up forced into dynamics with each other, we never truly learned what community means to us and don’t know how to choose it. As we age, the foundation of our survival shifts from being liked by others to liking ourselves and building a small but mighty team of people who support us in doing so and brighten that light in us out in all of its luminosity.
Your friendships and community are, in essence, a team of people who are co-creating your reality, with each person offering a slice of deliciousness to round out your life pie.
Valuing yourself and committing time for joy is the gateway to friends who bring you joy and want to find you there.
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Article originally published on November 6, 2023









