If your bae has been nice and not naughty this year, it may be time to reward him with a treat other than yourself, but what exactly should you get him that's equally sweet? That's a question that may have you spending your nights thinking rather than cuddling and we wouldn't want that, so we've done the work for you!
Put on your Mrs. Claus hats, and be ready to be kissed many times under the mistletoe with these thoughtful gifts that will make your boo want to cook up a special batch of cookies to leave by your bedside.
Below you will find plenty of gifts that have been specially chosen to cater to every kind of guy who wants his needs to be fulfilled and not just his desires.
For the Trendsetter Guy: Art 4 All
How many men can say they have a hat featuring one-of-a-kind traditional Indonesian art known as Batik? Your bae will when you take his love for hats to a whole new level with one of these unique hats styled with wildlife and nature images! His boys will definitely be copying his style.
Shop here.
For the Baller: The Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant
Credit: MCD
Ready to score high points with your man? Well, if he's a fan of basketball and loves a good story, then this collector's item written by Kobe "The Black Mamba" Bryant will be a slam dunk under the tree. Written in his own words and with amazing photos taken by legendary NBA photographer, Andy Bernstein, readers of this book will be pleased to learn all about the mental and physical preparation that it took for the NBA star to excel at the game.
Shop here.
For the Dapper Man: Fine Accoutrements
Bring retro luxury to your man's shaving game with Fine Accoutrements' double edge safety razor. He will surely be thanking you when he uses the "Marvel" Safety Razor that flaunts vintage class but also gets the job done effortlessly!
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For the Digital Guy: Skagen Smartwatch
Got yourself a man who has a love for gadgets? If so, shock his circuit breaker with this Falster 2 Smartwatch that boasts an interactive, swimproof touchscreen and a range of smart features powered with Wear OS by Google! From heart-rate and Google Assistant to everything in between, not only will he be double tapping all your posts, but he'll also be wanting to share his love in other ways that gets his heart pumping (hint, hint)!
Shop here.
The Hungry Guy: Pizza Grilling Man Crate
Gift giving has never been this delicious and this Man Crate has everything needed to satisfy your man's hungry belly. We've all heard a way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so why not fill it with a themed gift that comes with an assortment of carefully-curated, high quality goods, packaged inside a rugged wooden crate to make the perfect pizza? Yup, you can thank us later!
Shop here.
The Classy Man: Anson Belt and Buckle
A real man wears his pants around his waist not under his behind. With that being said, treat the man in your life to a gift that is stylish and functional. A great gift is a cinch with this Anson Belt & Buckle because it's a micro-adjustable hole-less belt that always ensures the perfect fit.
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For the DIY Guy: Elba-Macht Magnetic Wristband
If you love to watch your bae doing handywork, then you're going to be drooling when you see him equipped with the "Magnetic Wristband" that keeps all the small metal items like nails, screws, bits, and even small hammers attached to it. Talk about giving him a helping hand!
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For the Professional Man: RAWHYD Leather Co.
RAWHYD Leather Co.
Your bae may like to write those checks and collect that cash, but does he have a wallet that is not only functional but also handmade with quality leather by artisans in India? We didn't think so, and that's exactly why we made wallets by RAWHYD a must-have for a professional man. And don't worry, if he loses it, the RAWHYD Leather Co. offers a 1 year no-hassle warranty!
Shop here.
For the Sexy Beast: Bunch of Animals Underwear
Gift your man a luxe gift that he can enjoy everyday! These soft, comfortable, and breathable underwear created with eco-friendly materials will not only benefit your man's jewels, but it will also give you some serious eye-candy with its vibrant patterns! Bonus: No more sweaty balls.
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For the Music Maniac: COBY Premium Bluetooth Headphones
Ladies, if you want your man singing tunes about your greatness, then these rechargeable PREMIUM hands-free Stereo Headphones are that gift for the music lover or amateur singer. Not only do these earphones offer wireless music, but they also double as a Bluetooth® phone headset for hands-free calling. How dope?
Shop here.
For the Charismatic Man: Smile Direct Club
Help keep your bae's smile picture-perfect with this professional-grade teeth whitening system designed to get his teeth to their brightest in just one week – right in the comfort of his own home. Gift him the kit filled with whitening pens and a LED accelerator light that will keep him smiling from ear-to-ear.
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The Self-Satisfier: Wicked Sensual Care
Lube as a gift? Why not? Get your man the gift of sexual satisfaction with luxury lubricants that promotes not only a great time but also gives pleasure without compromising his sexual health. You might like this, A LOT.
Shop here.
For the Candy Man: Holiday Tin Trio
A man with a sweet tooth will fall in love with two pounds of gourmet chocolate that offers him his own stash of three chocolate favorites – chocolate covered vanilla-cream cookies, peppermint pretzels, and chocolate covered potato chips. Don't worry, he's still going to want to partake in your sweetness!
Shop here.
For the Bearded Brother: Esquire Grooming's The Five Piece Trimmer Set
Nothing is better than a man whose beard is fresh, clean, and soft so why not treat him (and yourself) by upgrading his grooming tools with The Five Piece Trimmer Set which offers power, precision, control and versatility for a full face and body coverage. This gift will put him at the top of the #beardgang!
Shop here.
For the Natural Man: OTTO by Banana Bros.
Change the game with this "smart," motorized all-in-one grinder and cone maker that's designed with proprietary artificial intelligence and is able to detect the condition of the herb, gently mill buds to uniform perfection, and neatly fill Banana Bros. premium raw fiber cones in just seconds. Talk about a modern ways to enjoy smoking leisure!
Shop here.
'Tis the season! Check out xoNecole's other Christmas gift guides here.
Why can’t (more) singles just be single and be okay with that? Good Lord. Why does there need to be some sort of relational play-on-words to make it sound like we’re with someone — even if we’re not?
Now masturdating? Even though it’s not even close to being a “real” word, it’s something that also brought a laugh outta me — although it was then followed by a genuine smile. The laugh because I almost immediately caught the play-on-words. The smile was due to the intention behind it all.
If you’re not familiar with what masturdating is and you’re curious about why you should even care, take a few moments to at least skim through what it’s about and why I think participating, as a single person, is a pretty cool (and effective) concept.
@knotlukas Masturdate: a date w oneself
What’s Masturdating All About?
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Masturdating. Okay, so let the word marinate for just a moment. What does it sound like? Yeah…exactly. And since a huge part of masturbation centers around self-pleasure, it’s cool to explore how “self-dating” could produce similar (as far as pleasure is concerned in a broader sense) results. Because masturdating is all about spending quality time with yourself, pampering yourself, treating yourself— and yes, taking yourself out on dates.
Any of you who may think that masturdating is a consolation prize — and a pitiful one at that — for not being able to go out with another human being or get that dream $200 first date that social media was all in a tizzy about last year (bookmark that) — personally, I think that you’re the demographic who needs to try out masturdating first and the most. Why? Off top, I’ll share my three good reasons.
3 Reasons To Strongly Consider Masturdating
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1. It’s an intimate way to get to know yourself better. I’ve been working with couples for a pretty long time at this point and if there’s a pattern that I see arise, OFTEN, it’s that two people are oftentimes so busy trying to “find their person” that they didn’t even know who they were. As a direct result, they found themselves in a relationship with someone who only complemented the “kiddie pool version” of who they were.
That’s why it can be so beneficial to spend time getting to know yourself on the “deep end” of things: what makes you tick, what your passions are, what you want most out of life, what are your interests beyond obvious things — and masturdating can help you to discover all of this. Whether it’s traveling alone or taking out a weekend to drink some wine and journal, the more you get to know yourself, the clearer you’ll be about who complements you on a romantic and friendship level.
2. It will definitely help to boost your confidence levels. I guess since I’m an ambivert, I don’t really get why people freak out at the mere thought of going to a restaurant or movie alone. Personally, I think it requires a helluva lot more energy and gumption to wait around and plan stuff with other people (#Elmoshrug). However, whether you’re an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert, there’s no way around the fact that the more comfortable you get with doing things alone, the more your confidence levels will increase — no, soar — because of it.
One article that I read on the topic said that doing things alone can make you more creative, improve your mental health, and help you to be totally okay with being alone (so that you’re not “needy” for other people’s attention). A psychotherapist from a New York Times article on the benefits of spending time alone said, “Getting better at identifying moments when we need solitude to recharge and reflect can help us better handle negative emotions and experiences, like stress and burnout.” And when you’re able to stare negativity in its face without flinching, how could that not make you bolder, more self-secure, and hopeful about your life?
3. It will teach you to value your time more effectively. In every facet of your world, you’re gonna operate from a healthier place if you’re operating from a “full cup” rather than an empty one. When it comes to this topic, think about it — if you’re constantly waiting on someone to call you to go out or wishing for a dream date with some guy, all you’re doing is wasting precious time that you could be spending taking a cooking class or hell, hiring a chef to make you dinner at your own home.
Indeed, waiting has two sides to it: when it’s in the form of patience, it is indeed a virtue, yet when it’s wrapped up in the notion that you’re not really living life unless you have an audience…it is totally working against you. Choose wisely.
10 Solo Date Ideas To Help You To “Master” Masturdating
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So, what if you’re someone who has either never considered actually masturdating before or you don’t really know what to do beyond dinner and the movies? Here are a few ideas to consider:
1. Attend a workshop or masterclass that you’re interested in. If there’s something that you’ve always wanted to learn, sign up for a workshop or masterclass. The cool thing about this option is there are probably some in your city, as well as some that you can find online (like here) that are convenient and affordable.
2. Binge-read at a local coffee shop. Aside from their coziness and oftentimes inviting scents, I once read that a lot of us gravitate to coffee shops because we can be around people without having to actually socialize with them. So, if you want to “hang out” while still being able to enjoy a bit of solitude, take a book that you’ve been trying to finish to a local coffee shop, order your favorite latte, and sit in a big-ass comfy chair. Usually, you can sit there for hours, and the staff will be just fine with it (another bonus).
3. Have a spa day in the next town. You can never go wrong with a spa day. And while going with a friend can be fun, sometimes there’s too much talking transpiring to be able to fully chill out and relax. So, go off of the grid, get a change of scenery, and hit up a spa in the next city (or town). There are lots of studies out here supporting that day trips or “daycations” can actually be really good for your long-term health and well-being.
4. See a community play. Some of the best solo dates that I’ve ever been on consisted of taking in some of the local arts in my city. What’s really cool about this particular option is, oftentimes, they are extremely inexpensive, if not totally free of charge (in exchange for making a donation or putting money into a tip jar).
5. Plan a trip. Whenever people say something along the lines of, “If you don’t expect anything, you won’t be disappointed,” I know that they low-key have some (additional) healing to do from past disappointments. There’s simply too much intel out here to support that anticipation (of good stuff) makes us more motivated and optimistic, keeps our dopamine levels up, and makes life more exciting overall.
Since traveling alone is more cost-effective, gives you the freedom to do whatever you want (when you want), and increases the possibility of meeting new people and having new experiences on your journey — why not devote a day this weekend to planning a solo trip? All the way around, it’s good for you.
6. Try your hand at your own “$200 date.” Uh-huh. Roll your eyes if you want to, but it’s real easy to talk left about how a man should be able to just drop $200 like it’s nothing…until you actually try to do it. So yes, while taking yourself out on this type of date could serve as a bit of a reality check, it can also “scratch the itch” of waiting on some dude to do it for you. It’s also way less emotionally draining because, at least when you’re taking your own self out, it’s guaranteed that you’ll enjoy the company…right?
7. DIY some pampering. When you get a chance, check out “5 Reasons You Should Unapologetically Pamper Yourself,” “Want To Love On Yourself? Try These 10 Things At Home.,” “I’ve Got Some Ways For You To Start Pampering Your Soul,” and “When's The Last Time You Actually Pampered Your Vagina?” The bottom line here is pampering is all about, not mere self-maintenance; it’s all about treating yourself to levels of EXTREME SELF-INDULGENCE. So, if nothing else tickles your fancy on this list, at least consider doing that, chile.
8. Feed your creativity. Something that I used to be really good at is art. That said, one of my goddaughters is insanely talented, so she has reminded me to tap back into it. Also, a big part of what got me into the writing world is poetry; I actually used to be a house poet at a local spot. Sometimes, my best quality time moments with myself have been revisiting these creative sides of me — and this is definitely easier to do (and enjoy) alone.
9. Try some stargazing. When’s the last time you took a blanket into your backyard, laid down on it, and just stared at the stars for hours on end? While some say that stargazing can teach you to be mindful, others say that being in that form of nature reduces stress, while others believe that looking up at the universe at night can increase your attention span. All solid reasons to give it a shot, if you ask me.
10. DO. ABSOLUTELY. NOTHING. Let me tell you something that nobody will ever be able to make me feel bad about: doing absolutely nothing. I’ve got data to back me up. Good Housekeeping shares that doing nothing can help you decide how you want to respond or react to certain things. I like howThe Guardian says that taking this approach helps you to regain control of what you give your attention to.
TIME magazine says that it can ultimately make you more productive.BBC offers up that it can help you tap into your ingenuity.Henry Ford Health says that it can make you kinder and a better problem-solver. So, if you want to invest in yourself, do nothing sometimes.
Closing Thoughts from the Lovely Javicia Leslie
While some of y'all may know Javicia Leslie from being the former Batwoman, I discovered her back in the day from the indie series Chef Julian (and yes, "Julian" was right to say that "Mo" looks like Tatyana Ali...the real ones know). Sometimes I'll hop on her IG to see what she's got going on and this story popped up within a few hours of me penning this...so, I took it as hella confirmation.
TREAT YO SELF. WAIT FOR NO ONE.
WAIT FOR NO ONE. TREAT YO SELF.
RINSE AND REPEAT.
_____
Sooo…what kind of masturdating plans do you have for this coming weekend? While going out with others has its perks, hanging out with yourself has a ton of ‘em too. Enjoy!
No…for real. ENJOY!
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