A curious spike in the sales of sex swings left staff here at Lovehoney HQ scratching their heads. What could possibly be the cause of a run on sex swings? Are they kinky Valentine's gifts? Or a novel way to keep warm in the cold snap that's got the country all-of-a shiver?

After a little research, our answer came in the shape of Channel 4's Desperate Housewives. It turns out, Bree Van de Kamp's enterprising daughter Danielle was creating sex swings at home (though Bree was under the impression it was some sort of exercise equipment).

But forget the antics on Wisteria Lane, it's what's going on in bedrooms up and down Britain that's really got everyone at Lovehoney in a spin...

Happy National Flirt Day! It's the day that thoughts turn to Valentine's Day - and snaring that perfect hot date.

So what's the best way to impress a date? Tracey Cox, author of Pocket Superflirt (£5.99), says there is no such thing as a failproof chat up line.

"There is no chat up line that's going to work in every situation! Just start a conversation with something that's appropriate to the situation you're in. And if you do have something extraordinary to say, save it for about five minutes in. We're too busy looking, not listening in those first 60 seconds. Deciding if we fancy someone and getting clues about them from their posture, clothes and body language..."

"You're better off worrying about your body language and whether you're standing nice and tall, smiling and making eye contact than you are what's coming out of your mouth."

Check out the brand new Tracey Cox Official Facebook Page for more of Tracey's insights into relationships, and her best hints and tips.

Most people consider keeping your socks on during sex to be the ultimate passion-killer, but a study from a Dutch university begs to differ.

While aiming to find out what happens in the brain during orgasm, researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands inadvertently discovered that keeping the tootsies toasty had a positive impact on the subjects' ability to reach climax.

When the couples were given socks to wear, about 80% of the couples were able to achieve orgasm compared with 50% previously.

Anything that boosts orgasm potential gets our vote - but keep it sexy though, with a pair of stockings instead.

A recent online article caught our attention at Lovehoney. It suggested that orgasms, and the importance of having an orgasm, was becoming less important during sex. Initially it seems like a bold statement to make – what’s the point of having sex if you’re not seeking the ultimate release of climax?

After some thought though, it became obvious that (for some people at least), not having an orgasm wasn’t that important. The blog post by American health and sex expert Dr Emily Nagoski said that although we don’t seem to want as many orgasms, we want a lot more sex instead. Sexual happiness can come in a lot of different forms that don’t involve reaching a mind-blowing climax.

Instead of being orgasm-focused, both men and women are more inclined to seek different types of pleasure from sex: closeness, intimacy and sensuality.

To celebrate International Literacy Day, our most recent poll was all about Erotic Fiction. We asked Lovehoney blog readers if they prefered short stories or novels when reading erotic fiction.

Interestingly, 77.8% of those who voted said that they prefered short stories. While just 22.2% said that they enjoyed erotic novels more.

Whatever your preference, it's great to see so many interested in erotic literature!

Since International Literacy Day there's been an increase in the amount of self-penned stories submitted to our Erotic Fiction Forum, which is fantastic! Erotic fiction is a great way to explore what you love and discover new fantasies. If you fancy writing your own erotic fiction, whether it be a serialised novella or a few short stories, you can do so in our Erotic Fiction Forum.

In our last poll, we asked the question: 'Do you or your partner own a stroker?'

Over 51% of the people that voted said 'Yes' to to our question! Just 28% said 'No' while 19% of respondents showed an interest in owning a stroker with the answer 'No, but I'd like to'.

Here at Lovehoney we have a fantastic range of sleeves and strokers, realistic male masturbators and Fleshlights, so if you're still wanting to explore the pleasures of these fantastic male sex toys - you can!

This week we unveiled a UK exclusive at Lovehoney - the revolutionary new male sex toy the Spider! This innovation in masturbation is changing the way that men experience hands-free fun.

Vote in our new poll: 'When using a realistic male masturbator what's your favourite method for hands-free fun?' and visit the forum thread to discuss the different ways that you can use male masturbators.

As always, a big thank you goes out to everyone who voted in the last Lovehoney poll. 

If you've got something to say about the results of our last poll, leave a comment below...

Those who love oral sex know that the 69 position is a great way of making sure that both partners get all of the pleasure and attention they deserve.

Everyone has a different preference about how they position themselves during 69, who goes on top? Do you compromise and go for it side by side?

Our most recent poll: 'Which is your favourite 69 position?' has ended and we've discovered that Lovehoney customers generally prefer 69 with the woman on top.

55% of those who voted said that they preferred it when it was, 'her on top'.

That's an overwhelming majority when you consider that the slightly easier position of 'side by side' only achieved 27% of the votes and 'him on top' gained just 18%.

Do you agree with the majority? Leave a comment letting us know which is you favourite 69 position and why...

We know that there are loads of Lovehoney customers in relationships who use all sorts of toys as part of their day-to-day sex lives. The question was though, when in a relationship who takes the plunge and buys the first sex toy?

We asked the question, ‘Who bought the first sex toy in your relationship?’ and got some interesting results. It seems that when it comes to Lovehoney customers that men are more likely to buy the first sex toy.

Almost 45% of those who voted said that it was the male partner who bought the first toy in their relationship. Only 35% said that it was the female partner who introduced the first sex toy.

The smallest amount of votes went to the answer, ‘We bought it together’. Only 20% of those who voted said that they made a joint decision about the first toy in their relationship.

Our new poll, ‘Which is your favourite 69 position?’ is now up and running!

If you fancy discussing your vote visit the Which is your favourite 69 position? thread on the Lovehoney forum.

Once again, we’d like to thank everyone who voted in our last poll and posted in the forum - we love hearing from you!

Female ejaculation is often considered as the holy grail of sex. Notoriously difficult to achieve because of the amount of time and G-spot stimulation needed - reserved for porn stars and the lucky few.

Our poll: 'Have you ever experienced female ejaculation?' produced some really interesting (and surprising!) results.

It turns out that among Lovehoney customers, female ejaculation isn't rare - it's actually quite common!

Over 56% of people say that they have experienced female ejaculation compared to just 43% who say they haven't.

Our new poll: "Who bought the first sex toy in your relationship?" is now up and ready for your votes.

If you fancy discussing your vote you can do so on the forum thread Who bought the first sex toy in your relationship?

Thank you to everyone who participated in our last poll!

It’s one of those questions that come up during every World Cup and is thought about before a really important interview.Do you have loads of sex before to gear yourself up, or do you completely abstain and keep your eyes on the prize?

We’ve been running a poll here at Lovehoney asking whether or not you have sex before a big event.

The answer was an undeniable, YES!

Over 66% of you gear yourself up for a big event by having sex compared to just 33% who completely abstain.

Our new poll: “Have you ever experienced female ejaculation?” is now up and running on the blog. So get voting!

If you have something to say about female ejaculation (whether you’ve been trying to achieve it, have never experienced it, or have it all the time), we would love to hear from you on the Lovehoney forum's Have you ever experience female ejaculation? thread.

Thank you to everyone who voted on our last poll - we appreciate it!