Holiday Shopping for Sensual Self-Care

Maybe you start to seize up at the very thought of the winter holidays, tensing up over all the obligations and expectations. Maybe you go into every holiday season with a cinematically rosy vision of all the things you’ll do and enjoy THIS year, only to panic as time slips away. Maybe you push back against it all by refusing to change your routine, knocking out your gift list at your keyboard like you were doing a grocery order. Whatever your experience, it’s true that most of us feel pressure every year to do more, spend more, use ourselves up more.

We think there’s a better way.

Join us as we take you through a holiday shopping experience in Old Town Alexandria’s beautiful Boutique District, where we’ll give you tips and ideas for turning one of the year’s most stressful tasks into a joy-filled, pleasurable, and even sensual recharge for body and soul.

Planning and Preparation

Take a moment to answer this question for yourself: Why do you buy holiday gifts at all? What gives you pleasure about it? Do you love the treasure hunt as you browse shops? Is it the challenge of finding just that perfect thing for each person? Are you thrilled by the anticipation of their delight when they open your present? Getting clear on why you want to give each person a gift, and what you enjoy most about looking for that gift, is a great way to shift the tone of the whole day from harried to unhurried.

(If your only answer is “I buy gifts because I have to, and I hate it,” then maybe it’s time to have a talk with your loved ones. There are plenty of other ways to share holiday joy without physical gifts—check out our Love Languages posts to see if maybe Gift Giving is very low on your list and to find what’s more meaningful to you.)

If you’re going to make a day of it in the Boutique District, plan to take a leisurely pace and leave yourself time for regular breaks. King Street and the surrounding area beckon you to slow down and open up your senses—the crisp cold air fresh against your face, the brilliance of twinkling lights, the tempting scents from cafes and bakeries. You might be shopping for things for other people, but the time you spend doing it should be yours to enjoy. Will you bring a friend, or a few? Turn it into a date with your lover? Or simply have some time to yourself to go wherever your feet take you?

Sunday Funday

We think Sunday is the perfect day of the week to spend in Old Town. You’ve got the whole day to enjoy all the shops and services along our cobblestoned streets, and metered parking is free if you’re driving in and don’t want to worry about moving your car.

What better way to fuel your holiday cheer than to start out with brunch? Some of Alexandria’s best brunches happen on King Street, whether you prefer Magnolia’s elegance, Hen Quarter’s comfort food, or seafood at Hank’s Oyster Bar (right across the street from Lotus Blooms!) It’s a great time to look over your gift list and think about where you might want to look.

One way to make your shopping more fun—especially if you haven’t come up with ideas for everyone on your list—is to plan to do it in two rounds. Round One is just for browsing. Let yourself wander, dropping in on the shops that draw you in. Take your time, ask questions, and enjoy imagining each person’s reaction when you find something you think they might love. The beauty of a boutique district like King Street is that the experience is so much more personal! You’re chatting with shop owners who love their businesses and have carefully chosen what they sell. You can touch things, try out testers of products, sample treats. All the decorations reflect the personalities of the people who put them up, not the standards dictated by a corporate brand memo.

When you’ve explored thoroughly and noted down any ideas and places you want to return to, give yourself a break—grab some coffee and a light bite to eat at a café like Misha’s, Killer ESP, or Sugar Shack Donuts. Or, book a relaxing treatment at one of the many salons and day spas dotting the Boutique District. A chair or foot massage is the perfect way to recharge and warm up after an invigorating walk.

After you’ve refreshed, you’re ready for Round Two—this time, heading back to the places where you found anything you’ve definitely decided to buy. Since you gave yourself some time to think about your choices, you don’t have to worry that you impulsively over-spent or wonder if you got the right thing, and you can take pleasure in the care with which shop staff will wrap up your items in beautiful tissue and packaging. Everything you buy suddenly feels like a treasure!

Or perhaps you only needed Round One to pick out boutique gifts, and you can spend the afternoon in one of Old Town’s DIY shops like Paint This! or AR Workshop, putting your personal touch on handcrafted gifts and enjoying the company of fellow crafters.

The Lotus Blooms Connection

Of course, if you’re spending the day enjoying all that King Street has to offer, we hope Lotus Blooms will be on your itinerary! We have many ways to turn your holiday shopping day into an act of indulgent self-care and pleasure:

• Get fitted for one of our high-quality, steel-boned corsets to wear to your holiday parties or for advance planning for New Year’s Eve. With our staff’s expertise and personal attention, and our velvet-draped fitting rooms and elegant furnishings, you’ll feel like royalty!
• Want to make sure your lover chooses the sexy gift that will truly thrill you? Our staff can provide you with a wish list form to take around the store and note down all the details of the things you love the most. You can give it to your partner directly, or write down their email address and we’ll get in touch to let them know you’ve got a wish list on file. Even better, you can each do one and enjoy knowing you’re going to surprise each other with something steamy!
• A great way to extend the holidays-- and/or to get gifts for friends without feeling uncomfortably personal-- is to get gift cards while you're shopping now. Give them to your partner(s) with the promise of a date at the store to pick out something together, or to friends to inspire a luxuriously self-indulgent shopping date in January.
• Of course, our staff can always answer your questions and help you pick something out then and there, if you want your gift to be a complete surprise. Maybe you’ll pick up something for that fantasy your lover shared with you…?
• Just because you’re shopping for others doesn’t mean you can’t get yourself a gift too! A book of erotica, massage candle, or new vibrator is a wonderful way to treat yourself and celebrate a successful day of stress-free holiday shopping.
• Or, if you are out on a Sunday, you could finish off your day at one of our workshops in the store from 7-9 PM. We welcome couples and moresomes, friends attending together, and solo learners alike. It’s fun, relaxed, and a great way to re-connect with your sexuality and pleasure at a busy time of year! (Pro tip: There are plenty of wonderful nearby eateries open both before and after our workshops, so you can get dinner and drinks to make it a complete night out.)

(Quick PS on shopping for sex toys for gifts-- while it might seem tempting to visit a shop to check something out and ask the staff all your questions about it, and then to go home and see if you can get it cheaply on Amazon-- here's a buyer beware article from Dangerous Lilly about the unpleasant surprises you might encounter there. Be informed and be careful!)

Special Holidates in Old Town

There are a few dates to mark on your calendar if you want to enjoy an especially festive day in the Boutique District this season!

• “Plaid Friday”: If you’re a day-after-Thanksgiving deal-hunter, shopping the Boutique District offers discounts and special promotions at many shops (including ours—we’ll have $22 lingerie all day!) and encourages people to enjoy supporting local small businesses. Metered parking is free, and there are also lots of activities, from live band music to the Elf Prize Patrol offering giveaways from 11 AM – 1 PM, to the Alexandria Annual Tree Lighting in the evening.
• December 1st: It’s a day of festivities, with the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights that includes a pop-up beer garden from Port City Brewing Co., a pop-up grill from Vola’s, Lyft giveaways, a pop-up Letters to Santa postcard space from Penny Post, holiday wood ornament crafting from AR Workshop, and a hot chocolate bar from Dolce Gelati. The Scottish Christmas Walk parade also takes place in Old Town that day.
• December 2nd: That Sunday is the Del Ray Holiday Market, a pop-up market featuring many local artisans and entrepreneurs. It’s also the Alexandria Holiday Sweater Run, for fitness-minded early birds!
• Alexandria is full of performances, special events, holiday dining, and giveaways from Black Friday through New Year’s—take a look at some top choices!

Be Kind—Unwind!

Most importantly, when you get home from your long day out, remember to take some time to take care of yourself. Even if you weren’t rushing and had a wonderful time, you’re going to be tired, chilled, and maybe a little achy. Warm up and indulge your senses with a hot shower or bath and soft clothes. Ask your partner, when you’re planning your day, to be ready to give you a massage (or trade them!)—or, if you’re living solo, give yourself some soothing touch.

We might be biased, but we think sex is a great way to unwind after a holiday outing! Make a date with your sweetie for some sexy stress relief, or focus entirely on yourself with your favorite vibrator or other toy. Let yourself sink into the pillows, enjoy the feel of the sheets against your skin, and fully enjoy that totally-relaxed and drowsy afterglow.

Who knows—give our agenda a whirl, and it might be the first time you find yourself eager to go out on a holiday gift-hunting expedition again!